Thanks brother, I tried to learn as much from you as I could from our conversations. I know I missed a few details be that's why I asked folks to visit your channel for a more in-depth dive into the history of these amazing rifles.
Basically were talking what we call a fine tuning of the rifle, and its cool to see such rifle can perform so extremely well as a 60`s design- and that is compared to the newer systems as well
Our ranch rifles are all SP-1's, one from 1968. They are some of the most reliable rifles I've ever used. Hard to beat, in a practical sense, in my opinion.
Love my colt sp1, was a dream gun for me for years and I was about to build a replica until I happened across an all original sp1 serial number 54xxx. Crazy to think there are over 20 mil ar15s in the US and mine is one of the first 55 thousand.
I have the earlier version SP1 the earlier ones came with complete chrome slick side bolt bolt carriers, Triangle charging handle mine was first production run gun from Colt. I got from my granddad who purchased the wonder sporter rifle back in 1960s that had been sitting their for a year or so. My granddad said these types of guns didnt sell well back then he got a good deal and out the door he went. I even have the original magazine ad that came with it from Colt pubs. My gun has the features I said up above and came with factory duckbill flash hider it also had the heavy firing pin.
I support the nra but the goa and fpc is better for our second amendment god given birth rights we need as Americans to repeal the Nfa repeal nics and repeal every law that restricts our second amendment rights and that’s not an opinion that’s a fact and that needs to happen NOW!!!!!!!!!!
I went through a whole merry-go-round of what I thought would be the best AR configuration over several years (rails, free floating handguards, different barrel lengths, etc). In the end, my build ended up being a flat-top A1. When I thought about it, I had basically changed the only major thing that has changed the experience of shooting the rifle in the last 50 years: better optics. Optics, plus low-light shooting aids (lights or lasers) might be the only major differences between then and now, and my build eventually came to reflect that.
Do you know a company that makes a quality 20 inch pencil barrel? I looked at Faxon because they have a good reputation for their pencil barrels but they don't make the pencil in 20 inch.
I still use an almost exact m4 clone (no full auto because even as a soldier I never once used it) as my "go to fighting rifle" however my A1 clone is a close second.
Having been introduced the the M16A2 first, I wasn't aware of any of the changes until I started to study firearms history. In my opinions and asking other Marines, A few of the features were unnecessary from the A1. The reason they went with a heavy barrel was from inaccurate testings on the older barrels, many Marines hated the A2's grip with the little finger groove that doesn't fit all sizes and the 3 round burst was pointless because Marines never use them in combat. The burst fire control group actually makes the rifle's semi-auto a bit worse. Having talked with Larry Vickers about the A2 rear sight, we should have went the way of the Canadians and had more simplified rear sights closer to the A1.The length of the stock to be slightly longer really doesn't go well with modern body armor either.
The first rifle you reviewed with no forward assist I used in boot camp in 1971 it jammed so much my CO let me go back to the range with another company to fire again with a different rifle. I qualified expert and I think they had a chrome bolt in them. When I went to Ft. Polk for infantry AIT I am pretty sure those M-16 rifles had the forward assist on them. This was interesting to me I spent 10 years in the military and saw the changes in the M-16. The first PD I worked at in 82 had early slab sided M-16's.. All that kept them from being full auto was a metal tap put on the top of the grip so you couldn't roll it on full auto. All you had to do was unscrew the grip and take that tap off and it was rock n roll.
Great video. Nice lesson. When I entered the Army for Basic training Summer of 87; I qualified with the M16A1 model. It was manufactured the same year I was born. It was not until I arrived for my duty station in Germany that I was issued and qualified with the M16A2 model. It would be the rifle that I used until I ETS the Army in 1996. I also qualified with an M60 machine gun and later the M2 50 Cal.
MAC: I have an Colt SP 1, Commando, with collapsable stock. I carried as a "street cop" for years, I got it in the early eighty's........Now it's in my safe, I take it out and clean it and take very good care of the weapon...Love it!
The A2 is also my favorite iteration of the M16 / AR15. IMO, it's the pinnacle of AR15 / M16 evolution. But I may be biased, because I used the M16A2 in the military.
Cris is the one who's information is what got me to change my opinion of the AR platform. I understood the engineering information he gave. Sorry Tim. So I've started looking for an IWI Zion 15. I still have a piston driven AR and won't get rid of it but I need a lighter weight AR maybe I can even compete again, if I can find the ammunition.
