Retro XM177E2/CAR15 Finished!!

[Griff Murphey]

About 30 round magazines during the Vietnam War... I had some for my AR-180 (AR-15's got real hard to find about then) in those days as a college boy '67-'71, and it puzzled me why the men fighting in Vietnam did not have them. I asked one of my ROTC instructors, an Arty Captain, about that, and he said there were a few in-country, generally used with the CAR-15s, and he said the few 30's (Maybe one or two to a gun) were kind of passed down with the CARs to new owners as people rotated in and out. So I am thinking you COULD use a 30 in it but your display should include 20 rd. mags and pouches.

I think I can tell you exactly when the 3rd Mar Div quit using 20's. I was assigned to the third Marine Division on Okinawa in 1975 and checked out a bunch of 20 rd. magazines (the only type they had) for a rifle team, in February, for a Match in March. I tried turning them back in after the match and they did not want them as all the 20's were gone and they had switched fully to the 30's. Incidentally... about that time they were cleaning out warehouses and there was a huge dumpster of ARVN jungle boots and everybody dug out pairs of them to send back to kid brothers etc. for hunting.

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[imarangemaster]

Here is a lousy low-light flash picture. Just wanted to prove I really did it! My digital camera SUCKS on low light. If I can ever get time for me before the sun is too low in the sky, I will do a series of shots that better show color. I forgot to mention the M16A1 pistol grip is NOS still in the wrapper from Bill Rica. "C" marked inside. The comic book cleaning manual is an original I grabbed in the early 70s when I was in the service.

[imarangemaster]

Here are a couple better daylight pics of the XM177E2 wearing a Colt 4X scope clone with BDC for M193 ammo. The upper is the original, later medium-dark gray pakerized and the S&W lower is coated with Rustoleum dark gray automotive primer. The picture shows that it is a pretty darn close match.

[cda97]

Great looking carbine, the upper and lower colors do match well.

[anna2000]

It's actually a commercial stock that I painted with Krylon Fusion gloss black. Original Colt aluminum stocks are not easy to come buy and demand a premium price. The lower is a Nodak Spud XM partial fence.

[imarangemaster]

I was browsing AR15.com's resource library online and confirmed my stock on my retro XM177 project is actually is a 1980s vintage Colt OEM Fiberite CAR-15 or LEO Carbine stock: Milspec tube diameter and "N" manufacturing code on the web under the latch.

Love the internet! I had gotten the stock only (no tube) awhile ago on EBAY for $10 and threw it in the safe for the "one piece at a time" project (which I just finished). I suspected it was Colt, though, because of the quality of the material. You can tell it is not plastic, but some resin-polymer mix. I love this little carbine better all the time. Only thing that could be better is a Colt OEM rubber coated aluminum one!

[jeep]

I put one together my self using a XM177e2 barrel assy. from Highpoweredarmory,Paul fixed me up with a barrel assy welded and pinned with a nice fake repro moderater. Paul can be reached at 330-503-2298. His moderater does not have the blast or flash of the other repro's. His 11.5" chrome lined Wilson barrel in .625 Vietnam pencil barrel is real nice. 1/7" twist 5.56 Nato Cal. Around $300 for New barrel pinned and welded moderater and parkerize finnish complete. Very nice and the best workmanship.

[jmoore]

Highpoweredarmory

No other internet presence than Facebook? Dang. Can't see what all goodies they offer from this computer- access blocked!

[jeep]

Gents he does sell on Guns for Sale - Online Gun Auction - Buy Guns at GunBroker.com
, Go there and go Ar parts ,then xm177 parts. He has pictures there.

[Roscoe Snyder]

About 30 round magazines during the Vietnam War... I had some for my AR-180 (AR-15's got real hard to find about then) in those days as a college boy '67-'71, and it puzzled me why the men fighting in Vietnam did not have them.

Were these the steel 30 round mags they used to advertise in the back of Guns & Ammo and The American Rifleman? The ones that were supposed to fit either M16 or AR-18?