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Posted: 12/11/2004 2:18:53 PM EDT
| I bought this upper several years ago and am now just getting around to putting it on a lower. It is a colt a-1 with f/a and a 20 inch barrel with a a-1 f/s. It does have a mark/stamp on the right side front (foward assist side) that is light but looks like an ( L ), kinda. Any guys with a book of proofs for a Colt upper. |
| Mongo, I think that the upper that I have is over 35 yrs. old. It does not have a shell deflector, but has a small hole pivot pin, and has clearance for a sear. The delta ring is of the straight type, not tappered. This upper is for an M-16. The info I got from them did narrow the time frame of manufacture down I think to 60's , early 70's. What do you think. Am I wrong with the time line. Mike |
Sounds reasonable to me. Biggerhammer is good for historical info like that but doesn't reflect the AR parts manufacturers of today. |
You can bet a good idea of year of manufacture by the barrel markings. How is the barrel marked? I take it the upper does not have a forging code in the carry handle, below the rear sight? |
| Ekie, The upper does have C H under the a-1 sight. The barrel is 20" light-weight with an a-1 flash hider. The sight base has a C on right side, and what looks like a bell with an M in it on the left side. The only marks that I can find on barrel say C MP CHROME BORE. I would think that with the straight delta ring, the upper is old. Tear drop FA, but no brass deflector. When did Colt start putting dates on military upper/barrels. |
| Colt's did not start chroming bores till 1971 or 72, so your barrel does not date prior to that. Colt's would have stopped making M16A1's in the early 1980's, so don't date any later then that. So you are looking at 1971-1984 or so. Might be able to narrow it down a bit more with the Colt's/Anchor Harvey forging code, but I don't know the dates on the CH code. |
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