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Posted: 3/1/2023 2:09:19 PM EDT
Have any of you bought a Colt AR15A4 within the last few months? If so, I'm curious to hear what I might expect to see markings wise?
I know the lowers are laser engraved now (and have the selector stops) but what I'm curious about is... Barrel > Are they still "C" marked or Cage code marked now? Date coded? M4 ramps correct? I'm assuming not "F" marked? Receiver > Cage code? "M4" marked above the gas tube hole? Safety > Ambi Correct? "S" and Cage code marked? Other then the BCG, any other "C" or cage code marked parts? Thanks |
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I’m afraid that any recent purchases doesn’t really mean much on what to expect for markings, from what I’ve seen it is still hit or miss.
As far as I know, the barrels are still “C” marked and not cage coded. |
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I thought CZ buying colt would fix the roll mark issue. Guess not. Get back to the cool roll marks too much to ask for?
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Barrel C with separate M and P
no F mark Nothing but forge mark on upper C on carrier and MPC faint on bolt AR15 A4 on lower is laser engraved Ambi safety just S marked |
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Quoted: I’m afraid that any recent purchases doesn’t really mean much on what to expect for markings, from what I’ve seen it is still hit or miss. As far as I know, the barrels are still “C” marked and not cage coded. View Quote I'm wanting a 100% Colt pre laser engraved AR15A4 with all the "correct" markings. I thought I had a line on an perfect earlier LNIB example but that doesn't look like it's going to pan out? Plan B is to build my own and I already have around 50+% of the parts needed including the receivers (roll stamped AR15A4 lower, "C" stamped A4/M4 upper), BCG, stock etc. so I'm mostly missing the barrel, HG's (not sure if I'm going to stick with the A2's or get a KAC M5?) and an LPK (I have plenty of LPK parts but want "correct" parts including the correct ambi safety). So now I'm basically trying to decide if I'm better off buying a new complete rifle and pilfering the parts I need/want and selling off the rest or just keep hunting for the parts I need? Buying a complete rifle and selling off what I don't need would be easier/quicker but not if most of the parts are not what I'm looking for and/or have little resale value? For instance, a "Colt" receiver with nothing more then the forge mark isn't worth any more than any other generic M4 upper and I don't know that there is much of a market for laser engraved AR15A4 lowers either but I think it's safe to assume they don't bring in typical "Colt" money? |
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Quoted: Yeah, I was out looking at gunbroker ads (ones with actual photos) and yes, they seem to be all over the map. Some with cage code uppers, some without, etc. I notice that the barrels are still "C" stamped but the markings looked different then I'm use to seeing but that could just be the crappy pics most of these sellers post? I'm wanting a 100% Colt pre laser engraved AR15A4 with all the "correct" markings. I thought I had a line on an perfect earlier LNIB example but that doesn't look like it's going to pan out? Plan B is to build my own and I already have around 50+% of the parts needed including the receivers (roll stamped AR15A4 lower, "C" stamped A4/M4 upper), BCG, stock etc. so I'm mostly missing the barrel, HG's (not sure if I'm going to stick with the A2's or get a KAC M5?) and an LPK (I have plenty of LPK parts but want "correct" parts including the correct ambi safety). So now I'm basically trying to decide if I'm better off buying a new complete rifle and pilerfing the parts I need/want and selling off the rest or just keep hunting for the parts I need? Buying a complete rifle and selling off what I don't need would be easier/quicker but not if most of the parts are not what I'm looking for and/or have little resale value? For instance, a "Colt" receiver with nothing more then the forge mark isn't worth any more than any other generic M4 upper and I don't know that there is much of a market for laser engraved AR15A4 lowers either but I think it's safe to assume they don't bring in typical "Colt" money? View Quote Looking for the same thing on GB. Slim pickings with what's out there recently and similarly have not bought anything. |
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Quoted: Yeah, this is one of those cases where I f'ed up and should have bought one years ago when the getting was good View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Looking for the same thing on GB. Slim pickings with what's out there recently and similarly have not bought anything. Yeah, this is one of those cases where I f'ed up and should have bought one years ago when the getting was good If you are going on a unicorn hunt, you might as well narrow the field a little more and look for an early pre-QR code lower. |
