Happy Veterans Day! (Inspired me to build an M16A1 clone)

[imarangemaster]

Happy Veteran's Day to all my fellow vets. Post your branch and years of service! Yes, this includes all our members, no matter what country you served. It is just important that you served your country!

US Army active 1974-1977 (MP/Investigator)
US Army Ready Reserve 1977-1979 (MP)
USAF Reserve/Air National Guard 1979-1982 (Security Police/Armorer)

Between Veterans Day, and finding my Drill Sgt. from 1974, it has inspired me to build a Colt 603 M16A1 clone. I am using a 1/7 twist pencil barrel, however, with a Colt M16A1 slip ring, triangular handguards, and FSB. I want to shoot my 77 grain MK262 MOD1 ammo out of it!

Information

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[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

If going the NODAK lower route you had better get your name in the hat if you plan on having it together any time soon.

[imarangemaster]

If going the NODAK lower route you had better get your name in the hat if you plan on having it together any time soon.

Can't afford a Nodak at the moment, as the $630 I spent on all the rest tapped me out. I have an Anderson lower with LPK I will use for now. later, I'll get a XM16E1 partial fence lower when I get some bucks.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

I will post a pic to this thread when my XM16E1 lower shows. Everything is ready. I even killed time greying the lower parts kit using the naval jelly trick.

[imarangemaster]

Status update:

Parts have:
-Complete Anderson lower with lower parts kit
-A1 pistol grip
-charging handle
-M1 canvas sling
-two 20 round Colt mags blocked to 10 rounds
-original 1969 Comic book manual
-Vietnam era M7 bayonet with M8A1 sheath

Parts on order and /or on the way:
-dust cover assembly
-1/7 twist 20" pencil barrel reworked with Colt FSB by John Thomas
-Colt flat slip ring, weld spring, and retainer clip
-Colt gas tube and roll pin
-triangular handguards (seconds, will need some teeth replaced, refinished and repainted- I use pieces of an old Saiga buttstock to fabricate missing teeth)
-Colt type D stock, needs minor repair and re-paint
-Colt M16 Buffer tube
-Colt M16 red wine buffer
-Colt M16 spring
-Colt M16A1 (603) upper with sight and forward assist, refinished black.
-three prong flash hider from Innovative industries. Very good and can't tell from original. Only $12!
-Aim Surplus Nickel Boron M16 BCG (poor man's chrome carrier only $99 delivered

I plan on refinishing the stock and handguards after repairing with Rustoleum semi-gloss black paint. It's very tough, and looks pretty good on AR furniture. I have used it on repaired handguards before. I used it a lot when I was into remaking saigas into AKs. Since the charging handle, the Anderson is black, and the Colt upper is black, I may refinish them with Rustoleum Grey auto primer, like i have done before. With a type D stock, chrome BCG, and three prong, black receiver just would not look right!

I'm old, and don't do waiting very well! Heck, time's getting shorter every day

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

I think we may be neck & neck last to post a photo is a rotten egg. Probably a sucker bet as my project is in the hands of the lower manufacturer. Let me know what you think of the AIM BCG as I was looking at those for a more correct look than the Phosphiated Colt.

[imarangemaster]

I think we may be neck & neck last to post a photo is a rotten egg. Probably a sucker bet as my project is in the hands of the lower manufacturer. Let me know what you think of the AIM BCG as I was looking at those for a more correct look than the Phosphiated Colt.

Got the AIM Nickel Boron BCG ($99 delivered). Looks just like chrome to me. Polished and silver. Some of the NiB carriers I have seen have a slight yellow tint. This one is all silver. Hard to tell from a chrome!

[imarangemaster]

IT'S ALL HERE!

I got the John Thomas reworked 1/7 twist CMMG 20" pencil barrel, with M16A1 FSB, flat slip ring, gas tube, and triangular handguard s from Lionel Lin (Boywonder777 on Gunbroker). It is indistinguishable from a Colt M16A1 barrel, except for the 1/7 marking on the bottom. Soon it will be launching MK262 MOD1 77 grain SMKs! The handguards that he sent me for free with the barrel are beautifully mottled! They have two missing teeth, and two cracks (that I already already repaired). I was going to replace the teeth with pieces of Saiga stock and repaint them, but I think I will leave it to go along with the rest of the builds "been there, done that" look.

The Nickel Boron M16 BCG from AIM came. Very bright polished, and silver rather than yellowish like the lst NiB BCG I had. It is hard to tell from chrome. The port door also came, as did the three prong flash hider from Innovative Industries. The port door is an A2 type and new. I will have to get a used A1 door eventually. The FH is a nice grey parkerized finish, and impossible to tell from the real ones.

Indiana Surplus came through with a wonderful mottled Type D stock. Dings and dents, but just enough for a "Been there, done that!" look. Colt M16 buffer tube, screw, buffer spring, and red wine buffer came with the stock. The pistol grip I got on Ebay is also beautifully mottled,

The 603 upper with original Colt teardrop forward assist from ARFcom member HK Killer came as well. I thought it was going to be refinished, but actually I think it is just that dark grey, almost black of late Colt 603s. It is worn, with about 85% finish (some aluminum showing). It is also perfect for a "Been there, done that" build.

I might have to through the Anderson lower in the brass tumbler or something to match the upper! This is going to be an awesome build!

[imarangemaster]

It's together as a "Been there, done that" build. Outstanding. Barrel nut lined up perfectly in the bottom end of the torque spec. Pictures tomorrow afternoon. when I can get some daylight photos!

I could wet myself like a happy puppy! Very undignified for a 63 year old man to giggle with happiness the way I did when I finished assembly. It really reminds me of my "been there, done that" M16A1 I had in basic in 1974, though mine was an H&R or Hydromatic (can't remember which, just remember it was blacker than the others and not a Colt like everyone else had).Though my M16A1 in basic had a birdcage FH and a trapdoor stock, instead of the 3 prong FH and Type D stock.