I was issued the original version of the M-16 in the Air Force back in the 80s. I had one that had Colt AR-15 stamped on the lower and an all chrome BCG. The one I was issued at my last duty assignment was more like the last version shown here.
As a ak fan I'd have to say the Ar-15 would be in general 1st. Introduced changes are minimal at least outside of the fire group and the cram-it/for button (wedging the bullet into battery seems like good idea), All most to point of being effectively aftermarket.
Great stuff Tim! I learned quite a bit. I have a SP1 (R6001 Carbine to be exact) and it is my favorite gun in my collection even though it is a pain in the mouth to shoot as a lefty.
Thanks brother. I love the SP1. They are exceptional rifles from back when Colt made amazing firearms. It's also an American classic. I hope all is well with you and the family. It's good to hear from you. If we're ever down south again we'll have to connect.
One of the suspects in the 1990s North Hollywood shootout used a customized AR-15 carbine similar to this one with a 100 round beta c drum mag and collapsible stock, It was specifically a Bushmaster XM-15 which is still in production but now based upon the current military M4.
Love the older AR's. I don't have an SP1 but I have a few retro AR's that I built from parts. Also, I have used both 5.56NATO and .223 Rem interchangeably in both my AR's and Mini-14's since the 80's. If there have been issues from doing this I haven't noticed.
The reason the AR got the development time it has was because it was a fundamentally great rifle, but also had a lot of room in the design for upgrades and modifications. Look at the variety of ARs in the civilian world. The AK is also a fundamentally good rifle, but severely lacking in room in the design for modification. There are tons of AK variants as well, but not as significant or easy to modify as the AR. A lot of work goes into making an AK "modern," but the AR set the standard for what that looks like. It's a rifle perfectly capable of easily changing with the times.
The more I shoot, the more I appreciate the basics. I have a few ARs, but my favorite is my Colt AR15A4 with carry handle sights. I’d really like a pre-A1 style rifle one day as well. Except for not having a rail for an optic, I think it’d be my ideal rifle.
I built a Colt 602 spec AR, and it’s really nice. With the 1:12 twist and 55gr pills, it’s very accurate. Incredibly light weight too. You’ve still got a mounting hole on top of the carry handle to mount an optic and still have iron sights too
cjhyde78 exactly. It’s just straight “milspec” stuff. Of course I haven’t really been able to take it out to ranges much farther than around 70 yards, so I don’t know how it would perform at extended ranges. I’ve got mostly Brownells parts, but some originals like the furniture and some other small components
I always thought the Perma pins were stronger than the cotter pins or did colt make their perma pins for different steel or is there any different from today's kns pins and the ss steel perma pins
It’s a pre-ban Colt Sporter HBAR. A2 lower but they cut off the lug, and after the ban they had non-threaded barrels with no flash-hider and even later a block in the selector. He’s wrong about it being an SP2, even after later rifles added the A2 upper the ENTIRE run had slab-side lowers.
MAC..This is my Rifle , This is my GUN...This is for FIGHTING , this is for FUN! C'mon Devil Dog...every time I hear you call my beloved M16 a gun my eye starts twitching.....
I believe the SP1 could handle the pressures of 5.56mm (this was pre-NATO, M193 5.56) ammo, but the 1:12" twist could not stabilize the SS109 bullet in the M855 round.
Like I said over on Patreon, I knew that I would like this video and I did. I found the information very informative. Thank you for sharing this information with us.
In basic I was issued a AR15 Colt if I can remember. Everyone else had Vietnam returns. Mine was the only one that said AR15. it did have the Vietnam era upper. I broke the triangle hand guard on a obstacle course where you tossed your rifle over the wall before going over.
Tim thank you for the shout out to Chris at Small Arms Solutions. He is a walking encyclopedia all things AR. I took an AR armors course from 3 yo. His knowledge of the AR is extensive.
I often wondered why my older ar-15 had a the cut on the underside of the bolt carrier. I did not realize it was a safety feature. I have noticed that the rifle I am referring to has a tendency to bend the cotter pin. It must have the wrong hammer in the lower. Thanks for the quick over view of the development .
To paraphrase one of the people that the show “Tales of the Gun” interviewed for their episode of the M16 “The only reason why you see people armed with aks that are virtually surplus on the market are revolutionaries who can’t afford an M16”
@Aniquin Point taken. But we're in the civilian market, talking about civilian boom sticks - and I'm not flying to any conflict zone to trade a goat for an AK as the airfare alone would kill any savings (not to mention to the trouble of smuggling what will be a full-auto model into the country - alllllll kinds of big no-no's, there :D )
Mike Williams They were thinking clearly. The forward assist was a stupid idea from the beginning. If a round doesn’t want to go in, don’t force it in, get it out of there. As far as the access holes, Clint explains his thinking on that pretty clearly.
