Posted: 1/17/2006 11:57:58 AM EDT
| I just got my hands on a somewhat odd pre-94 Colt rifle. It is a Colt Sporter Target Model rifle (ser# ST-001xxx) but has some oddities compared to other pre-94 Colts I have/had. It has the raised magazine fence but has a large front pivot pin size (a screw). I've never seen that before. Also, it has no sear block and the fire control parts seem to be standard sized (non-proprietary Colt sized). It has no bayonet lug just like other Sporters I've seen. Does anyone have any insight into why this rifle is like this? What's really throwing me is the raised magazine fence reinforcements with a .312" pivot. From searching on the internet for a while it almost sounds like a "white label" variant but they supposedly had small front pivot holes. Thanks in advance for any info. |
It does sound like a white label to me but while the large front pivot pin is odd, it's not surprising. White labels were sort of bastard children; after the green label but before the blue labels. Colt was struggling at the time and probably putting everything that would fit together out the door in an effort to generate some income. I'm guessing they had some large pin uppers laying around and didn't want them to go to waste. I've even seen a pre-ban yellow label with .155" FCG, a .246" front pivot pin, AND a bayonet lug!!! Unfortunately he won't sell it. |
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Thanks M4arc for the info, it's very helpful. Honestly, I'm kind of disappointed in the rifle I got. It's really nice and is in good shape, but I didn't want another large pivot Colt. I made the mistake of asking only whether it had the raised mag well fence and assuming that since it did, it'd be a small pivot. Oh well, you live and learn I guess. My bad. |
| Are you positive that it is a large pivot? Remember, some of the small pivots came with a screw as well, but it only has a screw head on the left side instead of the large two-headed screws found on every large pivot I have seen. If yours has a double screw head, then it is the first one I have heard of with a mag fence. |
I would have assumed the same thing my man. I've never seen a large pin/raised mag fence but during the time of white labels anything could've been possible. Don't be disappointed, what you have is a very unique Colt and possibly one of a kind. |
No, I measured it myself and it's .312" in diameter and it has a screw head on both sides, despite having the raised mag fence. Maybe tomorrow I'll get a digital pic posted of it. I guess it's more unique than I thought, hehe. In any case, it's a nice rifle and most likely a keeper. Thanks guys for your feedback. 
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I had a former '91 new in box Colt Sporter Target Model rifle same as yours but it's a blue label box for sure because I sold it still NIB during the AWB with the original box. The only things I don't remember was the pivot pin size but it was also a screw type and the FCG size. I wish now that I should have kept it. 
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This was probably several years back but a member here (can't recall who) posted pics of his white label rifle. It had standard size FCG parts, small mil-spec front pin (screw), raised fence and no sear block. Basically a M16 in semi auto with original box and papers. A true thing of beauty !!! I WANT ONE !! |
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Here are some pics I took of it. Notice the mag fence is set back from the pivot hole more than normal, and the pivot pin has screw heads on both sides. Again, this has a standard FCG and no sear block. My blue label R6601 receiver is shown for comparison. The new "mystery" R6551:    My R6601, for comparison:  |
I think that is the one I remember as well. I IM'd the guy and offered to buy it but he wasn't going to part with it. IIRC Stokes has one as well but his was a remanufactured lower that came back to him with standard sized FCG and front takedown pin. Lucky dog! |
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Also, this newest Sporter says it was made by Colt's Firearms Division of Colt Industries, whereas my R6601 says it was made by Colt's MFG Co, Inc. I'm assuming the difference is from Colt changing ownership hands in that time frame? Maybe this is just an odd blue label Sporter like what Alpha-Romeo3 had. |
Are you saying that if it has the screw with the single head that it's a small hole? I was under the impression that almost all of the sporters were large hole. I've never measured the R6601, but I assumed it was a large hole. Is it really a small hole? Thanks for any info...