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Quoted: Have any of you bought a Colt AR15A4 within the last few months? If so, I'm curious to hear what I might expect to see markings wise? I know the lowers are laser engraved now (and have the selector stops) but what I'm curious about is... Barrel > Are they still "C" marked or Cage code marked now? Date coded? M4 ramps correct? I'm assuming not "F" marked? Receiver > Cage code? "M4" marked above the gas tube hole? Safety > Ambi Correct? "S" and Cage code marked? Other then the BCG, any other "C" or cage code marked parts? Thanks View Quote I have one, bought it in December. Colt "C" marked barrel, M4 feedramps, non f marked (still f height) front sight. No cage code on upper receiver. IIRC, the FCG was not "S" marked for Schmidt, but I could be wrong - it did have the ambi safety, and I did not check for colt cage code there. BCG had the c marked, bolt itself was marked MP C. |
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Quoted: I'm wanting a 100% Colt pre laser engraved AR15A4 with all the "correct" markings. View Quote This is an old wives tale that continues to get repeated and will not die. Colt has used contractors for parts for decades. There has not been a 100% Colt rifle. If you read the Ichord reports about Colt M16 production during Vietnam you will read about Colt having problems with part suppliers. I have a 2018 example is roll marked, has an M4 above the gas tube, no F on the FSB, has a Cerro forge upper reciever with C, BA forge carry handle, and C MP stamped barrel. My 2021 AR15A4 is laser engraved, M4 above the gas tube, no F on FSB, BA forge upper with CAGE code, BA forge carry handle, C MP stamped barrel. Probably the closest you could come to what you are looking for in a factory rifle would be a production gun from 2013 - 2015 time frame or so. |
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Haven’t the issued rifles and carbines been laser engraved for a while ?
If so, clone correct will depend on which iteration you’re going for. |
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I haven't seen any W prefix serial rifles with laser marked receivers, but I am much happier to see selector stops than I am angry about laser engraving vs roll marking. TBH the engraving doesn't bother me at all, it seems more consistent than the rollmarking did in many cases.
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Quoted: but I am much happier to see selector stops than I am angry about laser engraving vs roll marking. TBH the engraving doesn't bother me at all, it seems more consistent than the rollmarking did in many cases. View Quote I agree with the consistency of laser engraving. I personally like the roll marking, it was something special that could only be had with acquiring an actual Colt unless someone was willing to spend a bunch of money getting specialized tooling made. With what resources are available today for relatively cheap, anyone could reproduce a “Colt” laser engraved lower out of an 80 blank. |
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Quoted: If you are going on a unicorn hunt, you might as well narrow the field a little more and look for an early pre-QR code lower. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: If you are going on a unicorn hunt, you might as well narrow the field a little more and look for an early pre-QR code lower. Quoted: This is an old wives tale that continues to get repeated and will not die. Colt has used contractors for parts for decades. There has not been a 100% Colt rifle. If you read the Ichord reports about Colt M16 production during Vietnam you will read about Colt having problems with part suppliers. Quoted: I haven't seen any W prefix serial rifles with laser marked receivers, but I am much happier to see selector stops than I am angry about laser engraving vs roll marking. TBH the engraving doesn't bother me at all, it seems more consistent than the rollmarking did in many cases. For me I guess it comes down to this... all my life, every Colt AR-15 I've seen or owned had rollmarked engravings and no SS so when I see one of the new ones, they just look fake to me. Like someone took an 80% lower and made their own version of a Colt lower. I don't care for it on their 1911's either. |
