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I've just added an ex British military AR15 to my collection (deactivated) as appears common on ex British AR15's the serial number has been machined away on the magazine well, but it does have the serial number FH482XX below the Colt and AR15 logo's and CAL .223 and MODEL 02 still present - any ideas on production date or batch history?
The Model 02 was a contract (#508)awarded to Colt Nov 1963. It basicly brought into light the model of the AR15/M16 that we all grew up seeing. Some were produced with the bolt closure device and some were not. 104.000 rifles were made, 85,000 with bolt closure for army and marines and 19,000 were not. I would suspect yours would have made it's way to the UK after being supplanted by later generations of M16 and the older ones could be surplused.
The Colt Model 02 also known as the 602 was the first to use the 1 in 12 barrel twist (the Model 01 used the 1 in 14 twist). The civilian Colt SP1 was very close to the Model 602 and was available in 1964.
In the book "The Black Rifle" page 305 is a photo of a Colt Model 01 rebarreled in the UK to use the 4.85x49mm cartridge
Photo shows a 4.85mm,Attachment 40641 224E2 Winchester and 222 Remington Special
Thank you, it doesn't have the bolt assist plunger, so must be from the smaller contract.
I've read elsewhere that the British Army were the First nation to adopt the AR15 with an order of 10,000 rifles in 1959 for use in the Borneo conflict and elsewhere, sounds like this wasn't from that contract then?
The borneo weapons were Model 601s, if I remember correctly. I'll check my resource books and see what I can find, I think the 602 was introduced in either 1962 or early 1963. I built a semi-auto 602 clone using a Colt SP1 parts kit on a Nodak Spud 601/602 lower.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../10/6021-1.jpg