My SP1 made it home today!!

[mikoyan21]

She finally made it to VA all the way from TX, she came from an estate purchase and a good friend did all the work for me to get her to me, she is in pristine condition, everything inside matches up with no aftermarket parts, according to her serial number she was made in 1968 and according to my Texan friend, she has spent the better part of her life stuffed in a safe, I am about to change that this sunday and let her burn some M193 ammo, she reminds me of the M16A1 that I carried as a young Marine many moons ago, light and very handly, the green side out/ brown side in helmet next to her is my old steel pot that I used and kept as a souvenier...

I will give you gentlemen a range report next week.
Semper Fi

[bmcgilvray]

Hey, what are you doing taking perfectly good SP-1's out of Texas anyway?!

Seriously, your new rifle looks fine. Do give us a shooting report when you have a moment.

What is the serial number to your rifle, rounded to the nearest hundred?

How many moons ago did you tote that M16A1? I have a son in the Marine Corps right now. We just returned Tuesday from visiting him in "lovely" Twentynine Palms, California.

[mikoyan21]

Rest assured that the rifle will be in Texan hands all the time, my son was born in Corpus and he will be inheriting all my toys some day.
The serial # is SP113XXX which put's it around 1968, I carried the M16A1 back in '72 and hung up my helmet in '94.
I am quite familiar with the "stumps" I was TAD there back in '75, give your hard charging son my thanks for his service and Semper Fi!

[bmcgilvray]

Did you perhaps place one too many X's in the serial number representation? I'm thinking a serial number like that (113,000 range) will be somewhat newer. I don't have my reference book handy but I believe a post was recently made featuring the serial numbers by year.

Do give us a shooting impression after you have opportunity to take it to the range. I love my SP-1 plain with no scope, or gadgets. It is quite accurate from a bench rest too. I've never seen a semi-auto rifle eject like it does. It is also accurate with its fired cases. It will just about place all its empties into a coffee mug.

[mikoyan21]

Did you perhaps place one too many X's in the serial number representation? I'm thinking a serial number like that (113,000 range) will be somewhat newer. I don't have my reference book handy but I believe a post was recently made featuring the serial numbers by year.

Do give us a shooting impression after you have opportunity to take it to the range. I love my SP-1 plain with no scope, or gadgets. It is quite accurate from a bench rest too. I've never seen a semi-auto rifle eject like it does. It is also accurate with its fired cases. It will just about place all its empties into a coffee mug.

Unless I am reading the manufactures list wrong SP11303X was made in the late '60's, as for shooting her, my Texan son and I shot it yesterday and she brought a smile to my face, I love to hear the spring sound when she shoots, it sounds different than the A2 model, she is accurate with the ammo she was designed for M193.

[bmcgilvray]

The SP-1 is gratifyingly accurate with M193 or similar handload. I've not had a lot of experience with them but have shot a few for accuracy and they never fail to please.

I've never fired a later Colt so didn't know the characteristic sound was different.

Don't have a Colt reference book handy but this appears to agree with most. See what you think.


AR-15 Sporter
Year Serial Number
1964 SP00101
1965 SP02501
1966 SP05600
1967 SP08250
1968 SP10750
1969 SP14000-SP14653
1970 SP15001-SP15473
1971 SP16001
1972 SP19401
1973 SP24201
1974 SP32601
1975 SP43801
1976 SP55301
1977 SP67651
1978 SP83400

[mikoyan21]

Sir,
You stand correct, I added too many digits to the serial number, a call to colt gave me a year of manufacture of 1979.
Thanks for pointing this

The SP-1 is gratifyingly accurate with M193 or similar handload. I've not had a lot of experience with them but have shot a few for accuracy and they never fail to please.

I've never fired a later Colt so didn't know the characteristic sound was different.

Don't have a Colt reference book handy but this appears to agree with most. See what you think.


AR-15 Sporter
Year Serial Number
1964 SP00101
1965 SP02501
1966 SP05600
1967 SP08250
1968 SP10750
1969 SP14000-SP14653
1970 SP15001-SP15473
1971 SP16001
1972 SP19401
1973 SP24201
1974 SP32601
1975 SP43801
1976 SP55301
1977 SP67651
1978 SP83400