Colt Sporter II dusted off

[Delta 184]

I was recently rummaging about in the deepest corners of my gunsafe when I noticed my trusty old Sporter II suffering from a lack of attention. She was quite a fun gun to shoot back in the early 80s but hasn't really seen any use for close to 30 years so I've decided to spruce her up a bit. Here she is as she was when I woke up this AM (and as she's been since I got my FAL craze on in the mid 80s). She now has a new upper and some new furniture but I'm still waiting on a stock and bolt to arrive. I'll post up more info/pics when she is done.





A stock Colt AR15 Sporter II with a Weaver K3 post reticule scope and bayonet all circa 1983.

 

[Delta 184]

Well I got the barrel off my old upper receiver fairly easily. I then put the Colt Barrel/Front Sight/Gas Tube on a RRA flat top upper receiver. Then on went Magpul front handguards and Leatherwood scope. On the original Colt lower I removed the buttstock, Buffer tube, spacer, buffer retainer pin and spring, and the takedown pin detent and spring. Waiting on parts for new back end now (Hurry up big brown truck!). Stock Pistol grip replaced with Executive Ordinance frame and pannels. Installed a harris bipod attachment to the handguards too. This is all fairly simple stuff to do, kinda like playing with Legos when you are a kid. (Yes torqued parts were done properly and appropriate lubricants used where needed.) - Oh, almost forgot added an extension tube to the Leatherwood scope as well.

If UPS is on time and on target she should be done fairly soon. I just need to add the missing parts (back end/new Bolt group), check the headspace and function check and she will be ready for the range!

edit: I also used an offset pin to replace the oversize Colt front take down pin. Also added a 5 round magazine as I hade removed the limiters from my original colt 20 round magazines. Factory new these came with a limiter inside the magazines to make them 10 round max capacity, I wish I had saved them. (I live in California so I'll be limited to 10 round magazines max come summer.)

 

[jason19711971]

Why would you hack a classic?

 

[Delta 184]

It's not hacked - and classics abound for low $ - however I'm limited to my 2 AR lowers I registered ages ago in my home state. I have 5.56 coming out my ears and wanted a dedicated scoped AR.

I have all my parts still, so it'd be just as easy to revert her back as it was to change her. Modularity, I think I'm liking it!

At no time have I used a saw, grinder, or torch on this. Just screw on screw off.

 

[Gammon]

I would have just built a complete new upper.

 

[Delta 184]

To actually answer your question more directly as to why; Although in stock configuration she shot very well indeed, I found that scopes attached to the carry handle are somewhat awkward. That was no problem when I was in my 20s.

Now that I'm in my 50s I need more scope as my eyes are getting a bit crappy. I also wanted to have a sturdy attachment point for my Harris bipod (again helps when you start getting older).

I had thought long and hard before breaking out the CC and beginning this project. As she was I never shot her. For shooting at any distance I was using FALs and M14s (I frequent military 1,000 yd KD ranges whenever I can). What use is a disused tool. My endeavors are based on a desire for functionality. I must admit though that the new pistol grip is just a bit of bling.

Cheers!

 

[Delta 184]

I would have just built a complete new upper.

I may just do that in the long run and put her original upper back how it was. My rational for doing it this way was,

1. The factory barrel shoots very well, why not use that
2. Cost. I already had a good barrel that can consume the ammunition I have on have hand (about 6k rounds). Out of curiosity I'd one day like to try out this new .300 Blackout cartridge.
3. My familiarity with ARs for the most part is from work. I'm a retired US Army Infantryman of 22 years service. I like/am used to/have all my training on M16A1/2/4s and M4 and M4A1s (M4A1s was what I used in my time as USBP agent) That means I'm very familiar with this barrel and the 14.5" bbl. You start changing things out like barrel length etc on me and well, you know the old saying about old dogs and new tricks.
4. I actually have 3 disused uppers now for this lower. A 10.5" bbl on an A2 upper, a 16" Sporter I carbine upper, and the one I just pulled off of her. (I live in California, it was my home state of record through out my Army career. I have 2 lowers and obtaining one more was not an option for me.)