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Quoted: I agree with the consistency of laser engraving. I personally like the roll marking, it was something special that could only be had with acquiring an actual Colt unless someone was willing to spend a bunch of money getting specialized tooling made. With what resources are available today for relatively cheap, anyone could reproduce a “Colt” laser engraved lower out of an 80 blank. View Quote That's a fair point; I think this is sort of like getting a 1911 nowadays that's made the same as one from ~100 years ago though. New technology makes certain new methods less expensive, and old methods more expensive, so they change what they use in order to keep the price point such that they'll have sales volume to justify continuing to make them. In some ways it's better-metallurgy is far better now than 110 years ago-but you do often lose some of the things that made the old ones special. I'm not a collector though, my Colts are working girls. |
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Quoted: I haven't seen any W prefix serial rifles with laser marked receivers, but I am much happier to see selector stops than I am angry about laser engraving vs roll marking. TBH the engraving doesn't bother me at all, it seems more consistent than the rollmarking did in many cases. View Quote https://www.ar15.com/forums/Industry/Are-the-newer-laser-engraved-Colt-lowers-being-used-by-the-US-Mil-now-/29-300567/ Attached File |
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Quoted: Clone correct it is then. View Quote I guess that will make the cloners happy and the collectors will have something else to collect but thankfully I'm not a cloner, a collector or a HSLD operator. Nothing wrong with any of that but I'm just a guy who likes guns and I likes 'em how I likes 'em |
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The model I bought was AR15A4 w/ selector stops.
Born on Date: 06/29/2022 UPC: 098289023292 Barrel: C MP M4 ramps and no F mark on the FSB. Upper Receiver: Has Cage Code and "M4" marked above the gas tube hole. Safety is Ambi with "S" and Cage code marked. MPC on the bolt with White dot and very faint C on the Carrier. |
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I have seen about 12 this year so far
barrel - all were cage code marked upper receiver - most had cage code, some had no mfg markings. As for forge markings I have seen keyhole, square and blank carrier - some are C marked and some are not. the finish is blacker than the older ones one some of them too. bolt - most are MPC marked. some are VERY lightly marked. most have hte white dot. |
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I received a new AR15A4 today. It has a m4 stamp on front of receiver a key hole forge mark on upper no cage number on upper barrel is stamped c mp. No f on FS. Bolt is clearly marked mpc carrier has no mark and no white dot on bolt. Carry handle has square forge mark Overall fit finish and color is very good
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Also barrel is not caged coded also the carry handle has cage code. Over all very happy with rifle. Going to see how it shoots tomorrow
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I’m not good at posting pictures but the cage code on the carry handle is on the left side opposite the square forge mark
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Speaking of carry handles I put a PSA with a square forge mark on a LE 6920 that seems to be a quality piece. I just would like to know who does the machine and assembly of the PSA handle
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Quoted: I received a new AR15A4 today. It has a m4 stamp on front of receiver a key hole forge mark on upper no cage number on upper barrel is stamped c mp. No f on FS. Bolt is clearly marked mpc carrier has no mark and no white dot on bolt. Carry handle has square forge mark Overall fit finish and color is very good View Quote Quoted: Would love to see a pic of a cage coded carry handle, View Quote @OTDR This was posted in another thread earlier this week. I'd not seen one yet and was interested as well.... Attached File More of Colt's weirdness. ETA: This example is reportedly BAFE forge as well. |
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Quoted: @OTDR This was posted in another thread earlier this week. I'd not seen one yet and was interested as well.... https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/416992/13629_jpg-2812965.JPG More of Colt's weirdness. ETA: This example is reportedly BAFE forge as well. View Quote Wow, would love to have one of those, thanks for the pic Tig, you always come thru! |
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Went and shot rifle today and had no issues. There was another person at the range today shooting a colt m4 with flip up rear site. They were getting upset cause they weren’t hitting man size targets at 100 yards. I watched them shoot and suggested they flip their rear sight up. That helped immensely.