@Doom If you press check how else are you going to ensure the bolt is fully seated. Provided you are retracting the bolt partially to visibly ensure there is a round in the chamber..For me it’s a must on an AR platform.
@@chucktshoes I use my forward assist every time I press check. It has a purpose. If one thought it necessary to give greater access to the area behind the chamber then in my opinion they should have oversized the ejection port and dust cover, and gave a more aggressive slant to the magwell opening to reduce the distance from the bottom of the magwell to the chamber opening. Not cutting holes in the side of the mag well. But....I’m sure cost was obviously an issue. It’s much cheaper to do it the way they did. I understand everyone has their own opinion and this one is just mine. I’m a nobody who runs an AR as part of my job, but I’m no Clint Smith by any stretch of the imagination.
Good video. My 76 sp1 is like yours except the staking is done side to side like all 4 of my 1976 -2012 bolt carriers. My 76 bc is cut but the oem carrier for my 2012 le6920 is m16 type uncut with the larger gas tube and with the newer hammer. All are semi auto Colts. Couldn't help watching your camera person's angle as he or she appeared to be forward of your barrel multiple times..... my kids say I should chill and smoke something so I drank a root beer.
Whose fault is it? Do you even have a job??? I am a Senior that living off of Social Security and Army Retirement and still able to buy ammo. Learn from the Preppers to prep early and slowly. I succeed in that dept on ammo. As for firearms....took me 8 years. Not gonna tell you how many firearm or ammo I have, but I have enough for just one person.
@@11B30Inf So where are you able to find 5.56 and 9mm that isn't sold out for the last two months? I'm in good shape having learned from Clinton94/Obama08/Sandy Hook and stocked up every chance I got over 26 years but even I can't find a lot of common rounds in stock unless online at very high prices.
@@Ideo7Z I'm still able to find 100 round boxes of monarch 223 steel case at my academy you can only buy 2 at a time so I do every paycheck I stocked my brass long ago
Good stuff, as always. Since you specifically called our attention to the ejection patterns... I hope someone can help with an old AR issue I have. I recently picked up a sweet AR, basically designed as an SP1. It has the slickside receiver, no forward assist, pencil barrel, etc. I shoot lefty. When shooting .223, every other ejected case hits me in the cheek. Ouch! When shooting 5.56, almost all the brass flies harmlessly over my right shoulder. And she's very sensitive! Even imported 5.56, which I suspect is down-loaded a bit, will throw brass at me. But good, US-made 5.56, like Federal M193 is no problem. Is this rifle properly gassed and buffered? Inside, everything looks stock, like an old Colt. I would love to see someone fire .223 and 5.56 out of a few old Sp1s and see what the ejection pattern looks like. Thanks and be well!
Crayons....well ya know.... Marines gotta eat too! Lol dont mind me....just forcing my chair into the air conditioning. 😁 Very interesting incremental changes...
I noticed that you didn't mention any of the trigger components....... such as the double trigger sear or he Lightning Link. I purchased my SP1 from a retired game Warden that had bought an entire collector collection from an estate Auction....... I also purchased from the same individual a German G43 and one of the first NM M1 Garand rifles ever made which DOES NOT HAVE THE NM CARTOUCHE ANYWHERE..../⁵ The SP1 WAS NEW IN THE BOX AND HAD THE LIGHTNING LINK IN THE BOX WITH IT. IM TRYING ACQUIRE THE SAME TRIGGER GROUP PARTS BUT ITS PROVING TO BE DIFFICULT. DO YOU KNOW WHEN TGE TRIGGER GROUP WAS CHANGED?
The modern AR15s of today are still the same damn thing as the M16s of the early 60s. Has the rifle gotten good upgrades? Yes. Are they so wildly different and revolutionary that its now an entirely new rifle? No. People need to stop fangirling over ARs.
