Putting together a circa 1960 AR15 (601 model)

[Frederick303]

I kind of got sucked into rebuilding a badly carried out 601 clone on a NoDAK lower. Trying to rebuild it as close to a circa 1960 601 Model with a later 1-12 replacement barrel as real 1-14 barrels just do not exist.

A few questions for folks who might be in the know on this:

1) Were the Air-Force AR15/M16 rifles rebuilt or just used to destruction? I mean rebuilt to M16 standards, not the later M16A2 rebuild program in the late 1990s. I am guessing Lackland had a rebuild facility but do not know if they Air Force operated depots around the world and if so , where and when such operated.

2) If so, there there any rebuild marks on the rifles like I saw on US Army rifles? For example I saw a fair number of RIA marked rifles with the date in the mid 1970s (forward side of magazine well, right ejection port cover side in the early 1980s to late 1980s. Did the Air Force have a similar policy and if so what marking were applied?

3) The rebuilt rifles from the ~1975 period in the Army had a black paint finish on finish-worn parts like the upper and lower receiver, I suspect baked on as it was impervious to LSA and CLP. Did the Air force use something similar?

4)If the old green/brown furniture was reused, was it painted black if one set of the parts (such as the triangular hand guard halves) had to be replaced or would the Air Force mix colors on the stock?

5) When rifles are rebuilt/maintained in the Army, or were there would be a list of what parts to reuse and what parts to replace (like the early buffers and the open flash hiders). While this was the case at the rebuild facilities, most unit armorer/2nd echelon rework just salvaged rifles and re-used older parts if serviceable, or so I have been told. Was this similar in the Air Force?

6) Were there any parts such as the old buffers, duckbill flash hiders, non-stainless steel gas tubes, bolt hold opens, 1-14 barrels or green/brown furniture that was replaced as a matter of policy when found in unit small arms inspections?

7) When one of the 1-14 barrels was replaced in the 1970s, where their older stocks of 1960s replacement barrels that were used? or were barrels generally requisitioned from the army or directly from colt? if there were older barrel stocks, what type? (early non chrome, chrome chamber only or chrome chamber/bore types)

Thanks to anyone who might know. I realize there will not be an exact answer, but I would like to be able to hand over the rifle to the owner with as close to a correct assembly as possible. Right now I am using this site to identify the correct parts:

Home Retro Black Rifle

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[RCS]

I have seen some of the early brown fibre color painted greenAttachment 76428Attachment 76430Attachment 76431

Attachment 76432

The oldest AR-15 in the Air Force inventory still had green plastic and early features, there was an article a few years ago on the rifle called "greenie"

[browningautorifle]

I still weep for the set of Black painted/green painted/brown fibrite I gave to a friend to hold for me...

[mrclark303]

Fascinating stuff Jim, So was this very early AR furniture the same as the AR10 in colour (that brown / plumb colour) and material, looks to be very similar?

[fjruple]

It seems the US Air Force never throws anything out that's serviceable. I have seen a lot of early M16s updated to A2 specification. In the 1970s surplus barrels were sold via proprietary disposal. Later all surplus outdated military parts were thoroughly demil before being sold as scrap metal. Colt also never throws any "good" parts away. Surplus, obsolete military contract M16 parts are used in their semi-automatic commercial ARs.

Frederick303 - I would recommend that you check out the retro forum on the AR15.com if you have not already checked it out. Lots of retro folks over on that forum who built their early ARs can be of help.

Cheers

--fjruple

[browningautorifle]

(that brown / plumb colour)

Yes, fibrite brown. Looked like the set RCS shows.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Looking forwrd to photos of the project.

[Frederick303]

Not actually my rifle, but I get to indulge is spending some one else's money on a neat project....... Kind of always liked these kind of research projects.

[Frederick303]

Well the project is more or less complete. I was surprised to find, if one is willing to pay the freight, one could find all of the early parts such as the triangular charging handle, the chrome bolt and carrier, the early upper, the edgwater buffer and the early grey finished M16 type upper receiver. The lower parts were available as well, but I found it was a lot easier/cheaper to machine to newer parts such as the bolt release, pivot pins and safety. None of the bits are cheap, but they are out here, despite the fact that they are not supposed to be. The old Gas tubes are available, though expensive.

The only real issue is barrels, There are no real 1-14 twist barrels out there that are not reproes, and trying to find an early 1-12 602 barrel is very expensive, like 450 dollars and up. a later chrome chamber or chrome chamber-bore barrels are much cheaper and the late colt barrels are fairly accurate.

I did end up with a bunch of technical reports on the early M16 rifles from Rock Island arsenal from the early to mid 1970s, as well as an understanding why the design changes were made. Very neat history.

[browningautorifle]

I had an early test pattern gun that had the Fibrite brown furniture, the barrel was well worn and eroded. I can see why they don't exist. I'd go for an improved barrel if possible. I still don't quite envision wanting to go backwards on the barrel unless not intending to shoot it much...but then we want early M1 rifles that we can't shoot in good conscience sometimes...