Just recieved the Colt M16 bolt/carrier assembly ordered from CDNN last week, to replace the half moon cutaway. Unit appaers new, except for a slight amount of rub marks aon the edges of the side bearings.  I'm assuming that these were pulled from the M16A1 barrelled uppers that CDNN is also selling.

Pulled the extractor to check the stiffness of the spring, and replace it with a Wolff HD type if it was the older, softer type (it was).

THE SPRING INSERT IS RED!!

Now I thought I knew all the colors for inserts used by Colt over the years; the original white piece that was found to be too soft during the Viet Nam War and replaced by the stiffer blue.  The recent black used to ID the heavier spring Colt started using on the M4 (Colt says it's the same stiffness as the blue; one of their distributors, and some members here, say it's stiffer).  But RED??

So two questions. 1)Have any of you other guys who bought one of the CDNN pieces gotten a red insert and 2) does anyone know what the red signifies and when it was used?

What? 82 people have sanned this post and nobody knows about a red insert on a new Colt bolt?

Hey, maybe I've got the only one in the world, and I can auction it on e bay for $1000? Naw,  couldn't get that lucky[:D]

Well I can verify that all the bolts they're selling have the red inserts -- I bought two assemblies.  I didn't even try to figure out the significance of the new color but I'm sure there's [i]some[/i] reason.

I thought the spring insert just designated the type of spring (M4 etc).

Besides, if you have the Wolff spring, its really a mute point.

Yep, both mine were red.

Well, in fact, when they went from white to blue back in the '60s, it was to designate a stiffer insert, not a stiffer spring. Then, when they went to black (in the '90s?) it was supposed to mean a stiffer spring.

You're right, of course. Putting the Wolff spring in, along w/a blue insert (because I know that combo works) makes the question moot. But I am still wondering how come nobody ever saw a red insert until this batch of bolts hit the market.

Guess someone is going to have to call Colt to find out what it all means[:D]

Happy to hear that all you other guys got red, even tho it means I can't auction mine off on e bay for thousands of dollars[:D]

So, for all you Coltniks out there, there are FOUR, not three official colors of extractor spring inserts:

White--the first

Blue--the second

Red--the third???

Black--Current

Ain't life wonderful[:D]

I'll bet they are all red; I bought enough to be a reasonable sample.

Take a real close look and tell me they dont look suspiciously like miniture erasers. If they are highly collectible - or even if they aint - I am entertaining offers.

Thought someone was going to comment on the $20 meprolight FS CDNN had. I finally got mine. They appear plenty bright to me - slightly less bright than the Trijicon sets that are 2-3 years old.

Luck
Alac