Posted: 7/19/2003 5:31:20 PM EDT
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I have two pre-ban Colts and both have pinned sear blocks. The pin is only on the right side of the receiver and I was wondering if there is any benefit to haveing them removed or will all the other uppers and .22lr conversion kits work with them in place? Thanks! |
| There is no benifit to removing these devices unless you like having empty holes in your receiver. As long as you are using the Colt factory bolt carrier with the full cutt which is issued on most of the early preban Blue lable SPORTERS and all Postban MT's your good to go..... The only thing i know about the Colt 22LR converstion kit is that its a worthless piece of junk for the 1/7 twist barrel. these things were issued by Colt in thier SPORTER "K" models in late 1991 and it was nothing but a joke. Have Fun. V2 |
| I was looking at installing a RRA NM trigger in a preban colt with the sear block. It turns out the trigger cannot be installed with the block in place. I'm not sure it would be a good idea to remove the block since right now the gun is in good shape as a Colt preban. I would hate to screw something up. |
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Wow, I don't think I could disagree with V2 more. The sear block can removed without leaving unsightly holes in the lower receiver. Regular uncut AR15 style bolt carriers can be used in conjunction with the pinned in sear blocks. The Colt .22 conversion kit is fun, reliable, and shoots accurately enough out of my 1/7 twist barrels. Definitely not worthless, a joke, or junk. Are you speaking from experience about any of this? kfeltenberger, I would suggest that you visit the Rimfire Forum for more information about the various aftermarket .22 adapters and their compatability with the Colt sear blocks. All I can say is that my Colt one works just fine. |
Actually, the early style of pinned in block would be the most difficult to remove. It has 3 pins through the side of the lower receiver (2 on the left, 1 on the right) and although it could be removed while leaving the holes plugged, it would be a real hassle and I probably wouldn't attempt to remove one of these. The later style of pinned in block has just 1 pin portruding through the right hand side of the lower receiver. Here's what I was able to accomplish with a Dremel tool, a fiber cutoff wheel, and some patience:    As you can see, there is no empty hole remaining in the lower receiver. This is because I cut the pin and left a portion of it within the side of the lower receiver. |
If I were to take mine out it would have a big hole in the side. It is a different configuration than yours. If I have to I will take a digital photo. |
| The R6530 Sporter lightweight that i purchesed back in 1992 contained the sear block that protrudes beyound the lower receiver which required the full cut bolt carrier to cycle correctly. Removing the factory sear block and altering the factory issue device only decreases your over all value of your 1991 post preban blue label firearm. If you need to change out parts spend the extra dollars and aquire a green label SP1, SP2 or AR15A2 and keep it simple. The upgrade in match rated parts will increase the value of you investment. Butchering guns is waste of time and hard earnd dollars. The 22LR convertsion kit is a waste of 22 ammo in a 1/7 twist barrel. Half of the bullet is cut from the 1/7 twist and whinds up being blown from the barrel only leaving the core of the bullet going down range. The Sporter "K" models R6601 varients were issued this worthless device by Colt and was rated as a joke by operators of this time period. The device works fairly well in 1/12 twist but the 1/7 is a different story. |
Well, let's see it. There are only 3 types of Colt sear blocks that I've seen. The early 3 pin style, the 1 pin style, and the post ban web style. I'm curious to see what you have. |
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And I still pretty much have to disagree, V2. For starters, an uncut AR15 style bolt colt carrier will work in conjunction with pinned in Colt sear block. Allow me to save a couple thousand words with the following images: Here is my blue label Match HBAR R6601 built in 1990 with the early 3 pin style block:  Here is the same lower receiver with an AR15 style bolt carrier from my green label Gov't Model R6550k shown where it would normally rest relative to the lower receiver:  As you see, the uncut lower portion of the bolt carrier comes nowhere near into contact with the sear block portrusion. My experience represents what has been reported by other members who have tried this as well. So again, I have to ask if you have actually attempted this or are merely theorizing about what would happen. If you did try it, perhaps you somehow got an M16 style bolt carrier, which is what the sear block portrusion is designed prevent from being installed. As for altering a a weapon and therefore it's value, that can cut both ways. As you can see in the images in my second reply, I did a very clean job of removing the block. No hack marks, gouges, scratches, anything other than just a little bare metal on the inside of the pin where I cut through it with a fiber wheel. If you think that is "butchered", I don't know what to say as most people consider it an excellent job. I've also had the lower receiver drilled to accept the spring and detent for a GI style forward pivot pin. Did that deviation (one most people would appreciate, I might add) from the factory configuration lower it's value, too? Perhaps this lower receiver would now be worth less to that rare collector looking for a pristine example of an R6830. Hell, guns lose value just by shooting them. Do you let that stop you from firing your guns? I sure don't. This lower receiver would also be worth more to someone looking for one in which to use a DIAS or LL, too. Like I said, it could go either way, or more likely nowhere at all. My R6601 will also one day either lose it's needlessly heavy barrel in favor of a Colt USGI M16A2/AR15A2 style barrel or have it's heavy barrel turned down to A2 specs and a bayonet lug added. I doubt resle value will harmed, in fact it will probably be enhanced, and I'll have a rifle more in line with what I want to boot. And let's be honest here, we're talking about blue label Colts, not exactly a rare commodity. I would discourage the alteration of the more rare and valuable Colts, too. At any rate, I'm very happy with the modifications, and that's all that matters to me. My grandkids can worry about resale value when I'm gone. Regarding the .22 conversion kits, I have to renew my question as to whether or not you have any experience with them. What you claim occurs has not been borne out during my experiences. If the .22 bullets were being shaved by the 1/7 twist, there would be excessive leading of the barrel. It would not simply get "blown from the barrel". Accuracy would be extremely dismal. Speaking from experience and not what some vague "operator" may or may not have reported, I can say that none of that is the case. I do not have excessive leading after shooting .22LR ammuniton through my 1/7 barrels, accuracy is good enough to repeatedly hit a soda can size target at 100 yards, and there is enough remaining energy left to make that can dance as any of my regular .22LR rifles would. I would respectfully suggest posting these claims in the Rimfire Forum to see what they have to say about it. Perhaps my experience is an anomaly. But I doubt it. |
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That style sear block pin is approximately the same size on the inside, but has a heavy taper that matches a countersink in the receiver. They are actually easier to remove, as once you get the first on cut through, you can punch out the one from the other side. After cutting them back, you can epoxy them back into their countersinks. |
| Boomer, that's a nice job on removing that sear block. I guess I always pictured having to drill out the pin from the outside of the receiver. It looks like you just cut the block itself until you got through the pin? I'm still not sure I would want to try, but that's good information to know. You also dispelled the belief I had that an uncut bolt carrier could not be used with a sear block. I guess I should have tried that, but I never did. Thanks. |