OK fellas, I have decided to bring the safe queen out the safe and start shooting her. She is a pre-ban Colt (un-fired) sporter target model 20" gov. profle bbl. She is completly stock.





I put a RRA flat top on her (bad color match)





Should I just shoot it, or should I buy a different barrel? This rifle is being built just for use with a suppressor. What type of accuracy should I expect from this barrel (before I fire it)?

Also.........what is the value of this rifle (I have had this thing in the safe for a long long time, and now the ban is dead)? all colt, all orig.

I've got the exact same rifle, and I haven't put many rounds thru mine either.  Everyone remember that these have the 1 in 7 twist rate and I'm interested in the feedback as well.  ARKAR

Quoted: I've got the exact same rifle, and I haven't put many rounds thru mine either.  Everyone remember that these have the 1 in 7 twist rate and I'm interested in the feedback as well.  ARKAR

Yep, I forgot that, it is a 1:7 twist

Quoted: Should I just shoot it, or should I buy a different barrel?

Replace the barrel? Why? The A2 Gov't profile 1-7 barrel is one of the best barrels out there. Accurate, well balanced (unlike the HBAR) and the 1/7 allow everything from 55 grain on up.
s
Whats not to like?

You have a very reliable military type weapon, not a target rifle.  Still, it should be pretty accurate.  It should average betweem 1.25 and 1.75 moa using USGI ammo.  That's multiple 10 shot groups, not the best 3 shot group often reported.  Hand loads or commercial match ammo would do better.

I offer this from some experience and reports of machine rest experiments with several hundred of these barrels performed by the .gov.  Sorry, no link.

For consistant golf ball shooting at 200 yards, you would need a better quality barrel, a match chamber, some decent ammo, match trigger and free float tube.

You never know 'till you shoot it.  It may be a one in a thousand barrel that everyone else seems to get.

That barrel is definitely a keeper, and commands a high dollar even without the bayo lug.   You've got a nice Blue Label Colt there.  

One question-  Can you check (or better yet- photograph) the right side of your buttstock, where it meets the receiver.   Is there a "CS" marked in the plastic mold?

_________________________________________

Quoted: That barrel is definitely a keeper, and commands a high dollar even without the bayo lug.   You've got a nice Blue Label Colt there.   One question-  Can you check (or better yet- photograph) the right side of your buttstock, where it meets the receiver.   Is there a "CS" marked in the plastic mold? _________________________________________ tinyurl.com/3jffy

Only time I saw a stock with that marking, was on a 6530 Lightweight Sporter I once had.

Thought it was odd at the time.



Lonny

Quoted: Only time I saw a stock with that marking, was on a 6530 Lightweight Sporter I once had. Thought it was odd at the time. Lonny

They were standard on the early Blue Label 6530's.  THey are A1 length but made from the A2 plastic.  Good stuff .

I do not remember it having any marking like that, but I will try to get some more photos of it for you tonight. Where would I go to see the value of by preban AR's (no I am not selling any)?

I got a chance to shoot it last night.......................WOW .............what a rifle. I will post the target later. The first 5 shots (ever) out of the rifle was less than a 1" group (including a flyer). I am using Federal Permium 55g nosler balistic tip (at 100 yds). If I take the flyer out then I have a 3/4" or less group. Not bad for a milspec rifle, and I was only braced against the campertop of my truck.

You can get very good accuracy out of a Colt 1/7 barrel despite what some people might say on here.  It mostly comes down to your ammo selection.

Why did you wreck a good collectable rifle?

I would keep the bbl, if you don't want I'll take it!
A decent shooter with USGI ammo could fairly easily hit man sized targets out to5-600m or so with iron sights. With a scope and match ammo I think it would be plenty accurate for you. I'd keep it.

I'll take the 1/7 gov't profile over an HBAR any day, at least for any of the shooting I do.  I own two  -- one in a Colt upper, and one loose that I had in a previous build.  Both are more accurate than I am with irons.

I've been issued a lot of really abused rifles with these barrels in them, and they never failed to shoot minute-of-badguy at 300m.

Quoted: OK fellas, I have decided to bring the safe queen out the safe and start shooting her. She is a pre-ban Colt (un-fired) sporter target model 20" gov. profle bbl. She is completly stock. .

That 1st shot prolly cost you $200.  

Quoted: Why did you wreck a good collectable rifle?

