Again within the early 90’s I used to be nonetheless within the Military Reserve. I used to be assigned to the Headquarters Firm of a Army Intelligence Battalion, and I helped out on the arms room. We have been nonetheless issued M16A1s at that time, and had despatched some rifles again for depot upkeep. What got here again was neither A1 nor A2, and is the beginning of this story, and the beginning of how I by accident made a Colt clone.
The M16A1.5
After I got here in for my drill weekend, my provide sergeant known as me in to the arms room to indicate me what got here again from the depot. I overlook what number of there have been, however it was solely a handful. They have been our authentic M16A1 lowers that we’d despatched out, however they have been now fitted with A2 shares and had a C7 type higher. For the oldsters who don’t know, the C7 higher was what Canada went with as a substitute of the A2 higher on their situation rifles. It’s basically an A1 higher, utilizing the A1 type rear sight, however with the “Brunton Bump” brass deflector block. The M16’s have been nonetheless fitted with a 20-inch pencil barrel as properly.
This was the primary time I had even seen a C7 higher on a U.S. rifle. Years later I came upon that they have been used on Colt 733 carbines that famously noticed use with Delta Drive, however I had by no means seen one on an M16A1 earlier than. Since that point I’ve talked to different guys who served within the Reserves and Guard across the similar time-frame. Quite a lot of them additionally noticed related upgrades on weapons getting back from the depot. Though it was by no means an official variation so far as I can discover, it apparently wasn’t a wholly unusual rebuild.
The inventory upgrades made some sense. The previous A1 handguards have been liable to breakage, and by the late 80’s and early 90’s it in all probability made sens to simply begin swapping issues out with A2 furnishings, slightly than to maintain sourcing previous A1 components.
The higher receiver stunned me although. I’m unsure what the road of thought was to alter from an A1 to a C7 higher. Uppers aren’t typically an element that wears out and wish changed usually, so I assume the substitute was a purposeful determination. Particularly since all of them got here again that manner. I might have thought in the event that they felt the necessity to replace them the depot would have have simply used an A2 higher. The identical for the barrel. Why not simply put an A2 profile barrel on? My solely thought was that A2 components have been primarily going to full A2 builds at this level, and these have been what was obtainable to the arsenals for rebuilds.
Regardless of the reasoning was, I really preferred the setup. I all the time most well-liked the pencil barrel of the A1 to the heavier authorities profile A2. And functionally, I believe the Canadians bought it proper with the C7 higher. You get the brass deflector block, however preserve the less complicated, extra rugged A1 sights.
Though I just like the look of the A1 triangular handguards, the A2’s have been typically sturdier, and simpler to swap out since they have been symmetrical. You see related handguard updates achieved to M16A1s in use in Israel and the Philippines. I personally choose an A1 size inventory to the longer A2, however I can see why they went that route.
The Construct Particulars
In recent times I had been desirous about constructing a clone like these oddball hybrids that popped up in our arms room. I bought just a little sidetracked on my final construct and ended up with a rifle that was a mixture of this and a Canadian C7A2. I ended up getting one other C7 higher together with a 20-inch pencil barrel from Luth AR lately although and determined to lastly put one collectively.
I had a set of surplus A2 handguards and buttstock available already, in addition to a fats A2 pistol grip, so I used to be lined so far as shares go. I picked up the Luth AR C7 higher that was completed off with their rear sight meeting, ahead help and ejection port cowl. Though not on our previous situation weapons, I opted so as to add a Rapidex Index Knob to my rear sight. The Rapidex knob makes rear sight changes simple, with out having the complexity of the A2 sight.
The Luth AR barrel I used is a 1-7 twist, chrome lined, with the proper non F marked entrance sight base. Now, I want I might have paid nearer consideration to these rifles that we bought again from the depot. I wasn’t issued one, so solely checked out them briefly after they got here in. I’m unsure in the event that they have been nonetheless utilizing 1-12 twist barrels, or if they really had a 1-7 pencil weight barrel. Or in the event that they used A1 or A2 flash hiders. Both manner, for my construct I made a decision to go 1-7 with an A2 flash hider.
When it got here time for a decrease, my intestine was to get an M16A1 marked decrease from Harrington & Richardson. Then I checked out my pile of components and determined to simply use a decrease I already had. My donor decrease was an previous Del-Ton A2 profile decrease with a Rock River match set off in it. I’d used it on a carbine construct when the Clinton Assault Weapons Ban expired, then moved it over to my M16A4 clone construct. After I bought an M16A4 marked decrease, I put it in my components bin and it’s simply been sitting ready for a construct. It’s A2, and never M16 marked, however it’s pretty discreetly marked so I figured it could work.
The Unintended Colt 711 Clone
Whereas the A2 decrease was not technically right for my previous arms room rifle clone, I spotted that Colt really did make a rifle on this configuration, the Mannequin 711. The 711 was an export model of the M16A2. Colt being Colt, they used up what components they’d, and infrequently had some uncommon variations. The 711 used an A2 decrease with both an A1 or C7 higher. It had a 20-inch pencil barrel with a 1-7 twist and A2 furnishings. In addition they nonetheless had full-auto functionality, slightly than the three-round burst of U.S. M16A2s. And identical to our reworked M16A1’s nonetheless had.
Our refurb A1s could not have technically been Colt 711s, however they definitely checked most of these containers. My components bin clone ended up an unintended 711 clone, and that’s okay. It’s fairly near the rifles we had within the armory, and the 711 is a reasonably attention-grabbing export variation in its personal proper. It’s a lightweight, helpful full-sized rifle, and one I wouldn’t have minded being issued within the least. About the one change I may need made to it was utilizing the CS marked quick A1 size A2 type inventory that the Canadians used on their C7. Being that these are powerful to search out, I believe I’ll depart mine within the unintended 711 configuration.
