Colt AR-15 A2 sporter II

[CLASSIC12]

I had to save and bring back to life this dry, dirty, sad looking and lonely rifle hanging on the LGS wall.

Maybe it was the Tasco scope with B square mount that put off potential buyers. I removed that quickly. It’s a Colt AR-15 A2 sporter II from 1987 (R6500) with field sights.

With the 1975 SP1 I bought 2 years ago

 

[Valmet]

It looks quite at home next to that SP1. Congrats

 

[hittman77]

Very nice!

Good for you. I also have an SP1 from the mid-70's. Found a mint Colt scope for it right here on this forum too.

The SP1 is my favorite evil black rifle.

 

[kaaskop49]

OP: Nice pickup. Wondering, did you have to do anything drastic to bring it back to life, or just a good cleaning?

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[CLASSIC12]

OP: Nice pickup. Wondering, did you have to do anything drastic to bring it back to life, or just a good cleaning?



Kaaskop49

Shield #5103

No it was in pretty good condition, probably not fired much. Just very dry, dusty, slight discolouration on the stock. A good cleaning and TLC is all it needed. And some shooting

 

[sigp220.45]

That is my favorite version of AR.

I think of almost everything in terms of movies. Your gun immediately brings to mind Three Kings and Jarhead.

Nice gun!

 

[Engine49guy]

Neat transitional gun.
Your lower is actually the old style screw pivot Sp1 with an A2 grip and A2 buttstock,
IIRC your upper is whats called the "Canadian" style with A1 sights, A2 brass deflector, A2 handguard, A2 barrel and flash suppressor.
There were a few variations made as Colt finally transitioned into the full A2 upper and lower with M16 style front takedown pin.
I have one similar to yours with the A2 rear sight called the "Government Model".
...Btw...my 1979 SP1 is also still my favorite variant.

 

[Lee Barner]

wonderful pick up. my favorite of all ARs. had one for many years. used it to practice for AF rifle matches. I just wished the AF rifles had shot as well as the A2. lee

 

[wood714]

Both are nice rifles, but man...I really love that SP1.

I've owned a lot of AR's, still have 3 but never owned a Colt.

One I really wish I had kept was the one with the 3 digit serial number P.W.A. lower.

 

[CLASSIC12]

Neat transitional gun.
Your lower is actually the old style screw pivot Sp1 with an A2 grip and A2 buttstock,
IIRC your upper is whats called the "Canadian" style with A1 sights, A2 brass deflector, A2 handguard, A2 barrel and flash suppressor.
There were a few variations made as Colt finally transitioned into the full A2 upper and lower with M16 style front takedown pin.
I have one similar to yours with the A2 rear sight called the "Government Model".
...Btw...my 1979 SP1 is also still my favorite variant.

It seems even the M16 A2 was available with field sights

I also have a Delta Hbar with proper A2 sights, but they don’t get much use obviously

 

[Engine49guy]

Your upper is referred to as the "Canadian" model as IIRC Canada wanted all the A2 improvements except the new rear site (my guess is they didnt want to have to retrain their troops on the new site). Besides the new barrel, handguard and flash suppressor the feature that makes the Canadian A2 upper receiver unique from the older M16A1 upper receiver is the new A2 brass deflector lug behind the ejection port (for left handed shooters).
My guess is Colt was using up their supply of SP1 lower receivers as they transitioned into the new Sporter 2's as Colt eventually began using the M16 style retained front take down push pin where transitional Sporter 2s have the old style large hole upper to fit the Sp1 lower with non retained screw mount.
Besides the lack of mag release fencing If you look closely your lower has the older style strengthening just above and behind the rear take down pin where the improved A2 lower receiver is thicker there, another subtle feature is A2 safety selectors have a notch cut on their right side pointing to the new right side A2 Fire and Safe rollstamps (also added for left handed shooters)... where Sp1 and M16A1 receivers have no right side marking there.
The transitional guns are not as commonly encountered as the later full A2 sporters so are becoming very collectable as they were made in far fewer numbers.

