AR Sponsor
Posted: 4/4/2008 5:18:13 PM EDT
|
Just received my Gunny surplus upper for my build. Thought you guys might have an idea what it is? It is an A1 upper with an L and an M under the rear sight. The barrel says “ C MP chrome bore.” I found a little C under the hand guards, on the barrel. On the front sight base there is “C” in the upper corner. It also has a latter 3 prong flash suppresser. The receiver also has a very shiny black finish, and from some angles looks as if it was put on over maybe a colt gray finish later in the rifles service life. Still not sure wether I should put my slick side upper on it, or just refinish the upper. I wish I had the means to pull the barrel off.herehttp://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l19/mcrano42/IMG_0708.jpg http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l19/mcrano42/IMG_0698.jpg and this is the upper i might put on it! http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l19/mcrano42/IMG_0697.jpg If any one wants more pictures let me know |
|
I think i will leave the a1 upper on it. I was looking for thoughts on thats VAAR (THANKS). Any advice on how to refinsh the upper without pulling the barrel? i was thinking DuraCoat. The only thing is i don't know how the DuraCoat will hold up without being sandblasted first. |
|
The upper I got from gunneys was refinished just like yours. At first I was going to leave as is, but after trying out Duracoat on another firearm I was hooked. Duracoat is really some awesome stuff; it’s by far the toughest paint I’ve seen. I used "Colt Gray" which looks good, but I think is about a shade darker than the original finish. You don't need to blast the old finish in order to apply duracoat, you just need to make sure it is very clean. Brake cleaner worked just fine for me. Just make sure you practice if you never airbrushed before. You would rather make all your mistakes on some scraps than your rifle. I pulled the barrel to apply the Duracoat. Although you could leave the barrel on I think it is easier to paint the receiver by itself. Pulling the barrel is pretty easy, but if you are only going to do it once the buying the tools may not be worth it to you. |
|
Looks like the receiver was refinished - might just be black paint - the .mil did a lot of that IIRC. You might just try a little paint thinner and see if there's a grey finish under there. Just a thought - you could always still Duracoat it. Being a later Chrome Bore barrel with Martin Marietta contract upper, the three prong isn't really correct, but it is probably a really nice barrel. It's a later upper, and good quality. Let us know how it shoots! |
| Looks like the one I got from Gunnys except for the 3 prong. I am building mine on an NDS A1 lower. I am thinking of stripping mine down and sending it off to US Anodize for a coat of XM grey. I know the military has many M16's that dont have matching anodize,and I might leave mine as is for now,just havent decided.The bore on my upper cleaned up very nice,hopefully yours will too. Mine is also a Martin Marietta. |
|
It took it 8 days, from the day i ordered it. http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l19/mcrano42/IMG_0720.jpg http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l19/mcrano42/IMG_0719.jpg |
What was the barrel you got? C MP C or C MP B, C MP Chrome Bore, etc |
Try mixing one part German Olive Gray with two parts Colt Gray. It will be a close approximation to the orginal Colt color. Also, if you can cure the Duracoat in 110 F it will be harder and cure faster. I put my painted parts in the back of my Jeep parked in the sun and it cures nicely. |
Even if you bought them new, a barrel wrench is 15 dollars and a vise block $30. You can resell them when you're done, but I'd keep them because you never know when you might need them again. |
Got my upper from Gunny on Friday so figured I'd chime in too. I requested a Colt and this is what I got. Now I'm used to dealing with rifles dating back 70+ years so when I say it was in great condition keep in mind my point of reference might be skewed. Finish on mine was great as was the bore and lands in the barrel. Only wear I found was at the rear sight on the carry handle. The barrel was marked C MP Chrome bore. I'm also planning on mating it to a NDS lower so I included a pic of the two so the colors could be compared. I noticed though that the flash really brings out the difference in the two, it really isn't that noticeable in natural light.  |
I didn't notice any preferences there, for specific types or accessories...Are you guys calling on the phone??? I know someone else said he had just barrels too, although I didn't see any on the site... |
| Postino - is it counterbored? Probably refinished when the newer barrel was put on eh? Doesn't look too shabby to me. Unfortunately I think the days of $200 surplus uppers are behind us. I sure would like to see a few more million hit the streets from some warehouse in Thailand or wherever... |
|
If I gave the impression that I'm dissatisfied with the barreled upper, let me correct that...This is a perfectly satisfactory barreled upper... I'm just underwhelmed that it sells for $295...For that price, I expect something in the Very Good range... So...To recap: The barrel is excellent; the handguards are excellent; the upper and slip ring are satisfactory...The FH is very good...The ejection door, ducksfoot FA, and windage dial are all very good... 
|
|
I received an H&R upper when I ordered. Bore is perfect. Original finish @ 95 - 98%. Right side handguard had two teeth on top broken. Bird cage FH. Ejection port cover was bent in front corner. It's almost like this upper was pulled & tossed into a pile judging the damage. Nothing that can't be fixed, though. Ibeskid |
|
While we're waiting for Those Who Know to quit dallying with their wives, here's a couple points on the Gunny's upper I bought... (1) The barrel nut was non-standard...My MilSpec [USAF issue] armorers wrench wouldn't slip right on...I had to tap [read: hammer] it in with a 2x4...After unscrewing it, I could see that the individual notches weren't cut deep enough...My wrench has functioned flawlessly for ~20 years; this is the first nut like this I've come across...Luckily, the AFR has supplied me with extra nuts that fit the wrench just fine... (2) To begin refinishing the upper receiver, I stripped everything off it...Port door, rear sight, and...duck's foot forward assist...but the pin for the FA was peened over on top, and from underneath, I couldn't even see it...It appeared that it wasn't full-length for that hole, and whoever pinned it in place drove it in until it hit the bottom part of the hole, and when it hung up, they just peened the protruding end over...  It wouldn't drive upwards, so I had to drill the peened part off level and drive it out downwards...Not a big deal, since I did it all in a mill vise (and mill), but it did waste an hour or two of my life that I'll never get back...  I paired the excellent barrel assembly on an excellent 604 upper bought from a forum member...This FA upper from Gunny's will go on another "retro that never was" project... 
|
|
According to the variation sticky, some H&R barrels had the "MP" struck upside down on the left side of the barrel. Mine is struck just that way & it has only a "C" on the top of the barrel, about 1" aft of the FH. The loking lugs are unchromed. AFAIK H&R chromed nothing but the chamber. There are no Colt proof markings on it at all. If I've got it wrong, please correct me. Ibeskid |
AR Sponsor