I tried "ar15.com" , but they have unfriendly pic posting so it goes here. I think I know what this M16A1 upper is I have... but would love to hear more about it.
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I tried "ar15.com" , but they have unfriendly pic posting so it goes here. I think I know what this M16A1 upper is I have... but would love to hear more about it.
It looks to be a A! upper. I have one I put together on a RR lower. shoots very well.
look thru here - compare your parts ,
Home Retro Black Rifle
A square , Nice site .. but it sure does not show any M16A1E1 uppers for me to compare.
Your upper was the first design for the M-16A2, but then the Marines wanted the A-2 sights for greater (and easier) accuracy at longer ranges. The A-1 sights could not be easily changed (elevation) to fully use the longer ranges of the new 62 gr. rounds.
Notice that your upper has the brass deflecter of the A-2, the flat handguard nut of the A-1; unable to nake out the handguards, are they round or tri-angular? Is your bolt-assist round or teardrop shaped? What is the twist rate for your barrel?
Some commercial copies of the M-16A1E1 were made and IIRC, Colt made a few also.
HTH
albud ; In every way this is an A1 excepting the burton button ( brass deflector ). This was originally on a refurbished M16A1 lower as issued. A buddy swapped it out for me with a spare A1 upper assy he had managed to squirrel away in case he needed to replace a damaged rifle in case of a short notice inspection of the arms room. This is as it was received in a batch of M16A1's sent as replacement for rifles sent in for repair by the unit. It's not commercial in any fashion. The assist is tear drop shaped for what it's worth - not round like the early assist plungers were ( those round ones could easily cut your palm to hell ! ). Of course it has the triangular handguards - when I got out of active duty and went in the guard it was some years before A2's got to the ARNG level and this was way before then. Barrel is the typical 1-12 chrome lined marked MP under the front sight on the barrel and has the large 'C' about 1 7/8 from muzzle.
I took some better quality pics.
It's in there
http://www.retroblackrifle.com/ModGde/RflGde/603E1.html
Oswago , nope not it. The link you use is for an M16E1 , Not a M16A1E1. Seems data on any transitional rifles/features during the ramp up to the A2 is pretty scarce.
Oops my bad, here's a little info
1981. Colt developed a variation of the M16A1, adapted for the SS109/5.56mm NATO cartridge, and submitted it to the military trials as the M16A1E1. This rifle differed from the M16A1 by having the heavier barrel with faster 1:7 rifling, a different type rear sights (adjustable for both range and windage), round handguards instead of triangular ones, and by replacing the full-auto fire mode with the burst (limited to 3 rounds per trigger pull), to preserve the ammunition.
1982. M16A1E1 is type-classified by US DoD as the "US Rifle, 5.56mm, M16A2".
1983. US Marine Corps adopted the M61A2 rifle.
Oswago ; I have that info as well , but I also have read some that states that the M16A1E1 was nothing more than an A1 with the burton button in a product improvement move during the tirals that led to the A2. I'd sure like to get the inside skinny on the details of the A1 to A2 trials where my upper fits in. I thought I had it identified... guess again !.
Yep the info is a little sketchy, somebody in the company or military procurement knows the whole story I'm sure. Good luck.
OP,
I think it is a Canadian Diemaco C7 upper.
Nick ; I don't think it's canadian.. especially when it came on an M16A1 in a shipment of 30+ rifles more than 14 years ago. No diemco there , straight US Army issue. I remember when at boot in the mid 80's at benning almost all the M16's at the 203 range had the three prong flash suppressors and the off gray receiver colors and were in disrepair and god awful dirty !.
My son's California Army National Guard unit was issued the A1/A2 refurb hybrids over the last couple of years, 3 round burst lowers with A1 uppers.
gew98:
It is definitely a Canadian made upper. The forge code ('d' and 'k') mean 'Diemaco' and 'Kitchener' (Ontario). It was bought by Colt (I forgot which branch) and Colt might have been making use of the old stock C7 uppers that were surplus after the Canadians went to the C7A1 (?) which are the ELCAN-equipped flat top uppers in the late 1990s. Cool upper to have.
JM ; That's the best info I have had on it yet bar none !. It boggles my mind that "Colt" would have bought "surplus" canadian parts. Were any 16 series rifles with an upper like mine ever submitted by canadian interests in trials for the M16A2 final product ? - maybe that's how it got in US military inventory with an M16A1 barrel ?. Go figure , the more answers the more confused it gets !.
PS - for Nick - what gave you a clue to guess C7 upper earlier on ?.
gew98:
I would recommend the followup book to late Ezell and R. Blake Stevens cohort's (he's the publisher of Collector Grade Publications and an author as well of other books) book 'The Black Rifle' which is fittingly 'Black Rifle II'. The author is someone else, but there may be more complete information on the Diemaco/ Colt relationship prior to Colt's purchase of Diemaco, which I think occurred after the publishing of 'Black Rifle II'. I will also have to consult my old magazines that might have such announcements of the purchase.
I think that the Diemaco upper was attached to the barrel after it left Diemaco or Colt though.
I was getting that style of replacement upper receivers in my shop in Korea in the late 70s - 78, 79, IIRC. I have no idea who made the uppers, but they were definitely A1s with brass deflectors. That was about the same time I started seeing round forward assists.
JM ; I did'nt know there was a follow up to the Black Rifle ... hell I bought my copy of it over 15 years ago and it's "chapter" on canadian AR's is wee small with few pics let alone details.
The A2 type brass deflector combined with the A1 sights. And a guess it was. I saw a stripped Diemaco upper years ago at a show and inquired as to the provenance.Quote:
Originally Posted by gew98