.....On a side note your Hbar is also the older style lower and my bet is both barrels rifling is 1/7 versus the later 1/9

 

[CLASSIC12]

Thanks for infos. Indeed they are 1/7 barrels, including the A2 carbine I’ve had for some time

 

[Engine49guy]

Your carbine is another example of an interesting transitional gun , A2 rear site upper with brass deflector with older style rear stock and smaller diameter barrel.
The lower receiver like the other 2 has the older Sp1 front screw mount instead of later M16 style retained push pin without fencing around the mag release ,

On a side note interestingly Colt never made an AR15 that had full A1 features, recently Brownells has produced semi auto retro rifles with a variety of correct era features found in the M16 evolution using a variety of sourced parts and NDS receivers, IIRC a Colt marked A1 was recently marketed but is IIRC also made with NDS receivers.

 

[Gene L]

I've had both the early AR without the FA assembly back in the 70s. Can't remember much about it, though. In the mid-90s, I had an H-Bar. Someone gave me some 62 gr bullets and I put a fixed 4X scope on the carrying handle. At the GA law enforcement center (the source of the ammo) I shot a slow, careful 5-shot group into 3/4" at 100 yards. I don't think I shot it much after that. Trigger was not very good, which is why it was a "slow, careful" group.

And here fairly recently, had a flat top Colt with a 4-16X scope and a trigger job. With it and 69 gr. Gold Metal Match ammo, I shot probably the smallest group I've ever shot, a bughole group maybe 1/4". Wish I'd kept that rifle, but didn't.

 

[CLASSIC12]

Your carbine is another example of an interesting transitional gun , A2 rear site upper with brass deflector with older style rear stock and smaller diameter barrel.
The lower receiver like the other 2 has the older Sp1 front screw mount instead of later M16 style retained push pin without fencing around the mag release ,

On a side note interestingly Colt never made an AR15 that had full A1 features, recently Brownells has produced semi auto retro rifles with a variety of correct era features found in the M16 evolution using a variety of sourced parts and NDS receivers, IIRC a Colt marked A1 was recently marketed but is IIRC also made with NDS receivers.

Oh wait, it gets worse. Colt had a ball making collectors’ life difficult by using any part in the bin.

My carbine is also a sporter II

However when I wrote to Colt to check manufacture year, they told me I had a Government Carbine R6520 made in 1988 ??

Then I made some internet research and comparison, and most Sporter II carbines (R6420) look like this with slabside, teardrop FA and A1 rear sight

Whereas the early GC look just like my carbine, slabside, A2 rear sight, round FA

Guess I’m really good at finding transitional Colt rifles by accident. Or they made as many transitional ones as purebreds.

But I recently decided to contribute to the confusion for the future owner : I installed a genuine 14.5’ M4 barrel to make it look like a XM4 / 720

 

[Engine49guy]

Your top pictured Sporter II is very interesting because of the fwd assist upper with older rear site which except for the large mounting hole is a true A1 upper. (Is that windage adjusting wheel original to that gun or an aftermarket part ? ) .

A few years ago there were a few companies selling Colt US military M16a1 complete uppers from demilled military guns priced around $350 with old rear site, fwd assist , bolt , charging handle and triangular handguards...still regret not buying one for a retro M16a1 build.
.....on a side note , Many years ago I had a PWA "Commando" AR15 carbine that had a true M16a1 upper and fenced lower with the retained front pivot pin but I foolishly sold it.

 

[Engine49guy]

Btw, there are some very good retro AR15/M16 forums out there.
Heres a link to a very good M16 evolution thread with pics

0Colt's USGI M16 series variation guide edition IV - AR15.COM

 

[wood714]

I made a non Colt version of the Commando.

 

[CLASSIC12]

Sighted both in properly at the 50 meters indoor range