I bought a Colt model 614.
It has been in a safe forever.
It is supposedly all factory original.
Lokks as though a hundred rounds or less has been fire, if not just test fired.

Question: the barrel is marked SAK MP Chrome Bore. Full 20" with thin profile front of the sight and under the triangle handguards with 3 pronged flash hider. I know it is a SACO barrel, but what about it? Good, bad, rare, etc. I have worked on USAF guns since 1988 and have never seen anything like this.

Anybody have ANY leads on this?

Please HELP me!

Thanks
V
OUT

Yeah, but the question is, did Colt ever use any of these barrels for civilian AR15 sales? In fact, did Colt ever use the Saco barrels at all, or were they just for replacement, and/or contract manufacturer (GM and H&R) use?

I sure don't know, but it does make for an interesting puzzler[:D]

Colt used some of the SAK barrels on rifles that were sold to LE agencies and some South American Government's in the early 1980's. If your 614 is an ex-PD gun this could explain the barrel. Though the barrel wouldn't have a 3 prong on it as the SAK barrels weren't made until after the M16A1 updgrade started in 1968....When the Full birdcage replaced the 3 prong.

If it's from a Military Contract replacement  the upper will be marked LM.

It DOES have a 3 prong on it?
Goofy wierd X file type shizznits.
I am totally lost.
I myself DID pull it off of a 614 that looked totally 100%.
Lost again........

V
OUT

The real experts might bust me on this (and please do), but I believe the SACO Defense barrels have a small fly-cut on the underside of the barrel, forward of the sight tower - forming a tiny flat spot. The small number stamped there was to indicate the rate of twist, including (surprisingly) 14" twist barrels. I have no idea about era of manufacture.

Maybe this can help you out,

I don't keep up with all the Colt model numbers, but I assume your talking about a civilian AR-15 and not a M16. Either way, I seriously doubt if it's original to the gun in question, especially if it's an AR-15. I've also never seen one on an originally produced H&R or Hydramatic M16.

SAK Barrels were used during Depot overhauls and as Field replacements during the mid/late 70's to the mid 80's. Most of the Depot rebuilt rifles I've inspected with these barrels had reciever rebuild dates within this range. What does confuse the issue is that not all recievers that undergo a rebuild are marked with the date and Depot who did it. I've been told by Rock Island that the date/Depot markings are only applied when the receiver itself has been through the Depot process(refinished), before being rebuilt with new or refinished(servicable) parts. This would indicate that many rebuilt rifles use the original finish on the receiver and would be fairly easy to identify. But.... and a BIG BUT, I've received shipments of rebuilt rifles in which ALL have obviously been refinished to include the lower receiver and maybe HALF will have the date/Depot markings. These are the rifles that can cause the confusion as they will look "Brand New" while having mis-matched parts on them.    

Most of the guns given to, or sold to Law Enforcement and Govt' agencies (here or overseas) are usually surplused arms and are therefore likely to be either rebuilds or rifles that were repaired by Field maintenance units and are liable to contain any and all variations of parts. Also, there is no way of definately linking a certain forge code of upper to these, as there were many variations in use during the time these barrels were procured. Plus they were not usually replaced as assemblies but as individual parts during the repair or rebuild process. So, you could/can find a SAK marked barrel on ANY upper, from original to replacements(LM, LK, DK, etc).

I know this was long winded, but hopefully it helped you out some.

Wpns Man