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for decades post-Vietnam, Colt manufactured the 10 key heavy metal parts inhouse: both receivers, barrels, bcg's and fire control parts.
that all changed after their most recent BK and auction. |
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Quoted: @OTDR This was posted in another thread earlier this week. I'd not seen one yet and was interested as well.... https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/416992/13629_jpg-2812965.JPG More of Colt's weirdness. ETA: This example is reportedly BAFE forge as well. View Quote Hey @TGWLDR I was in a LGS today and they had a new Colt AR-15A4, had the cage coded carry handle and the metal trap door with metal latch and was sprung properly so it was tight but could be opened 1 with one finger nail. $1169.00, so I added it to my collection. Going to re-home my other AR-15A4 as I like this one much better. Will post some pics later tonight. |
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Quoted: Have any of you bought a Colt AR15A4 within the last few months? If so, I'm curious to hear what I might expect to see markings wise? I know the lowers are laser engraved now (and have the selector stops) but what I'm curious about is... Barrel > Are they still "C" marked or Cage code marked now? Date coded? M4 ramps correct? I'm assuming not "F" marked? Receiver > Cage code? "M4" marked above the gas tube hole? Safety > Ambi Correct? "S" and Cage code marked? Other then the BCG, any other "C" or cage code marked parts? Thanks View Quote Picked up a new one today, will inspect all markings later tonight and will post some pics or a video. See my post above about the cage code carry handle. |
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Quoted: Hey @TGWLDR I was in a LGS today and they had a new Colt AR-15A4, had the cage coded carry handle and the metal trap door with metal latch and was sprung properly so it was tight but could be opened 1 with one finger nail. $1169.00, so I added it to my collection. Going to re-home my other AR-15A4 as I like this one much better. Will post some pics later tonight. View Quote @OTDR Interested sir. I'll drop in later to check out your post. |
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Quoted: @OTDR Interested sir. I'll drop in later to check out your post. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Hey @TGWLDR I was in a LGS today and they had a new Colt AR-15A4, had the cage coded carry handle and the metal trap door with metal latch and was sprung properly so it was tight but could be opened 1 with one finger nail. $1169.00, so I added it to my collection. Going to re-home my other AR-15A4 as I like this one much better. Will post some pics later tonight. @OTDR Interested sir. I'll drop in later to check out your post. Me too... I'm surprised to hear about a metal trap door on a newer manufactured AR15A4. I'd love for it to become the standard again. |
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Quoted: I guess I never did follow up with this thread even though I did already post these pics in the Colt Pic thread... https://i.imgur.com/crJBWsw.jpg https://i.imgur.com/0l1vL88.jpg I went the roll my own path so I could get what I wanted. I was able to acquired a roll stamped AR-15A4 lower off the EE. Actually I think just about everything for this build came from the EE at one point or another lol Kept it basic for now but did use an "CS" stock (A1 length). I'm a big guy with long arms but I still prefer the A1 length. Also have a PRI latch on the Colt CH and a Geissele SSA-E trigger. I used a Colt "C" marked upper receiver but I think I will be swapping that out with a cage code upper I already have because I think a cc upper is more "correct" for the time frame of this lower (and it fits better) and because I have another Colt that could use a proper "C" marked upper. View Quote Very nice! As it should be with the CS stock. |
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About to take the best parts of both guns and have what I want, off to Cabellas Sunday to re-home whats left lol.
