OK made my way down to the range to shoot my sig mosquito, buckmark, and new RRA target AR I just built. BTW the RRA shot great.. anyway back to the story/question.
Some other guy came to the range to shoot as well. I began talking to him for a while he showed me a colt he brought out. I looked like it had been in the military for a few decades. It had normal wear on all the parts of the gun that should show it. The forward assist had the finish gone, so did the delta rings, anybody that has seen a M16 or M4 that has been in use for a while knows the wear. Another thing that caught my eye right off was the red paint that was on the forward assist face and the buttstock (I was curious about why it was painted but didn't ask)

Anyway he said he bought a new upper for it (birdcage suppressor was off, openings faced 9:00), but anyway upper was colt A2 Heavey barrel. But the interesting thing to me was the lower.

I read the markings on it. It was Colt SP1 like all the others, but then where the upper was marked
"made by Colt in Hartford, Ct mfg." (or something to that nature) the third pin came right in front of the "mfg" word, it looked to me that a big space was purposely left between Ct and mfg to place the third pin. almost like colt planned to do this in the manufacturing process. Which leads to my question did colt ever make any SP1s fully automatic from the factory. He told me that he was told it was a conversion, he apparently bought it awhile ago for 5K (yeah I know) I wish I could have taken a pic for you guys.

Need a pic, but lll bet it was a conversion. There were some SP1s that were married to a DIAS as well. Hard to tell without seeing it.

A buddy of mine has a Colt AR15 model 614. It's basically a factory select fire SP1. I don't think the serial number has the SP1 prefix though.

My SP1 is supposedly a factory conversion - an off the shelf SP1 converted by Colt (supposedly before it left the factory). I bought it from the original owner (retired Ohio LEO), and he bought it new, and he claims it left Colt that way and was shipped directly to his dealer. The form 4 lists only Colt as the manufacturer. I've also been told by some people that Colt never did conversions, and that my form 4 simply doesn't list the correct manufacturer. I'm not sure what to believe. Besides all I want to do is shoot it!!  

Quoted: My SP1 is supposedly a factory conversion - an off the shelf SP1 converted by Colt (supposedly before it left the factory). I bought it from the original owner (retired Ohio LEO), and he bought it new, and he claims it left Colt that way and was shipped directly to his dealer. The form 4 lists only Colt as the manufacturer. I've also been told by some people that Colt never did conversions, and that my form 4 simply doesn't list the correct manufacturer. I'm not sure what to believe. Besides all I want to do is shoot it!!   photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?iImageUnq=25094

that's exactly what it looks like! thanks for showing it off. He mentioned something about the manufacturer being colt too.

Colt only sold machine guns to L/E. Thats why so many Colts are conversions.

After transferable values went thru the roof many L/E agencies traded the transferables to dealers and bought new post samples. Also happened with Ruger Ac556.

Colts could have left the factory with almost anything stamped on the receiver.

The info above is only my opinion as I have no facts to back anything.

Woosaa

EDIT to add: My Colt has M16A2 stamped on it.

Quoted: Colt only sold machine guns to L/E. Thats why so many Colts are conversions.

In the case of my gun, it was sold new to L/E. It's obviously a conversion, you can look inside and see that. But could it be a factory conversion? That's what the original owner told me was the case.