Cheers!

 

[mac1911]

Nice.....good use of good parts. Not to be a put down but it's a colt sporter II. Not exactly a highly valued rifle. Maybe if it was still in the box with the right colored label and had all the accessories still in the little baggies.... IT might be worth something to the right person.
Good job pulling it from the safe and putting rounds down range.
Could be worse could have painted some strange color and put high lighted controls on it.
Or covered it in UTG junk and do a few 20 round 50 yard tactical ballay moves...

As one who grew up on small tube low mag scopes I kinda like the "old school" weaver on that A2... Nice simple reticle on that weaver also. Unlike the graph paper looking things out today.
Now looking forward to a range report!

 

[Delta 184]

Nice.....good use of good parts. Not to be a put down but it's a colt sporter II. Not exactly a highly valued rifle. Maybe if it was still in the box with the right colored label and had all the accessories still in the little baggies.... IT might be worth something to the right person.
Good job pulling it from the safe and putting rounds down range.
Could be worse could have painted some strange color and put high lighted controls on it.
Or covered it in UTG junk and do a few 20 round 50 yard tactical ballay moves...

As one who grew up on small tube low mag scopes I kinda like the "old school" weaver on that A2... Nice simple reticle on that weaver also. Unlike the graph paper looking things out today.
Now looking forward to a range report!

That scope is great. I think I picked it up used at a gunshow for pennies ages ago. I love the reticule. You can get on target so fast with one.

And yes, the Sporters are very common and inexpensive on the various gun auction sights. I'd have bought a few more if it weren't for legal restrictions where I live. I think that was sort of in the back of my mind as well when I decided to post about this openly here, that older large pin Colts needn't be relegated to the attic. There's plenty of life in any of them. I think they'd be great as a starter AR for anyone.

TLDR Warning: In OSUT (Basic and AIT for 11 series MOS) I had the most worn out M16 (M16 not M16A1!!!) in the platoon with an almost equally beaten M16A1 upper on it. The lower had been painted numerous times over the course of it's life. The lower disassembled just by shaking it a few times (I kid). The Army used them till they were out of spec. Slap a new bbl on it and check head-space and reissue it.

When I was in the 101st in the 90s our armorers stopped worrying about round counts on 2404s as we shot so much that they just re-barreled them on a time basis - I got a new bbl and bolt about twice a year If I recall correctly, always coinciding with our COs zero and qual ranges.

When I last demobed from our current batch of wars the civilian cats from the 3rd or 4th shops just checked serial numbers and broke the uppers and lowers apart and tossed them in bins for sales as scrap. That pained me no end see them sent out for scrap that way. On the positive side - before every train up for deployment in this new century I was issued a brand new fresh from the factory M16A4 or M4 and a NIB Mossberg 500 lol. Boy did we put some wear and tear on those weapons.

TLDR end summary. There's lots of life in old ARs.

Cheers

 

[northny]

I got my older colt back in the game by building on Daniels Defense large hole upper which connects by push pin rather than original screw or offset screw. Built upper to my liking and added Geissele trigger. Turned out real sweet!

 

[Delta 184]

I got my older colt back in the game by building on Daniels Defense large hole upper shock connects by push pin rather than original screw or offset screw. Built upper to my liking and added Geissele trigger. Turned out real sweet!

To my ignorance you bring light!

Many thanks for that! Now to start plotting my next bank account draining project!!!!

(In my best evil villan voice) "Muahahaha....."


For anyone else playing with large hole ARs here is a link to the awesomeness Northny just opened my eyes to, https://www.dowdlesports.com/Daniel-Defense-Big-Hole-Upper-Receiver-wFeed-Ramps_p_73565.html

 

[413dan]

nice job delta, i like what you did with this. I'm in the get more uppers since you can't get more lowers camp. play around with em and have fun. it's what I'm stuck doing here in Mass. got a lower so playing with uppers makes it fun. keep up the good work, and most importantly happy and safe shooting.

