Colt AR15

[haldir]

Sorry if this has been addressed before. I bought a Colt (new) about 10 years ago. It has on the side of the receiver Colt MATCH TARGET Competition HBAR, Cal .223, SER CCH018XXX. Basically I bought it and kept it in storage. I have a few questions. Why don't you see Colts for sale anywhere? I have noticed at gun shows they seem to be completely missing. Same with some of the gun websites. Next, can I change out the upper receiver (w/barrel)with any brand and type? My gun does not have the flash suppressor or bayonet lug (feel naked without that ), anything else missing? Can I get an upper in .308 and drop it into this gun? I read somewhere that people were doing something like that with a .50 but it could only be shot single shot and the lower really wasn't heavy enough, would that be the same with a .308? Thanks.

[melensdad]

Colt guns are still for sale, you can find them at stores that stock that brand. I don't often attend gun shows but generally you don't find much higher end stuff at the shows so that alone could explain why you don't see many Colt guns there???

As for swapping the top, yes you can swap the top with any compatible top.

As for swapping the top for a 308 top. Generally speaking NO. The 308 requires a longer receiver. If you want a 308 then you need to go from an AR15 up in size to the AR10. The parts for the AR10 are NOT interchangeable with the parts for an AR15. If you want 308 knockdown power you may want to consider the 6.5 Grendel, you can get a Grendel upper and they feed and function just like the standard 5.56 rounds. Grendel is not quite up to 308 power, but its about as close as you can get out of a standard cartridge without going to something big or too unusual. The Grendel, at long ranges, actually offers more power and a flatter trajectory than the 308, but at short ranges the 308 offers more power.

Another alternative would be the 25 WSSM. Accuracy International and Olympic Arms, as well as custom shop Dedicated Technologies, make 25 WSSM upper receivers (they all also offer 223 WSSM and 243 WSSM, D-Tech also makes a bunch of wildcat WSSMs) that will fit on top of your rifle. The 25 WSSM would offer a good deal of downrange ooph. Going up to big bore, and exceeding the 308 knockdown power would be the 450 Bushmaster, the 458 Socom, and the 50 Beowulf. Of the 3, I'd suggest picking the 458 Socom for only one reason, it is legal to hunt deer with the 458 Socom in Indiana so if you get tired of it you can probably find a deer hunter to take that upper off your hands at a later date. Neither the 450 Bushmaster nor the 50 Beowulf are legal for deer hunting in our state. All 3 of those rounds offer more knockdown power than the 308, but none of them offer the long range shooting ability of the 308.

There are at least a few different 50 BMG upper conversion kits for the AR15. All of them convert the gun into a single shot bolt action rifle and simply mount a new upper onto the lower. The only part of the lower that remains functional is the trigger group.

[shooter521]

Originally Posted by haldir

Why don't you see Colts for sale anywhere?

Because the only models Colt is building for the commercial market are still in AWB-compliant configurations (plain muzzle, fixed stock, no bayo lug), and nobody wants them - especially at the prices Colt is demanding. Some outlets are willing to sell Colt's full-featured "LE" models to civilians (against Colt's wishes), but even there they tend to be special-order items. With military production taking up the bulk of Colt's manufacturing capacity, the LE models can be hard to find.

can I change out the upper receiver (w/barrel)with any brand and type?

Depends on the front pivot pin. Some Colts use a non-standard size, which precludes the installation of other brand uppers (or requires an adapter pin to do so). Others are mil-spec and fully compatible with everything else out there. Not sure about the Match Target in particular.

Can I get an upper in .308 and drop it into this gun?

No. The .308 AR-style rifles use a completely different upper and lower receiver design. The .223 ARs are convertible to a whole host of other calibers, though, including .22LR, 9x19mm, 5.45x39, 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, 7.62x39, 450 Bushmaster and 458 SOCOM, to name a few.

HTH!

[haldir]

Is there an easy way to find out if I would have the pivot pin problem?

[shooter521]

Originally Posted by haldir

Is there an easy way to find out if I would have the pivot pin problem?

Take off the upper receiver and look at the front pivot pin lug.


This is a "large hole" upper - notice the size of the hole compared to the size of the lug itself (on the right). This size (.312" IIRC) is NOT mil-spec.


This is a "small hole" upper - contrast the front lug here (on the left) with the one above. This size (.250") IS mil-spec, and will interchange with all other manufacturers' designs without any problem.

HTH!

[haldir]

Thanks to both of you. it looks like I have the bottom one, the small hole, which I take it, is a very good thing to have :-) for once small is good.