Simple question, but as title reads: did the Armalite prototypes, say #'s 000001, '02, '03 all have the old 'Edgewater'-style buffer? SoAR's video on his gift Proto AR-15 clone didn't cover that, and frankly I'm unable to find evidence anywhere else that beyond early Colt 601s were 'Edgewater'-style buffers used.

Granted, it makes no chronological sense to believe that regular rifle buffers were used in the prototype Armalites, but then which buffers did those use? Can someone provide photographic evidence perhaps? Haven't been able to find photos of these parts from KAC's museum online.

The prototype AR15s used a buffer that looked like a minature Dutch AR10 unit. Many (most?) of these seem to have been changed out early in development.  There are plenty of pics of the buffer on the net and it resembles a crude edgewater.

In the 1970s a number of these prototype buffers were recovered by a dumpster diver at the Costa Mesa Armalite location. At one time a member here had one for sale on GB.  Another member has made detailed drawings of the buffer and would probably share them.

Yup, just re-read the stickied proto thread in this subsection, and saw pictures of it...resembles neither a final edgewater buffer nor a modern design...seems very crude and simplistic though, almost like one could make one by cutting down a regular buffer and sticking a plastic spacer on the cut bottom...

Glad you read my thread. That’s where I was going to direct you.

I own one of the prototype buffers (though I don't think it ever made it into a rifle) thanks to another member. It didn’t come with the edgewater rings on the inside and the head isn't roll pinned in place. The stem and the head appear to be NOS pieces though.

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If I may be so bold sir that's one mighty piece of militaria amidst your collection, and I assume you wouldn't consider selling it onwards at this time (although I presume if you did, you wouldn't be looking for less than a sizeable sum for it, to say the least)...am I correct in this assertion?

The prototypes and 1959-1965 Colt ARs are my favorite (hence the long threads related to Prototypes and 601s). I probably wont ever part with those early parts.

I have some early Colt factory documents I wont part with either.

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