Couple of newbie AR15 questions

[jdubois]

A few weeks ago, I sorta just closed my eyes and jumped in to an AR15. I knew next to nothing about them. But now that I've learned a little more, the gun has got me a little confused. The lower says it's a 'Colt Sporter II' and is stamped .223. I found some documentation that says the Sporter II's came with A2 style sights, and a serial number list which dates the manufacture somewhere in '93. But this gun has an A1 style rear sight and an A2 style front sight. Also, the barrel is stamped 5.56.

So... is it likely that the upper isn't the original upper that came with this lower, based on the A1 style rear sight and the barrel stamping? Or are the docs I found possibly wrong? And is it ok to use the 5.56 ammo because the barrel is stamped with it, or can I only use the .223 because that's what the lower says?

 

[nanerclip]

The upper on your rifle is the original, not all Sporter ll's came with the A2 type rear sight. Colt AR models can be a bit confusing due to Colt's use of A1/A2 features on the same rifle with some models (example being with your rifle and the A2 style upper with A1 rear sight/carry handle + A1 style lower). The lower has nothing to do with the specific chambering of .223/5.56 AR models, it's all in the upper. So, yes, you can shoot 5.56 through your rifle because your upper is stamped 5.56. If you were to buy an AR that was chambered for .223, you could swap out the upper with one with a 5.56 chamber and you'd be all set.

 

[Joe R.]

Ditto what is listed above. You could write a small book on what Colt did to its AR's for sale right around the time of the AWB. Colt used parts to put together guns for sale that probably shouldn't have done but they do work. Yours is probably one of these.

It's funny but if I was serious about the carry handle uppers the A1 rear sight is just a bit more rugged than the A2 sights. I wouldn't feel handicapped with one.

Joe R.

 

[jdubois]

Thanks, guys! That makes things a little more clear. I figured the lower didn't have much say in whether the gun was chambered for 5.56 or not, but I was confused as to why they'd stamp it with a caliber if it wasn't relevant. I guess Colt did some funny things.