Thank you Mac.. I bought an M$p sport 2 and proud of that.. if you listen to most folks comments "oh you have a budget rifle you suck noob" This said I love the AR-15 format in fact it is the reason my AK and my Ar 's will be american made.. Not knocking others just proud of my budget Ar.. ok digressing.. Mac my question for you is does range and accuracy change in AR's based on cost? Manufacture? ect... I hear most of the experts that even MAC supports say that if SHTF the AR would be the choice of battle weapon! Yes I may be starting or dragging you into more discussions that I am sure you have already discussed but as a new AR owner could you please resubmitt this vid or make and new vid discussing.. It would be nice if you and MRGUNSand Gear/NuttinFancy/703 tact/ and other great channels come together and give us one final analysis.. Other wise I will take me years to stop making Noob decisions!! LMAO!!! Thanks MAC for your incredible guidance!!!
I would have liked to see the different markings used over the years well. Otherwise a good informative video. Having lived through those years and used a few of those versions...
Just because there was a finishing cut on the front sight/gas block doesn't mean the whole thing was machined. My money is on it always having been a cast part but they simply removed the level of finishing on the part for savings.
A wide parting line indicates a forging and a thin parting line indicates a casting,people not in the manufacturing industry often interchange the terms but the front site is definitely a forging weather machined or not
Awesome video Tim!
Thanks brother, I tried to learn as much from you as I could from our conversations. I know I missed a few details be that's why I asked folks to visit your channel for a more in-depth dive into the history of these amazing rifles.
Basically were talking what we call a fine tuning of the rifle, and its cool to see such rifle can perform so extremely well as a 60`s design- and that is compared to the newer systems as well
Our ranch rifles are all SP-1's, one from 1968. They are some of the most reliable rifles I've ever used. Hard to beat, in a practical sense, in my opinion.
I started my AR journey with the M16A1. optics are fine but I still enjoy shooting iron sights from a carry handle.
I love the slick simplicity of the old AR's, reminds me of what I carried in the Seabees.
Love my colt sp1, was a dream gun for me for years and I was about to build a replica until I happened across an all original sp1 serial number 54xxx. Crazy to think there are over 20 mil ar15s in the US and mine is one of the first 55 thousand.
27:20 "Watch how this gun flings the brass..." camera pans out to a sea of brass.
Me: *PTSD from Covid ammo prices*
Excuse me while I suffer from internal damage
Huurrrggghhhkkk @_@
I'm looking at all that and thinking does he never pick it up either to weigh it in for scrap or give to people he knows who reload.
$1.50 a round
I have the earlier version SP1 the earlier ones came with complete chrome slick side bolt bolt carriers, Triangle charging handle mine was first production run gun from Colt. I got from my granddad who purchased the wonder sporter rifle back in 1960s that had been sitting their for a year or so. My granddad said these types of guns didnt sell well back then he got a good deal and out the door he went. I even have the original magazine ad that came with it from Colt pubs. My gun has the features I said up above and came with factory duckbill flash hider it also had the heavy firing pin.
About to go and pick up my first sp-1 1965! Im super excited!
Everybody else with a big daddy unlimited sponsor, “it’s like Costco”. MAC, gotta be different. “It’s like sams club”
Sams club is Wholesome
My biggest issues isn't that part, as Costco isn't everywhere, but that he always says "of the online world" instead of "of the gun world." LOL
EXACTLY
I support the nra but the goa and fpc is better for our second amendment god given birth rights we need as Americans to repeal the Nfa repeal nics and repeal every law that restricts our second amendment rights and that’s not an opinion that’s a fact and that needs to happen NOW!!!!!!!!!!
Costco is anti-gun and has "no firearms" signs at the entrance of every store I've seen.
In Russia all guns come with UTI, no matter where you wipe from.
@@Militaryarmschannel stop you're scarring me
I went through a whole merry-go-round of what I thought would be the best AR configuration over several years (rails, free floating handguards, different barrel lengths, etc). In the end, my build ended up being a flat-top A1. When I thought about it, I had basically changed the only major thing that has changed the experience of shooting the rifle in the last 50 years: better optics. Optics, plus low-light shooting aids (lights or lasers) might be the only major differences between then and now, and my build eventually came to reflect that.
Do you know a company that makes a quality 20 inch pencil barrel? I looked at Faxon because they have a good reputation for their pencil barrels but they don't make the pencil in 20 inch.
@@LifeisGood762 I’d say that the 18 inch mid length with pencil barrel is a natural evolution of the SP1.
@@Geriatric_Gaming Why not rifle length?
I still use an almost exact m4 clone (no full auto because even as a soldier I never once used it) as my "go to fighting rifle" however my A1 clone is a close second.
Having been introduced the the M16A2 first, I wasn't aware of any of the changes until I started to study firearms history. In my opinions and asking other Marines, A few of the features were unnecessary from the A1.
