Posted: 11/20/2004 2:34:49 PM EDT
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Why is it that Colt has poor quality control when it comes to the finish on their AR15's? I have a 3 yr old AR6520 Gov't Carbine that is now a SBR. I bought a like new Colt upper receiver and the color is like night and day. It looks dark gray almost black like my lower until you put it together but is way off. Has anyone else experienced this problem with the finish difference? Thanks, srt205 |
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I may be wrong but I don't think it's a quality control problem. I think Colt has a habit of just changing the color from time to time. Now that may be by design or it may be a QC problem with the finishes formula. But whatever the color, it's always seems to be properly applied. That's the reason I think they just change the color specs from time to time. [shrug] |
| That grey upper is older. They used that grey color till sometime in the 90's (i'm not sure how long or when they went to dark black). I have a preban Colt Sporter Match HBAR approx. '92 vintage and it is grey, none of the new stuff from any company will match it. |
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Look for the Topic " Colt, Is it worth it" or something to that heading! I posted some pics of my 6920 upper that looked like junior polished it with 80 grit sandpaper & the carry handle was deburred with a brick! Thats poor QC! Your upper just has a variation in finish! |
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If it's an original barreled upper, check the barrel manufacture date stamped on the barrel near the front sight base and compare it to your reciever serial numbered manufacture date, You can call Colt and they will tell you when it was made. If you have a big difference in the times of manufacture, that should explain the color mis-match. I've built several Colt rifles from recievers up and the hardest part is always finding an upper that will match the reciever, Thanks go to Colt for stamping the barrel with the date of manufacture. it makes it alittle easier to get the color to match, kinda'. Dont get me wrong, the colors are still off, even on a brend new rifle but the dates can get you alittle closer. It is harder to find the newer Black uppers, I'm also looking for a newer 6520 upper but have yet to find a reasonably priced one. |
| I have seen two different colors on newer guns. My MT 6400 C, is black as coal and kind of subdued in its light reflection. However I had seen a LE Only model, during the same time I was picking mine up and saw that the Le Only model had a tinge of eggplant in the color. It was black but a little more purple in the dye. Also there was more sheen in the light reflection. |
| Anodizing is always an imperfect art. Both upper and lower receivers are anodized using a black dye. Black is the easiest anodize color to match though it still has a bit of variation. If you're familiar with Surefire flashlights, these are excellent examples of anodize color variability. Surefires use "natural" HA color which is even harder to match vs. the black on the Colts' and other AR's. It is normal to see variations in the "black" color from different batches/date code. With a 3 year diff in age between upper and lower, I'm not surprised at the contrast in colors. I say, don't sweat it. Just shoot the shit out of the damn thing, give it some character marks and scratches and you won't notice the difference in color anymore. |
| My LE6920HB (one of the 300 made by Colt for Specialized Armament) was perfect when I got it, now has many character marks. Finish is chipped away at a few places on the brass deflector, a few scratches here and there on lower from heavy use, and barrel has some minor scratches. Does it bother me? No. It's a tool meant to be used. I consider these character marks as "badges" that demonstrate that I use the weapon as intended. If your weapons are not designated safe queens, I'd quit stressing over the finish and make your weapon start earning its badges. |
The different hues you see are actually from the aluminum stock. You can take a black dye anodize, apply it to different aluminum stocks and get slightly different hues. Eggplant is an excellent description and it's pretty common. I'm not a materials engineer but the presence of other material in the aluminum gives it the variation. |
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Remember that Colt sees the AR Series as Military Weapons, first and foremost, and is not too concerned about "consumer pretty" finishes. The color variations seem to occur to all brands, and are not, in and of themselves, anything to do with "Quality". Uppers and lowers made at different times, in different batches, are going to vary in color. It's a weapon, not artwork. If cosmetics really matter to you, you have choices. First, only buy in person, where you can see what you are getting. Second, buy from one of the smaller producers, that tend to have smaller runs of parts and small inventories - I would guess that this would lead to better odds on the upper and the lower were done at the same time. Problem is, you give up Colt's overall quality advantage for mere looks. If the last poster is correct, and the composition of the aluminum does control color, then all bets are off, anyway. Our shop recieves new Colts, and the uppers and lowers of COMPLETE RIFLES have always matched. Finish quality, as to smoothness, clean machining, etc, has been excellent - but still "military", not "show finish". I have heard of Colt using uppers made by Diemarco (Colt's Canadian Licensee) in their own production, that are not as nicely machine finished according to some reporters. To Colt, it's a weapon, and it's beauty is irrelevant - does it meet Milspec? If so, it's right, period. The original poster's complaint is incorrectly stated - he got caught in a deliberate change in color specification. Original ARs up to the 90's were grey - now they are all black. I am sure that's the way the Big Customer - Uncle Sam - wants it. It is not a defect. He has "old stuff". New stuff looks black. Warmly, Col. Colt |
That's what I was trying to say. 
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Guns are like football helmets. You can tell who plays the game and who sits the bench by the marks they bear. |
That makes good sense! I picked up my first new Colt in 12 years yesterday - 6721 Black finish as has been covered and the same chips here and there from assembly. 6721 - marketed towards LE and Govt Colt 12 years ago - Lightweight Sporter - 16 inch - Beautiful grey finish (IMO) that was not chipped anywhere and has never chipped (not a safe queen)... - Lightweight Sporter - Marketed towards the general public. It's all coming together for me - Thanks Col |
If I'm paying for a NEW product, especially the premium the Colt's command because of their generally superior quality, then I want a product that looks freaking NEW! Shit, a pickup truck that gets used will eventuallyhave scratches, dents, rust, stains on the seat and carpet, etc. after a while, too. Would you accept a new $30k+ pickup that was already beat up? I sure as hell wouldn't. We all love Colt here, but let's not excuse their occassional slip ups. |