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QUOTE:Are you saying that if it has the screw with the single head that it's a small hole? I was under the impression that almost all of the sporters were large hole. I've never measured the R6601, but I assumed it was a large hole. Is it really a small hole? Thanks for any info...he ~0.250" = small hole ~0.315" = large hole |
| I'm posting in this thread because I have the same question. I have a R6600 built in 1990. It has a large pin slabside lower, and is identical to my green label R6600 built in 1986, except for the lack of a bayonet lug. I am under the impression that white labels had the raised mag fence and no bayonet lug. So if my R6600 has no bayonet lug, but has a slabside lower and no sear block, what is it, a white label or a green label? |
Green Label???? I bought a R6601 in June 1990, a Sporter Match HBAR, that sounds like a perfect twin to your R6600, i.e. large pin, slabside lower - complete with an SP serial number, and no sear block or bayo lug. Mine is a blue label rifle. I still have the box. I was under the impression that the R6600 & R6550 (isn't that the govt weigth barrel model no.?) were green label AR15A2's and the R6601 & R6551's were the blue label Sporter Match rifles. Although also thought the blue labels were the first to lose the bayo lug. Recently I've found they weren't. |
Now that is interesting, Bumblebee; I thought R6601 serial numbers had a "MH" serial number prefix! Yours sounds like a R6600 like mine! So your box says "R6601"? |
It sure does. R6601...ser. no. SP2497xx...Blue Label I ordered the rifle as soon as Colt made them available again and I imagine I got a very early Blue Label R6601. |
My ser. no. is SP2474xx. Now I wonder if mine is a R6601. My rollmark says AR-15A2 HBAR Sporter. What does yours say? |
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My rifle is rollmarked: Prancing Pony Colt SPORTER MATCH HBAR CAL. .223 SER. SP2497xx It's marked as made by: Colt's MFG. CO INC. HARTFORD, CONN. -------U.S.A.----------- I think I'm going to get around to taking pictures of the label and roll mark and start a new thread. I've known for quite a while that this must be an early rifle but with a serial number lower than many earlier rifles. But I've got an old 1.3 meg camera without good macro so I don't know how it'll turn out. Plus I'm sure it'll be Friday before I get it accomplished. I'll post it in this forum. edited. I forgot to add I think the R6600 Green Label became the R6601 Blue Label when Colt's was sold to the worker's/mangament and became Colt's Mfg. Co, Inc. Again, that's the impression I have. Second edit. Okay...you made me do it. I got the rifle out of the safe to be sure I got the rollmarkings correct...and since the camera was right here....I'll be playing with my pics and get them posted shortly. |
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Thanks, Bumblebee, look forward to it. So I must have a R6600. I still wonder if it is a green label, it was built in 1990. Confirmed by Colt, a green label R6600K, built in 1990. I guess Colt was making green labels, white labels and blue labels all at the same time! |
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BMANSAR15, your R6551 is an early 1990 Blue label Sporter, I have the same gun, purchased by me in 1990. You will find early Blue label Sporters with “SP” serial numbers have slab side receivers and early “ST” serial numbers with bossed receivers, no sear block, large pivot pins, and small fire control pins. AirCommandoas as you have found, you have a R6600K, along with the R-6550K, being the first two model Colt Sporter released by Colt's Manufacturing Company in early 1990. The “K” guns included the Colt (R6222) .22LR Conversion Kit, as Colt Firearms Division had been had press to sell them after dropping the AR-15 from Civilian sales. Although Colt's Manufacturing Company called these Sporter’s they were exactly the same as the as the former Colt Firearms Division R6600 and R6550 right down to the Green label box with the exception that some had their bayonet lug removed. 
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For what is worth, and probably not much  , I have seen two of the so-caled white label guns, but never had the funds to buy them. Both were rollmarked " AR-15 HBAR Sporter".As has been writtn in this thread, the lowers had mil-spec FC pins, a raised mag fence, and mil-spec front pivot pins. Can't remember if the front pin was a push pin or a screw, though. I believe Stokes on this site had one of these guns at one time, but may be mistaken. |
| I have seen several White Label Colt Delta HBAR rifles over the years and can attest to the fact that they are a rare transition model. I actually purchased one of the White Label Deltas and it had a lower with no sear block, mil-spec hammer/trigger pins, raised fence undrilled, and large hole sized front pivot. The lower was marked Colt Sporter Match HBAR. Im sorry but I dont remember the details on the few others I have seen except most were Sporter Match Delta HBARS. |
| I would say most were Deltas. I know I saw a few Colt Sporter Targets that had the same lower that I described on my personal Delta HBAR. However, I dont think the Sporter Targets had white labels on the boxes. They had blue labels if I remember right. Of course some I saw did not have a box so between that and my memory I cant be sure that none came in boxes with white labels. I used to work for a FFL/dealer during the ban who specialized in Colt AR15s so I have seen some strange stuff and actually purchased some of it. |
Just found this thread. I have a Sporter Target I purchased new in Early 1991. Serial# ST007XXX. It sounds like what you and the original poster describe. It has the mag fence and no sear block, large 2-headed screw and I believe the small FCG pins. The rifle came in a blue label box, but I was a dumbass at the time and threw it away. FYI, the FFL I bought it from had been trying to sell it for a while, but couldn't move it because it didn't have the bayonet lug and it had the govt. profile bbl (H-Bars were the "in" thing at the time). F-ing box 
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