I knew this would come up before too long...................I got more where that came from

What good is a rifle you can’t shoot?
Do you people think you can keep it for years just to sell for retirement funds?
The day a single AR can be sold and provide enough funding for my retirement will never happen.

Collectors pieces just get dusty and have no value IMO.

Put it this way a collectors piece to me would be a used AR from the sand box. It would have a real history. It can also be taken out and used. I could show friends and others and tell them his story. This belonged to, he died for us in this war, because of people like him we are here and safe and free. This is his rifle and I am here to share it and shoot it with you in his honor keeping his memory alive.  

Maybe if it had gold engraving and or emblems or a signature on it that could be destroyed if used may be worthy of a safe queen gun.
But come on guys it is a AR like all other AR’s. To me the benefit of not shooting it would be this.
The end of the world came, and all weapon factories are destroyed and all the weapons are worn out to the point that you can’t hit the broad side of a barn at fifty yards.
Yet you pull out that one remaining new weapon accurate and true. Then kill the enemy and save what’s left of our world. But I hope you had tried it out years before so you know the thing won’t fail you now.

Not unlike a car collector. Spend fifty grand on a old car just to place it in a garage and three people a year see it. Useless waste. Be proud and drive it show it off.

Cars are made to be driven, Guns are made to be shot, Plates are made to be eaten off of, and Rocks are made to be skipped across the top of water with your son on a summers day. The only thing that should be collected and unused is 10 to 15% of your wages.
Then you can retire early and be happy.

This statement is just one mans opinion. Not intended to offend. Those of you who feel differently than I, on so called collectors items that’s great. I can respect you and your choice. Just do not sell me anything you do not want used.

Rollyman out!        

caver101

She is a pre-ban Colt (un-fired) sporter target

From your original post you and many others use the term (un-fired)

I do not want to sound like a smart ass but, what is the chance of that.
I have seen commemorative rifles advertised from the manufacturer that they have never been fired and are being sold specifically as collectors items. To me this is the only unfired weapon and has been certified as such by the manufacturer.  

It is was and always has been my understanding that all weapons that leave the factory get test fired. Every weapon I have bought has been test fired. I had to clean them I know.
Maybe I am making a mountain out of a mole hill on this but, the gun was fired.
My friend was selling a hand gun S&W 357 revolver, he only put 12 rounds through it.
He was asking retail price for it but did not get it because it was used.

I guess I need to know the dividing line between new and used.
If you buy a new car how many miles need to be on the odometer before one would consider it as used. 0-10, 10-50, 100 or more or less?
To me I understand that the car needs to be moved around to get from here to there.
But in my opinion 0-1 would be new. After that well to me it is used.
If the Dealer can’t sell the car as new after you drive it a few tenths of a mile on a public road. Even if you just go out one driveway of the dealership and into the next it becomes a used car. My point is that the life expectancy on a car is say 150,000 miles and after ten miles it is considered used. Then if the life expectancy of an AR is only 8,000 rounds even one round would make it used. I do not know the actual life of the average AR.
What would be an average number of rounds can you put through an AR?  

Ok so for the sake of the argument I feel that it is to be understood as follows.
We must consider that a weapon from the factory even though it has had one to three rounds through it should be deemed as a new un-fired weapon.
The term un-fired needs to be understood as to the fact that the owner(s) of the weapon
Have never fired it. Though I don’t agree with this I will hesitantly except it….. I guess.

I am sure this will create a flame war and is/was not meant to. Caver101 I also did not intend to offend, disrespect, or single you out.  
I am just attempting to make a general overall point. I don’t like to be fooled with verbiage. When I fill up my gas tank and look at the price $1.99.09 I see it as $2.00 not a $1.99,  Because that is what it is.
Rollyman out!  

I agree with Rollyman... but it took awhile initially. I now shoot my pristine Gov't 6550 without shedding a tear. She now holds my ACOG TA11D. HOWEVER, I don't abuse her....

I bought a fun gun just for this purpose... an M4gery that I will shoot day in and day out... fast, slow and inbetween. I'll bang it, bump it and crawl on the ground with it... It is not a cheap rifle fully configured ($1800+) but has all the goodies I want on it. Ultra reliable and I don't care about round count in it. This gun gets my ya-ya's out so I can settle in with the 6550 for battle rifle precision shots...

There are a few AR's worth collecting as "factory-fired only" but many that are now safe queens all across this country need to come out for a BARK or two...

