Colt SP1 - 1965

[Bizio]

Dear Collectors,

here I am with the detailed pictures of my Colt SP1 serial # SP 04885 dated 1965.

My SP1 brings Italian Firearms Proofmarks "XXII" which stands for year 1966 which means that it was imported to Italy immediatly after it came out of factory and stored in some collection so that we can presume it can be dated towards the end of 1965.
All its parts are original and time-consistent for the same serial number range but the safety/selector lever. It has been probably replaced along 49 years with an A2 selector.
But I am in touch already with John Thomas who will give me a double dimpled AR15 selector wich is the correct one for this model.

I got with the rifle a 20 rounds magazine, a Colt bipod #62122 (which is a bit rare to find in Italy, I only saw it on books before) an original black canvas sling (which is almost the same as the green canvas one for M1 Garand rifle), a Colt bayonet #62316 with a M8A1 scabbard. I think that only the sling is original part of the rifle. Bayonet and bipod were made later on.

Finally here are the pictures.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Very nice. Love the early specific parts, buffer, bolt, firing pin retaining pin...marked bayonet

[Bizio]

Thank you, browningautorifle.

As I said the bayonet and the bipod did not came originally with the rifle but probably the first owner bought them in a second moment.

I got some more info about the bipod and the bayonet by a member in AR15 forum.

... the bipod case DSA number contains 69 for 1969, and the bayonet is of a later make. Looks like one of the bayonets from the German stockpile a few years back. Nice bayonets, but not correct to your rifle probably, since they were made in the 1970s.

I think the bayonet is still Colt made in USA since the M7 bayonets made in Germany under Colt license had the blade with a different marking :


Foreign Variants of the M7 Bayonet

[browningautorifle]

M7 bayonets made in Germany under Colt license had the blade with a different marking

And without checking I'd have thought they'd have had the short crosspiece too.

[RCS]

Attachment 57745Attachment 57746Attachment 57747

I believe this was the very first drum developed for use in both the AR-15 and AR-18 (AR-180). I have never seen one used in a rifle and would consider this one to be a collector's prize - if you collect early SP1

[Bizio]

Thank you for sharing drum pics. Which year was the drum made ?

[RCS]

I do not know the year of manufacture for the drum, it was sent back (by the dealer in the gunshop) for a modification in Ithaca NY. I have only seen one other drum like this oneAttachment 57748Attachment 57749Attachment 57750Attachment 57751

The magazines in the photos are all from the 1960's, I believe the waffle magazines are 1963 or before and very rare to find -

[Bizio]

Indeed. I think thr waffle magazines are possibly for the Colt Armalite AR-15, a very rare rifle.
Rare early AR turns up in Italy | WeaponsMan

[RCS]

I got this Colt CAR-15 stock many years ago from a friend who bought salvage parts (by the pound) from Rock Island. This was one of the first types of sliding stocks used to make the weapon smaller. This stock is before the XM607 but is very close in design. I
was able to restore this stock as some of the internal parts were missing. In the photos, it is installed on a Colt Sporter SP1 from 1975Attachment 57814Attachment 57815Attachment 57816Attachment 57817

[browningautorifle]

My brown fibrite was painted black over green over the original brown. This was before the internet, I knew they were worth something but couldn't find out much here in Canada. They were put in a friend's lockup for long term and they reside there today. Too bad, I'll bet I could get good cash for them today.