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Quoted: My bad, trap door is NOT metal, plastic, but the latch is, and its sprung properly https://i.imgur.com/PrcUlIY.jpg View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Me too... I'm surprised to hear about a metal trap door on a newer manufactured AR15A4. I'd love for it to become the standard again. My bad, trap door is NOT metal, plastic, but the latch is, and its sprung properly https://i.imgur.com/PrcUlIY.jpg I like the metal latch, sucks that they switched to the plastic latch version. I'm guessing they must have had one in the parts been, or the complete stock itself was buried and they finally got to it and put it on a newer production rifle. |
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Quoted: Another pic you can see the CC on the Carry Handle. Not digging the laser engraved roll mark on this newer model compared to my first AR-15-A4, going to swap some parts around. https://i.imgur.com/rPpKyIv.jpg Carrier is bright shiny black with dot matrix C, looks like standard micro best stuff, but the bolt is that Colt brown color, MPC marked heavy stamped, easy to see, white dot, no markings on extractor. Barrel is marked C MP Upper receiver has cage code. New rifle has hard shiny black pistol grip, thats getting swapped to chalky gray lol. View Quote Nice! Thanks for sharing man. |
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M4 dremel monkey feed ramps, M4 above the gas tube, got all the good parts from the new rifle and old rifle mated to the old Lower receiver with the much nicer roll mark, found a few surprises. Mostly the old gun was a disappointment, the butt stick held on with a screw with no drain hole and no red patch, no cage code on the buffer tube, plastic spacer, new gun had all the correct parts, FCG in old gun was standard Schmid, new gun had typical colt hammer with notch, switched all these parts around, basically swapped out lower receivers and kept the new gun, now it’s perfect like I want. Reassembled old gun, placed back in box , taking it to Csbellas tomorrow, will take a small loss but got what I want now. I added a cage code extractor , cage code trigger guard, cage code charging handle I had in my spare parts box, I think thats everything. Gun is Amazing now lol.
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Quoted: M4 dremel monkey feed ramps, M4 above the gas tube, got all the good parts from the new rifle and old rifle mated to the old Lower receiver with the much nicer roll mark, found a few surprises. Mostly the old gun was a disappointment, the butt stick held on with a screw with no drain hole and no red patch, no cage code on the buffer tube, plastic spacer, new gun had all the correct parts, FCG in old gun was standard Schmid, new gun had typical colt hammer with notch, switched all these parts around, basically swapped out lower receivers and kept the new gun, now it’s perfect like I want. Reassembled old gun, placed back in box , taking it to Csbellas tomorrow, will take a small loss but got what I want now. I added a cage code extractor , cage code trigger guard, cage code charging handle I had in my spare parts box, I think thats everything. Gun is Amazing now lol. View Quote Yeah, I'm not sure what was up with the A2 stock screws with no drain hole and no red Nylok patch. I know it was hit or miss for a time ordering them through Brownells. I sent the 2 or so I received back since $11 was a lot to pay for a screw without all the correct features. They've lowered the price since then and hopefully they've weeded out all of the non correct screws. I was substituting with A2 stock screws from YHM as they were as they should be (with the drain hole and the red Nylok patch), but those are now discontinued. Since then I've went with Windham Weaponry and they were also as they should be. Now I'll say that the Colt A2 stock screws I've received (both correct and incorrect) were a bit nicer as far as machining and finish compared to the YHM and Windham Weaponry A2 stock screws... All perfectly useable though. |
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I checked my trap door and it all plastic but not difficult to open or close.
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View Quote Just a note on roll marks. The early versions of the A4 were full roll marked (serial and manufacturer markings) without a QR code. They then went to laser engraved serial and manufacturer marks with the QR code up near them. Next was QR code moved to the magwell with the same engraved serial and manufacturer marks. Then we have the current full engraved version. I’m not positive if any of the full engraved lowers made it out with the selector stops shaved off or not? Maybe someone can confirm. There are also pics of what I believe to be a very early or prototype that was possibly the rifle that was taken to shows pre-production. This lower is full roll marked with the exception of “AR-15a4” being engraved on it. I didn’t get anywhere trying to find out if any of these actually made it into the wild or not, there is at least one though. |
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View Quote On your older roll marked rifle, What upper receiver did it come with ("C" stamped or Cage Code or ?). Thanks |
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