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Posted: 11/9/2013 2:02:44 PM EDT
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Looking at purchasing a LMT Defender 2000 and need some help determining if the upper is authentic or not... I know the lower receiver is definitely LMT but the upper has no markings whatsoever except for the keyhole Cerro forge marking.
Did LMT ever produce upper receivers without the "LMT" laser etched on one side? |
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I have always wondered myself. I have an upper that I got from a friend that was on his LMT rifle and it is unmarked. I've had it for probably 6 years and I don't know how long he had it. I've looked all over that upper before during rebuilds and I don't see a way to identify it.
ETA: I guess I should ask how to tell by looking. I know it came from LMT rifle, I just don't know if it's marked somehow. |
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look at the barrel markings. They should look like this. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/ocsk8brdr/Jobrelatedstuff/Barrel.jpg The markings on my LMT barrel do not look like that, FWIW. Mine is a factory assembled 10.5", about 1 year old. |
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From this point forward, maybe. But they didnt always. Quoted:
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I had contacted LMT about this in the past(years) and was told their uppers will always have their LMT logo. From this point forward, maybe. But they didnt always. My LMT did have logo 7 years ago and as of two years ago when I bought a second one. |
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My LMT did have logo 7 years ago and as of two years ago when I bought a second one. Quoted:
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I had contacted LMT about this in the past(years) and was told their uppers will always have their LMT logo. From this point forward, maybe. But they didnt always. My LMT did have logo 7 years ago and as of two years ago when I bought a second one. LMT has been around a lot longer than 7-years. I dont remember what year they started using the upper receiver logo but I remember the debate when they started doing it. Some of us here thought it was ugly and others thought it was a good idea to mark parts with the makers brand for easy ID. Of course back then the options were Colt, Armalite (Eagle Arms), Bushmaster, Olympic Arms, Model One Sales, LMT, Rock River Arms and a new company called STAG/CMT you could get from this new guy Paul at a place called Bravo Company. ETA: Google search shows some recall the introduction of the of the upper receiver logo as late 2004 or early 2005 with complete adoption of the logo by summer 2005 and at least two variants of the logo before settling on the current logo. Looking at photos from a 3-day carbine class I took in summer 2006 the only rifles in the pics with logos on the upper receiver are Noveske. |
| Thanks for the quick replies... yes from scouring the web i've also found similar posts that indicate that early models of LMT's did not have the signature "LMT" engraved in the upper... but does anyone know if they used Cerro forged parts? I know that most LMT's today have no forge markings or a cardinal forge marking... I'm just looking for a way to really figure out if this gun is authentic before buying. Any info would help. |
| If LMT did not engrave their upper receivers prior to 2004 how can I tell the manufacture date of the lower receiver... I assume it is based on the serial number... can anyone tell me what the serial number means and how to tell what year the lower receiver was manufactured? If the lower is pre 2004 then I will feel a lot more comfortable buying the idea that the upper was made prior to then also. |
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Look at the bolt. LMT has an undercut behind the lugs. Don't know how long they have done it, though.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_118/451509_.html&page=3 
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Quoted:
If LMT did not engrave their upper receivers prior to 2004 how can I tell the manufacture date of the lower receiver... I assume it is based on the serial number... can anyone tell me what the serial number means and how to tell what year the lower receiver was manufactured? If the lower is pre 2004 then I will feel a lot more comfortable buying the idea that the upper was made prior to then also. I bought my LMT Defender 2000 16" upper half in May 2005 and it already have the white LMT logo and no forge marking at all. Take a look at the barrel extension it should have a letter "L" at the 9 o'clock position when looking at the chamber, see these pics at the upper right shows the letter L marks. http://www.ar15barrels.com/tech/feedramps.jpg The LMT that I bought with my upper half have a letter code, it did not have the "MP" mark on it back then, and it have the same undercut behind the bolt lugs as shown by member UncleGAK. Back in 2005 LMT was not yet selling complete carbines, we had to buy the upper half and lower half separately. Several months later after I got my upper, in July 2005 I bought my LMT lower which have the serial number LMT 30XXX, notice that is only a five digit serial number. Hope this helps some. |
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