The reason they went with a heavy barrel was from inaccurate testings on the older barrels, many Marines hated the A2's grip with the little finger groove that doesn't fit all sizes and the 3 round burst was pointless because Marines never use them in combat.
The burst fire control group actually makes the rifle's semi-auto a bit worse.
Having talked with Larry Vickers about the A2 rear sight, we should have went the way of the Canadians and had more simplified rear sights closer to the A1.The length of the stock to be slightly longer really doesn't go well with modern body armor either.
The first rifle you reviewed with no forward assist I used in boot camp in 1971 it jammed so much my CO let me go back to the range with another company to fire again with a different rifle. I qualified expert and I think they had a chrome bolt in them. When I went to Ft. Polk for infantry AIT I am pretty sure those M-16 rifles had the forward assist on them.
This was interesting to me I spent 10 years in the military and saw the changes in the M-16. The first PD I worked at in 82 had early slab sided M-16's.. All that kept them from being full auto was a metal tap put on the top of the grip so you couldn't roll it on full auto. All you had to do was unscrew the grip and take that tap off and it was rock n roll.
Great video. Nice lesson. When I entered the Army for Basic training Summer of 87; I qualified with the M16A1 model. It was manufactured the same year I was born. It was not until I arrived for my duty station in Germany that I was issued and qualified with the M16A2 model. It would be the rifle that I used until I ETS the Army in 1996. I also qualified with an M60 machine gun and later the M2 50 Cal.
great info!
Best 1. I've a vry early minty SP1 w/low 4-digit SN#. Got it from guy in Cali during last confiscation scare. Thanks CALIFORNIA!
I own a 2017 colt AR15A4. Pretty cool to see the development of rifles from 40 and 50 years earlier!
Love the early SP1’s.
MAC: I have an Colt SP 1, Commando, with collapsable stock. I carried as a "street cop" for years, I got it in the early eighty's........Now it's in my safe, I take it out and clean it and take very good care of the weapon...Love it!
I love watching small arm solution videos. Does not do a lot of video range testing but awesome content.
Thanks for the knowledge about the evolution of the AR-15 , Tim !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for watching, Jerry!
Tim you are THE MAN! Keep doing what you do brother! SEMPER FI!
24:48
Man, I hate it when mine goes fully semi automatic :(
Especially when those assault clips run out and can't be refilled.
Lol
The A2 is also my favorite iteration of the M16 / AR15. IMO, it's the pinnacle of AR15 / M16 evolution. But I may be biased, because I used the M16A2 in the military.
Same same!
If there was one single thing that vastly improved the reliability of the rifle, especially regarding feeding, it was the anti-tilt magazine follower.
Cris is the one who's information is what got me to change my opinion of the AR platform. I understood the engineering information he gave. Sorry Tim. So I've started looking for an IWI Zion 15. I still have a piston driven AR and won't get rid of it but I need a lighter weight AR maybe I can even compete again, if I can find the ammunition.
I was issued the original version of the M-16 in the Air Force back in the 80s. I had one that had Colt AR-15 stamped on the lower and an all chrome BCG. The one I was issued at my last duty assignment was more like the last version shown here.
As a ak fan I'd have to say the Ar-15 would be in general 1st. Introduced changes are minimal at least outside of the fire group and the cram-it/for button (wedging the bullet into battery seems like good idea), All most to point of being effectively aftermarket.
Great stuff Tim! I learned quite a bit. I have a SP1 (R6001 Carbine to be exact) and it is my favorite gun in my collection even though it is a pain in the mouth to shoot as a lefty.
Thanks brother. I love the SP1. They are exceptional rifles from back when Colt made amazing firearms. It's also an American classic. I hope all is well with you and the family. It's good to hear from you. If we're ever down south again we'll have to connect.
@@Militaryarmschannel The Family is great. Absolutely need to Connect. Just say when!
11:42 he’s like let me get a hit of that gunpowder
One of the suspects in the 1990s North Hollywood shootout used a customized AR-15 carbine similar to this one with a 100 round beta c drum mag and collapsible stock, It was specifically a Bushmaster XM-15 which is still in production but now based upon the current military M4.
Love the older AR's. I don't have an SP1 but I have a few retro AR's that I built from parts. Also, I have used both 5.56NATO and .223 Rem interchangeably in both my AR's and Mini-14's since the 80's. If there have been issues from doing this I haven't noticed.
I love the AR! I will NEVER get tired of these types of videos!