 

[Delta 184]

Still waiting on parts and getting antsy, so I decided to screw around with some odds and ends out in the garage and came up with a converted German G1 FAL Flash Hider that now screws on my AR. I have no idea how it will work but it looks kinda cool, definitely diferent.

If my parts don't get here soon maybe I'll hand carve a butstock out of marble next. lol.

 

[Delta 184]

Ok, still no parts.

Bored I decided to fit a bayonet to the FAL G1 Flash Hider. This is hard as it takes an impossible to find FN FAL Type B bayonet, so I'm improvising. I pulled out a not so nice Argentinian Type A bayonet and am in the process of converting it to fit.

Many issues - I needed to fit the dovetails between bayonet lug and bayonet to fit each other - filing filing, a bit of dremel and more filing. Now it fits on easily, zero wobble and feels strong enough to impale two foes even without the hilt support. Next the ugly black plastic grips, hmm, lets see how about we use walnut. Oh the mounting fixtures are now incompatible, lets fabricate some. Next order of business is the hilt, pain to get off, super pain. The barrel hole is too small and the hilt doesn't have enough metal to make it larger. Big brazing/grinding next but for tomorrow. I'm pooped out covered in oil, sawdust, and metal filings.

Cheers!

 

[northny]

How long did it take to paint the green shamrocks on the snow in your yard? (I hate you)

 

[413dan]

nice delta, I like the ingenuity! glad to see you're having fun with this rifle again

 

[Delta 184]

Well my stock parts finally arrived. Added an Ace Skeletonized stock and added a M249 SAW butt-plate to that to have the wire pop-up shoulder brace so I can hold on target while working my Leatherwood. Also added a Swan sleeve for the scope mount.

I finished up the bayonet hilt. I split it, removed the temper, spread and ground it to fit the flash hider, re-tempered, re-pinned it. Put on 3 coats of high temp black engine spray paint baked on after each coat and then applied neutral wax.

Time to stop fiddling with it and go shoot!

- Cheers!

 

[ThePreBanMan]

Sweet. But since she's pre-ban ditch the skeleton stock and get an adjustable/"evil collapsible"

 

[Delta 184]

Sweet. But since she's pre-ban ditch the skeleton stock and get an adjustable/"evil collapsible"

I have short covered.

 

[greencobra]

Sweet. But since she's pre-ban ditch the skeleton stock and get an adjustable/"evil collapsible"

he can't have one in california, can he?

 

[Delta 184]

he can't have one in california, can he?

My receivers were registered in CA with the first registration pass (1989 if I recall correctly). So long as they meet Fed standards aside form the new magazine law that hit's on the 1st of July this year I'm good. I'm grandfathered in.


edit: CA doesn't limit collapsing stocks, a no-feature current build in CA can't have a pistol grip, etc.. The 'bullit button's are out now - we have till the end of this year to register those if the weapon has 'features'. The new 'AR Maglock' will render a weapon a non-assault weapon so one can still have features as well. Sillyness.

 

[413dan]

wonder how many people will actually turn in magazines. like CT or NY with their registration, they guess less than half or something in each state actually did…



nice job delta. i like those old a1 uppers!

 

[Delta 184]

My next project is to do 80% lowers for those 3 neglected uppers with 'AR Maglock's on them. I need to do it within the year to avoid having the State DOJ get into my business about getting a state provide serial number for the 80% stuff. So I have most of this year to do that and apply my own markings.

It's crazy but this new regulatory pass by the CA legislature has opened up a window to acquire new lowers that can be built 'featureless', or with features with a mag lock, or with a 'bullet button' with features for registration. More sillyness.

I'm thinking about an additional 5 lowers for future builds as well. One has to act within this arbitrary window though.

edit: On the magazine front I added colt made 5 round limiters to my 20 round mags. I'll add home brewed limiters to my 30s come late June. I've also ordered a pile of factory 10 rounders to for use at public ranges so as to not draw unwanted attention to myself.

Cheers

 

[MAJoe]

Looks nice!

While you have a tough time in CA, on the positive side at least you have rules and laws which can be deciphered. Us in MA are sitting here just...dumbfounded and at the mercy of someone's opinion.