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AR15.COM
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10/26/2002 1:22:18 PM EDT
I recently bought a Colt AR15 SP with a bead-blasted looking silver finish. The furniture is still black plastic and the finish appears to be factory issue. Serial # is SP2029xx. This is the first AR I've ever seen that didn't have a black finish on the metal. Is this normal?
10/26/2002 1:33:16 PM EDT
[#1]
I have seen a limited run of gold-tone anodized ones.  Never seen silver.
10/26/2002 1:40:02 PM EDT
[#2]
Silver may be an inaccurate description. It's a very light gray with a dull beadblast type finish, but it's very clean and appears to be factory or good enough that I can't tell the difference. The barrel says "C MP Chrome Bore".
10/26/2002 2:28:15 PM EDT
[#3]
You can also call Colt and ask them if they ever had any limited production runs of a rifle like that.  It may have been a special edition or limited run of some kind.  It could be rare.  Or the previous owner could have had it customized.  Call Colt and ask them.
10/26/2002 3:25:23 PM EDT
[#4]
Some early Colt rifles were a very light battleship grey. My uncle had one like that. Not charcoal grey, much lighter than that.
10/26/2002 7:23:30 PM EDT
[#5]
If it looks like this:



You have a Colt Electroless Nickel SP1.  It is worth more than a regular SP1 and yes, it did come that way from Colt.

 
10/27/2002 5:58:55 AM EDT
[#6]
THAT'S IT! That's identical to the one I have. I'm new to this website and don't know how to post pictures yet, but it has the old style triangular forestock with the old style smooth grip, bayonet lug and flash suppressor. Thanks for your input, everybody else thought that someone before had stripped the finish (Or thought I was nuts.)Thanks Again!
10/27/2002 12:46:33 PM EDT
[#7]
Hell, I'm not new to this board and I don't know how to post pictures.

Bill
10/27/2002 8:58:13 PM EDT
[#8]
The finish is indeed electroless nickel, is called "Coltguard" and was available in the early 1980's.
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