All the external modifications could have been done to any service rifle. The m16 is a good rifle, plain and simple.
Nice video. I have a 1977 colt sp-1 Love it. I like the break downs of the components.
What a coincidence. I'm right in the middle of my SP1 build, when I can find parts. Thanks for the information.
Good luck with the build!
The reason the AR got the development time it has was because it was a fundamentally great rifle, but also had a lot of room in the design for upgrades and modifications. Look at the variety of ARs in the civilian world. The AK is also a fundamentally good rifle, but severely lacking in room in the design for modification. There are tons of AK variants as well, but not as significant or easy to modify as the AR. A lot of work goes into making an AK "modern," but the AR set the standard for what that looks like. It's a rifle perfectly capable of easily changing with the times.
I know people say you should wipe front to back. I like to go side to side.
Thanks Tim for the video. Stoner and his team was genius!!
Awesome video man, keep up! Cheers!
Very interesting on the different ejection patterns of each AR-15 Rifle through the years !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chris from sas is awesome. Thanks for the informative video
The more I shoot, the more I appreciate the basics. I have a few ARs, but my favorite is my Colt AR15A4 with carry handle sights. I’d really like a pre-A1 style rifle one day as well. Except for not having a rail for an optic, I think it’d be my ideal rifle.
I built a Colt 602 spec AR, and it’s really nice. With the 1:12 twist and 55gr pills, it’s very accurate. Incredibly light weight too. You’ve still got a mounting hole on top of the carry handle to mount an optic and still have iron sights too
cjhyde78 yeah, if I’m gonna build retro, I’m gonna build it retro lmao. I’m getting about 1.5moa with my 55 grain handloads
cjhyde78 exactly. It’s just straight “milspec” stuff. Of course I haven’t really been able to take it out to ranges much farther than around 70 yards, so I don’t know how it would perform at extended ranges. I’ve got mostly Brownells parts, but some originals like the furniture and some other small components
I can see it now guy with Gucci wannabe ARs cant shoot for shit until he learns the basics
I remember small arms solutions saying the opposite about the solid cotter pin (durability wise)... Have to find video and rewatch it 😊
I spoke with Chris voice about it, among other things.
I always thought the Perma pins were stronger than the cotter pins or did colt make their perma pins for different steel or is there any different from today's kns pins and the ss steel perma pins
@@Militaryarmschannel thanks for the reply MAC
@@Lordofwar2006 hmmm... Good question
I believe KNS is S7 steel
I got sad seeing that A2 at the beginning not having a bayonet lug
It’s a pre-ban Colt Sporter HBAR. A2 lower but they cut off the lug, and after the ban they had non-threaded barrels with no flash-hider and even later a block in the selector.
He’s wrong about it being an SP2, even after later rifles added the A2 upper the ENTIRE run had slab-side lowers.
Carry handles are tasty.
Mac said the crayons are in the butt.
Great video and thanks.
Tim dropping women's personnel hygiene habits @ 4:53 😂😂😂
“From the rear to the front. The way women should never wipe”😂
Thank you for your wonderful videos happy shooting
Thank you and thanks for watching.
MAC..This is my Rifle , This is my GUN...This is for FIGHTING , this is for FUN! C'mon Devil Dog...every time I hear you call my beloved M16 a gun my eye starts twitching.....
Outstanding video!
Thanks guys for the video.
As always a great job !
I believe the SP1 could handle the pressures of 5.56mm (this was pre-NATO, M193 5.56) ammo, but the 1:12" twist could not stabilize the SS109 bullet in the M855 round.
Like I said over on Patreon, I knew that I would like this video and I did. I found the information very informative.
Thank you for sharing this information with us.
In basic I was issued a AR15 Colt if I can remember. Everyone else had Vietnam returns. Mine was the only one that said AR15. it did have the Vietnam era upper. I broke the triangle hand guard on a obstacle course where you tossed your rifle over the wall before going over.
Tim thank you for the shout out to Chris at Small Arms Solutions. He is a walking encyclopedia all things AR. I took an AR armors course from 3 yo. His knowledge of the AR is extensive.
You're welcome. Chris and I are friends and I call him up when I have a question about AR's.
I often wondered why my older ar-15 had a the cut on the underside of the bolt carrier. I did not realize it was a safety feature. I have noticed that the rifle I am referring to has a tendency to bend the cotter pin. It must have the wrong hammer in the lower. Thanks for the quick over view of the development .
