slab side post ban reciever

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - slab side post ban reciever

Posted: 9/11/2002 5:12:03 PM EDT

Is there such a thing? Where do I get one?

Posted: 9/11/2002 5:47:58 PM EDT

[#1]

im assuming you mean lower reciever and i dont believe so.

colts the only ones who had em i believe, and even they quit using em WAY before the ban...

why would you want one anyhow?

Posted: 9/11/2002 5:54:22 PM EDT

[#2]

Trying to build a post ban Viet era replica.
Most important is the upper, with triangle handguards and pencil barrel..which I already have. I will just get a post lower and machine the fence off. Anybody have a FUNCTIONAL but beater looking lower? I will have to refinish anyway. Preferably in Fl.

Posted: 9/11/2002 7:29:49 PM EDT

[#3]

Most Vietnam era M16's did have the mag fence.
google image search
www.authenticmilitaria.com/periodphotos/images/vietnam/SVNmarineM16.jpg

Posted: 9/12/2002 5:41:28 AM EDT

[#4]

D45,

damn !!!!!!!!

that photo shure does look to be "doctored up", appears to be phoney !! i am an amatuer photographer & developed my own film & made up some phoney photos & that "Cong" holding an M16 is a fluke photo !!!

Posted: 9/12/2002 6:14:17 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
D45,

damn !!!!!!!!

that photo shure does look to be "doctored up", appears to be phoney !! i am an amatuer photographer & developed my own film & made up some phoney photos & that "Cong" holding an M16 is a fluke photo !!!

Uhh...Cong? Look again. That is a Marine.

Posted: 9/13/2002 5:33:34 AM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
D45,

damn !!!!!!!!

that photo shure does look to be "doctored up", appears to be phoney !! i am an amatuer photographer & developed my own film & made up some phoney photos & that "Cong" holding an M16 is a fluke photo !!!

I'm not sure what your point is.
I pulled the photo off a google search. That's a South Vietnamese Marine, note the uniform.

Read this book for more history of the M16 rifle:

Posted: 9/13/2002 9:03:17 AM EDT

[#7]

Captain: Where did you get the upper receiver? Did you build it yourself, or buy it? Does it have the forward assist and brass deflector? I am looking for an A1 upper with Triangle handguards and FA/BD.

Thanks!

Brad

Posted: 9/13/2002 12:04:07 PM EDT

[#8]

Only the original M16 (the ones bought by the Air Force) had slab-side lowers. The Army and Marines used M16A1s, which all had the fence and pivot push-pin.

The other Vietnam guns that used slabside lowers were the first M16 carbines, the XM-177 series guns. But by the XM-177E2, they too had the M16A1 "fence" lower.

The reason for the confusion is that Colt ended up using all those extra slab-side raw forgings for the production of the *civilian* AR15s from the 60's through the late 80's (i.e., the SP-1s). And, many of these SP-1s were converted to full-auto by the movie studios and depicted in movies as "Vietnam M16s". Just another lesson in "never base anything gun-related on what you see in the movies."

-Troy

Posted: 9/13/2002 12:10:46 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Only the original M16 (the ones bought by the Air Force) had slab-side lowers. The Army and Marines used M16A1s, which all had the fence and pivot push-pin.

The other Vietnam guns that used slabside lowers were the first M16 carbines, the XM-177 series guns. But by the XM-177E2, they too had the M16A1 "fence" lower.

The reason for the confusion is that Colt ended up using all those extra slab-side raw forgings for the production of the *civilian* AR15s from the 60's through the late 80's (i.e., the SP-1s). And, many of these SP-1s were converted to full-auto by the movie studios and depicted in movies as "Vietnam M16s". Just another lesson in "never base anything gun-related on what you see in the movies."

-Troy

Interesting bit of info there.
I was under the impression that the first half of Nam was fought with slab-side lowers.

So, SP-1s were Vietnam suplus after the introduction of the A1?

Posted: 9/13/2002 1:58:35 PM EDT

[#10]

There were slab sides in US Army service. When I did Army Basic Training in 1988, there was a real mix of M16s. Many facoty M16A1s, many that had Colt AR15 stamped on the lowers, and all kinds of oddball variations. While all had been rebuilt to M16A1 standard (forward assist and bird cage FH), I distinctly remember seeing slab side lowers (no raised fence around the magazine release)in my company. My rifle was a Hydramatic M16A1 that had four arsenal rebild stamps on the lower. I can almost remember the serial number...

Posted: 9/13/2002 4:18:09 PM EDT

[#11]

Thanks Troy and Derek! This will make the quest easier. The part that "makes" the Viet era rifle, to me anyway, is the upper. Which I have.
I have to remove the bayo lug (shame) and I have a Kurts Kustom fake birdcage hider already.I was just trying to be historicaly correct as much as poss.
Brad, I bought the upper on the EE board, its an old pre-ban SP1. It has the FA but no deflector.
Can I shave the ears off the bayo lug or do I have to remove it completely?
BP

Posted: 9/13/2002 8:56:53 PM EDT

[#12]

Until Colt made the PIP updates to the XM16E1 series in late 1967, all Colt M16/M16A1 based rifles had the semi slab side lower. The lower had a detent well, but no magazine release fence.

I've seen and shot quite a few M16A1 USA/USANG based rifles with with no magazine fence. The magazine fenced rifles didn't start showing up in Vietnam till early 1968.

Posted: 9/14/2002 3:10:55 AM EDT

[#13]

From what I understand all the "A1" features didn't show up all at the same time. The M16A1 my dad carried during his time in Vietnam ('69-70 Da Nang)had the forward assist but had the 3-prong flash suppressor & solid, no trap door buttstock. But he was Navy(Seabee) & not as high on the new rifle priority list as Marines out in the field. When I next talk to him I'll ask about the mag fence or lack of.

Posted: 9/14/2002 5:04:00 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Quoted:
D45,

damn !!!!!!!!

that photo shure does look to be "doctored up", appears to be phoney !! i am an amatuer photographer & developed my own film & made up some phoney photos & that "Cong" holding an M16 is a fluke photo !!!

I'm not sure what your point is.
I pulled the photo off a google search. That's a South Vietnamese Marine, note the uniform.

Read this book for more history of the M16 rifle:
www.americangunsmith.com/pix/blackrifle.jpg

==================================================

yes !! i have the book & i refer to it quite often......

i still say the photo is a phoney !!!!!!!!!

Posted: 9/14/2002 6:59:02 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
So, SP-1s were Vietnam suplus after the introduction of the A1?

Not exactly. The SP-1s were made from the unmachined raw forgings that were left over from the M16 and XM16E1 contracts. Since the forgings were already in the inventory, and since they wouldn't be used for military contracts, because military guns were made from the newer, updated forgings, they built the SP-1s from the parts they had on-hand. They could not have used lowers that were already machined to M16 specs, as having the sear hole was a no-no.

Colt tended to always try to use up their older parts before using the newer, updated ones. That's why there are so many "exception" rifles that have a mix of old and new features, both in the military and civilian lines.

-Troy

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - slab side post ban reciever

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