M16A1E1 upper ?

[gew98]

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 !.

[oswago]

Yep the info is a little sketchy, somebody in the company or military procurement knows the whole story I'm sure. Good luck.

[NickySantoro]

OP,
I think it is a Canadian Diemaco C7 upper.

[gew98]

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 !.

[smle-man]

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.

[JustMe]

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.

[gew98]

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 ?.

[JustMe]

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.

[Terry N.]

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.

[gew98]

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.