That is no safety feature, Colt would rather a malfunction that may cost you your life than the mere possibility of automatic (slam) fire
excellent video man, ar-15 is perfected and just as good as ak-47, keep them coming!!! 👍👍👍
Thanks Tim !
To paraphrase one of the people that the show “Tales of the Gun” interviewed for their episode of the M16
“The only reason why you see people armed with aks that are virtually surplus on the market are revolutionaries who can’t afford an M16”
AKs, today, cost more than ARs, so.....
@@WarriorPoet01: ARSENAL ALL DAY.
@Aniquin I guess the price gone up from the price a chicken.
@Aniquin Point taken. But we're in the civilian market, talking about civilian boom sticks - and I'm not flying to any conflict zone to trade a goat for an AK as the airfare alone would kill any savings (not to mention to the trouble of smuggling what will be a full-auto model into the country - alllllll kinds of big no-no's, there :D )
Early three prongs version are so nice, they all sound very quiet aswell
I caught that crayon Marine joke 😂😂
Awesome video greetings from Slovenia east europe!! I love guns, and i love engineering that makes them pop pop pop
This is really interesting to me. I've got a 10.5 inch gun (awesome) but the lack of velocity has me running to a 20 inch.
Clint Smith remarked that the AR reached its pinnacle as an infantry rifle around 1974. He ain’t wrong.
You could make the argument very easily that is one of the few things he's very wrong about...
Have you seen the new Aero Precision Thunder Ranch edition? No forward assist! Access holes machined into the magwell? What were they thinking?????
Mike Williams They were thinking clearly. The forward assist was a stupid idea from the beginning. If a round doesn’t want to go in, don’t force it in, get it out of there. As far as the access holes, Clint explains his thinking on that pretty clearly.
@Doom If you press check how else are you going to ensure the bolt is fully seated. Provided you are retracting the bolt partially to visibly ensure there is a round in the chamber..For me it’s a must on an AR platform.
@@chucktshoes I use my forward assist every time I press check. It has a purpose. If one thought it necessary to give greater access to the area behind the chamber then in my opinion they should have oversized the ejection port and dust cover, and gave a more aggressive slant to the magwell opening to reduce the distance from the bottom of the magwell to the chamber opening. Not cutting holes in the side of the mag well. But....I’m sure cost was obviously an issue. It’s much cheaper to do it the way they did. I understand everyone has their own opinion and this one is just mine. I’m a nobody who runs an AR as part of my job, but I’m no Clint Smith by any stretch of the imagination.
Good video.
My 76 sp1 is like yours except the staking is done side to side like all 4 of my 1976 -2012 bolt carriers.
My 76 bc is cut but the oem carrier for my 2012 le6920 is m16 type uncut with the larger gas tube and with the newer hammer. All are semi auto Colts.
Couldn't help watching your camera person's angle as he or she appeared to be forward of your barrel multiple times..... my kids say I should chill and smoke something so I drank a root beer.
Front site is a forging not a casting. Castings have a thin parting line.
You should do the same video but with the SP1 car beans
/car 15s
Stop with the guns. I don't have a budget this year 😭 I can't even get ammo in satisfying amounts
Whose fault is it? Do you even have a job??? I am a Senior that living off of Social Security and Army Retirement and still able to buy ammo. Learn from the Preppers to prep early and slowly. I succeed in that dept on ammo. As for firearms....took me 8 years. Not gonna tell you how many firearm or ammo I have, but I have enough for just one person.
@@11B30Inf: Easy, Hemi.
@@11B30Inf So where are you able to find 5.56 and 9mm that isn't sold out for the last two months? I'm in good shape having learned from Clinton94/Obama08/Sandy Hook and stocked up every chance I got over 26 years but even I can't find a lot of common rounds in stock unless online at very high prices.
@@Ideo7Z I'm still able to find 100 round boxes of monarch 223 steel case at my academy you can only buy 2 at a time so I do every paycheck I stocked my brass long ago
@@11B30Inf There's always that one Boomer who pipes up with the same rhetoric.
Good stuff, as always.
Since you specifically called our attention to the ejection patterns...
I hope someone can help with an old AR issue I have. I recently picked up a sweet AR, basically designed as an SP1. It has the slickside receiver, no forward assist, pencil barrel, etc. I shoot lefty. When shooting .223, every other ejected case hits me in the cheek. Ouch! When shooting 5.56, almost all the brass flies harmlessly over my right shoulder. And she's very sensitive! Even imported 5.56, which I suspect is down-loaded a bit, will throw brass at me. But good, US-made 5.56, like Federal M193 is no problem.
