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Posted: 6/18/2006 1:12:26 PM EDT
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The Colt Model 601 was the first Colt AR-15, and was manufactured from December of 1959 until the summer of 1963. The 601 was a Colt produced final version of the ArmaLite AR-15. Only changes I am aware of that Colt made was to paint the furniture green (after 100 or so 601's were made), different roll markings, and to change the aluminum alloy from 7075 to 6061. Less then 14,500 were produced, with serial numbers in the 101-14,484 range. Bulk of these (8,500)went to the US Air Force, 1,000 to the Army in project AGILE, a handful to the SEALs, and the rest to police departments,and to foreign militaries such as Malaya, India, Australia, Burma, and Singapore. Managed to aquire some 601 parts, and assembled it on a 1970's SP1 lower. Will at some point aquire a older more appropriate SP1 lower for this project, here are some pics and details:   Model 601 upper receivers lacked the arrow and R on the carry handle, instead they were on the rear sight windage drum. Still have not found a 601 windage drum:  Note the old bolt stop:  Old triangle charging handle used on the 601 and early 602, there is a reason this part was dropped, very difficult to use:  Gloss green paint over brown fiberglass:  The fiberglass handguards were weak, and prone to damage such as this:  Because they were weak, few guards remain, and many have been painted black. Typically the black paint can be removed with acetone without damaging the green paint:  There were two distinctive green colors used, one a dark gloss green, and the other a matter and lighter green, both shown here:  Original bolt group, notice the heavy firing pin and round carrier key. Bolt is simply marked P:  Model 601 and 602 upper receivers were machined so as to remove the "slag" from the forgings. Notice in this picture there is no "slag" or seem at the top of the receiver under the carry handle:  Flash suppressor was prone to spread:  Colt used cast front sight bases all the way into 1964:   Colt used two different ArmaLite designed mags with the Model 601 and 602. One was a painted waffle stainless steel mag, the other a anodized aluminum mag, both roll marked ARMALITE:   The rear tail of the ejection port spring went into a hole drilled into the receiver on both the 601 and 602, thus keeping it out of the open ejection port:  601 barrels were turned down to a smaller diameter in front of the FSB then later models such as the 602:  Model 601 barrels were made by Winchester, 6 groove, 1/14, and broach cut. Typical markings are a M between the legs of the FSB, and W under the front leg, and a W behind the handguard cap. They also have a TDC witness marking, and the gas port hole was counter bored. The 1/14 twist combined with 55 grain FMJ BT bullets was a looser combo, so a switch was made to 1/12 on the Model 602:  Swivels were not rubber coated on the 601 and 602:  No drain hole in the buttstock screw:  |
I sure wouldn't have that kind of luck. 
| and my friends thought i was "anal" about the details. you pointed out so many things i didnt even know were specifics to the 601/602 series. damn good job man! that must be quite a few bucks in that build. i dont think i have enough time to track down all those parts. where do you find all these things? got any pics of an upper that is not put together. i never knew about the hole for the spring. |
Have busted extractor springs removing them for pictures, nothing lost in the cracks, yet.
That was just a few details, much more to it then that.
Got the parts from the EE, Buddies board, and from Wpnsman and Victor. Here is a pic showing the hole: 
Going to post pics of your upper? |
Some have a curve below the FSB ears. |
All mine have been flat, and that is one way I ID FSB's in pictures. Is that an observation based on photographs or part in hand? Reason I ask is that Tantal and I ran into some trouble while doing the AK74 variation guide with the silhouette of the rifle being cut off the background, changing the appearance of the contours. This is especially a problem with the front baffle on the muzzle brakes. |
I thought they were removed from the system because they 1. Rusted, 2. Didn't feed properly. Stainless might make sense, I'll see what I can find. |
Just checked mine, stainless and painted. |
Look on page 754 of the 12th ed. of Small Arms of the World. |
My freaking luck, I only have the 9th and 11th editions, I guess I need to get back to looking for the 10th and 12th editions. Any chance someone could post a pic or scan? Thanks, "Capt Richardson" PS: if anyone has a copy of the 10th or 12th Edition of Small Arms of the World that you want to get rid of please let me know, Thanks. |
This continues to be a nice bit of work. I wonder, Ekie, if you shouldn't change your name to "Epic", given the immensity of the tasks you undertake. I will ask for some evidence of the statement quoted in blue, above. I have never heard that forged AR-15 receivers were ever made in anything but 7075-T6, and certainly that is what most of the manufacturers claim to be using today. |
How about that, never noticed it before. At least one of the rifles in the MOD Pattern room collection is like that too. |
Thanks. In regards to the alloy, check page 61 of TBR. Notice the ArmaLite Harvey forgings pictured are 7075 as Stoner intended. Now go to page 296 of BRII, second paragraph down. |
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i was looking in Black Rifle I at all the oldies. i noticed on some of the real early serial numbers that the mag catch was different. the catch button had straight serrations like the bolt catch. then later on it changed to the ringed version but had more rings than the current version. i knew about the ringed version but this is the first time i noticed the straight serrations. anyway that would be pretty easy to duplicate on a mill. from a regular one. mill of the rings and mill in some grooves. it also seems that the original push pin would be easy to do, if the dimensions were out there. from the pics of the 601 lowers they had a small counter bore around the front pivot pin hole on the ejection port side. it looks to be just a clean up cut for the pin to sit flat. or was it a precise measurement to line the detent ball up with the upper counter bore. any way does anyone have a measurements of the original pin and the counter bore part on the lower ear? |
The mag button on this 601 clone is the second version, the one with extra rings. 
Agreed, should be able to made the first version, figured it would be easier to flip it around and machine on the flat side. Have thought about having this done, but I typically find the real part at some point (like after having a custom one made). Don't have a 601 pivot pin, can't help you there. |
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