I have a Colt 6601 that was built sometime in 1993.  When it's out in normal daylight next to my Bushmaster it's hard to tell the difference between the two colors (they both look black).  However, when you shine a flashlight on the Colt you can definetely see the dark gray color it truly is.  So is my 1993 Colt Sporter the same color as the most current Colt models or is it the older color?  Also didn't Colt use to make a gray that you could tell was gray in direct sunlight?  I'm talking about the early M-16's color or is that the same gray-black I have on my 6601?  I need some help.  I'm trying to accurately reproduce a Commando from the mid 80's and would like to know which color to refinish it in.  Thanks for the help.

Here is a link to the color I'm after: www.isayeret.com/weapons/assault/commando/commando-3.jpg

Not to be a smartass (really [:D]) bur Colt has used just about any color they felt like over the years. Generally speaking, they started out with a light, almost greenish shade in the early '60s, darkened it very slightly in the late '60s, and have gotten progressively darker over the years. For example, I have a very early Air Force M16 upper, with the very early shade, an SP1 from the mid '70s that is just a tad darker, and a very late M16A1 upper that's only about a half a shade lighter than the current Bushmaster lower it's mounted on.

Current Colt stuff is, of course pretty consistent in color with everyone elses.  Seems to have gotten that way about 10-12 years ago

Imagine watching a rainbow on an old black/white television.  I can grab 8 Colt uppers out of the safe, and photo each one on the same preban lower.  They will all be just a tad different from each other.  

Different lighting (especially indoor flourescent) also makes the contrast more apparent.

Here's Mine:
[img]http://www.hunt101.com/img/048438.JPG[/img]

[img]http://www.boomspeed.com/kisara/KisaraGrayAlien.jpg[/img]