Is this rifle properly gassed and buffered? Inside, everything looks stock, like an old Colt. I would love to see someone fire .223 and 5.56 out of a few old Sp1s and see what the ejection pattern looks like.
Thanks and be well!
Just acquired 1964 sp1
I don't own an AR but I have an FN 16. I love those 20 round magazines. 30's are just a it too long.
Great and informative video as always MAC. What is the heaviest bullet weight a 1:12 can stabilize?
60 grains is the heaviest for a 1:12 twist rate.
Fun fact: most triangle handgaurd M16s that appear on tv and movies are based on this rifle
Tim, this video was so interesting, that my Cigar went out twice for lack of a draw lol. Love this kinda stuff Brother! Thumbs up ~John
Thanks brother. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Crayons....well ya know.... Marines gotta eat too! Lol dont mind me....just forcing my chair into the air conditioning. 😁
Very interesting incremental changes...
I noticed that you didn't mention any of the trigger components....... such as the double trigger sear or he Lightning Link.
I purchased my SP1 from a retired game Warden that had bought an entire collector collection from an estate Auction....... I also purchased from the same individual a German G43 and one of the first NM M1 Garand rifles ever made which DOES NOT HAVE THE NM CARTOUCHE ANYWHERE..../⁵
The SP1 WAS NEW IN THE BOX AND HAD THE LIGHTNING LINK IN THE BOX WITH IT.
IM TRYING ACQUIRE THE SAME TRIGGER GROUP PARTS BUT ITS PROVING TO BE DIFFICULT.
DO YOU KNOW WHEN TGE TRIGGER GROUP WAS CHANGED?
3:30
My experience is that colt’s search is pretty ineffective.
The modern AR15s of today are still the same damn thing as the M16s of the early 60s. Has the rifle gotten good upgrades? Yes. Are they so wildly different and revolutionary that its now an entirely new rifle? No. People need to stop fangirling over ARs.
My favorite is A1 , i love It
Love the deep dive! Getting close to nutnfancy video lengths😀
There are also some magazine changes over the years.
"it now has fully semi automatic trigger components" 20:45
Thanks for the info! Seems Colt has an ATF agent running things.
Just bought a Sig Sauer MCX Virtus Patrol because of YOU Tim! 😂 It IS as awesome as you made it out to be...
Very cool toy nice
I can't believe you changed the bolt from one gun to another without checking the headspace.
Thank you Mac.. I bought an M$p sport 2 and proud of that.. if you listen to most folks comments "oh you have a budget rifle you suck noob" This said I love the AR-15 format in fact it is the reason my AK and my Ar 's will be american made.. Not knocking others just proud of my budget Ar.. ok digressing.. Mac my question for you is does range and accuracy change in AR's based on cost? Manufacture? ect... I hear most of the experts that even MAC supports say that if SHTF the AR would be the choice of battle weapon! Yes I may be starting or dragging you into more discussions that I am sure you have already discussed but as a new AR owner could you please resubmitt this vid or make and new vid discussing.. It would be nice if you and MRGUNSand Gear/NuttinFancy/703 tact/ and other great channels come together and give us one final analysis.. Other wise I will take me years to stop making Noob decisions!! LMAO!!! Thanks MAC for your incredible guidance!!!
I agree with you Tim, the AR15 is my all time favorite firearm platform! 😀👍💪🇺🇸🗽💥
They are amazing rifles, America's rifle!
Good video
BCG from SP1 into A2: You should mention the dangers of not head spacing when swapping BCG’s.
The AK. Was updated. Just as fuggin much. As the M16/M4. But we don't talk about that because Norincos and Romys are good investments.
I would have liked to see the different markings used over the years well. Otherwise a good informative video. Having lived through those years and used a few of those versions...
I prefer the Colt M733 Commando, I’ve had a love affair for it since HEAT
Just because there was a finishing cut on the front sight/gas block doesn't mean the whole thing was machined. My money is on it always having been a cast part but they simply removed the level of finishing on the part for savings.
A wide parting line indicates a forging and a thin parting line indicates a casting,people not in the manufacturing industry often interchange the terms but the front site is definitely a forging weather machined or not
How do you remove the double head screw bolt to separate the lower and upper
Memories.
Time flies.
will you have a presentation covering the 3 models of the SP2 transitional models: 6401, 6500 6500) Colt AR15? Thank you for the video.
Is there any newer ars with the sp-1?
Why does the light buffer and over gassed system fling brass forward like that?