Rmpl

Quoted: caver101 She is a pre-ban Colt (un-fired) sporter target From your original post you and many others use the term (un-fired) I do not want to sound like a smart ass but, what is the chance of that. I have seen commemorative rifles advertised from the manufacturer that they have never been fired and are being sold specifically as collectors items. To me this is the only unfired weapon and has been certified as such by the manufacturer.   It is was and always has been my understanding that all weapons that leave the factory get test fired. Every weapon I have bought has been test fired. I had to clean them I know. Maybe I am making a mountain out of a mole hill on this but, the gun was fired. My friend was selling a hand gun S&W 357 revolver, he only put 12 rounds through it. He was asking retail price for it but did not get it because it was used. I guess I need to know the dividing line between new and used. If you buy a new car how many miles need to be on the odometer before one would consider it as used. 0-10, 10-50, 100 or more or less? To me I understand that the car needs to be moved around to get from here to there. But in my opinion 0-1 would be new. After that well to me it is used. If the Dealer can’t sell the car as new after you drive it a few tenths of a mile on a public road. Even if you just go out one driveway of the dealership and into the next it becomes a used car. My point is that the life expectancy on a car is say 150,000 miles and after ten miles it is considered used. Then if the life expectancy of an AR is only 8,000 rounds even one round would make it used. I do not know the actual life of the average AR. What would be an average number of rounds can you put through an AR?   Ok so for the sake of the argument I feel that it is to be understood as follows. We must consider that a weapon from the factory even though it has had one to three rounds through it should be deemed as a new un-fired weapon. The term un-fired needs to be understood as to the fact that the owner(s) of the weapon Have never fired it. Though I don’t agree with this I will hesitantly except it….. I guess. I am sure this will create a flame war and is/was not meant to. Caver101 I also did not intend to offend, disrespect, or single you out.   I am just attempting to make a general overall point. I don’t like to be fooled with verbiage. When I fill up my gas tank and look at the price $1.99.09 I see it as $2.00 not a $1.99,  Because that is what it is. Rollyman out!

No problems with that man, you are infact right! It has been in the plastic wrap and in the orig. box ever since I bought it years ago. I am sure that it was test fired from the factory and I know the dealer did not fire it, I was there when the order was delivered. So I do stand corrected it has been factory fired. Happy now

Don't worry Rollyman, no offence taken.....

And yes I have a couple of beater AR's that are the fun guns and then I have my "Church  Day" AR's...............and this is one of them.

Quoted: I agree with Rollyman... but it took awhile initially. I now shoot my pristine Gov't 6550 without shedding a tear. ..........snip...............There are a few AR's worth collecting as "factory-fired only" but many that are now safe queens all across this country need to come out for a BARK or two... Rmpl

I fully agree!

And whats $200 in todays world? Thats just gas for two weeks............... I never plan on selling any of my AR's, maybe someday I might sell a couple to help out with a MG project ..............someday..............

I must be dense or something.  I've got a preban colt a2, with a 1/7 govt' profile.  I never thought to NOT  shoot it.  I figured if the barrel wears out, I'll replace it.  Are you telling me you can't get a 1/7 govt profile barrel chrome moly plated anymore?  Well regardless, mine is very accurate.  I'm now going to find out how accurate it really is because I'm putting a 2x7 leupold on it.  I've got a 7/16" 3 shot group using a crappy 4x scope.  I've gotten 1.75 moa (5 shots)with match 75 grain using just the irons.  I plan on getting this thing honed in at 100 with good ammo and moving out for more.  My goal is to get it zero'd at 400.  I have no clue how tight I'll get the groups at that range yet, but it'll be fun seein.  It's a very handy gun weight wise, yet you give up no velocity.  It's probably not heavy enough for full blown match shooting but I have a feeling in the right hands it could be somewhat competitive.  And although it seems like everyone is having more fun with their carbines, and I get a little jealous, I don't think I want to give up my a2 for something cooler.  Tried and true, red white and blue, A2!!!!!

I got a chance to shoot it last night.......................WOW .............what a rifle. I will post the target later. The first 5 shots (ever) out of the rifle was less than a 1" group (including a flyer). I am using Federal Permium 55g nosler balistic tip (at 100 yds). If I take the flyer out then I have a 3/4" or less group. Not bad for a milspec rifle, and I was only braced against the campertop of my truck.

What we're you using for optics?  Was it that leupold?  3 x 9?

Quoted: What we're you using for optics?  Was it that leupold?  3 x 9?

Sure thing, VXII 3x9x40 Tactical