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I picked this up a while ago and my buddies seem to be giving me conflicting information of what model this is and if it's "ar15" or "m4 carbine" as well as the date and so on and so forth. So I figured I would ask the forums and see. It came unmodified as far as I can tell, the other pictures are just bits I've installed. Came with one very beat up steel mag with "restricted law enforcement / military only" on it.

5C266D6A-312A-4C42-BBC4-7983A11C62E2.jpeg 2BAF063F-86E7-4082-A2DE-9433410925A0.jpeg 67AC1D40-BB1C-4DA1-85EB-EFE6AA7678BC.jpeg B68B4973-BBF7-487F-B2A4-B3D59FDBF95B.jpeg 4015D575-E3AE-45AF-B9C4-1EDDD554ECB8.jpeg
 
I picked this up a while ago and my buddies seem to be giving me conflicting information of what model this is and if it's "ar15" or "m4 carbine" as well as the date and so on and so forth. So I figured I would ask the forums and see. It came unmodified as far as I can tell, the other pictures are just bits I've installed. Came with one very beat up steel mag with "restricted law enforcement / military only" on it.

View attachment 1286677 View attachment 1286679 View attachment 1286680 View attachment 1286683 View attachment 1286684
Looks like your fire selector switch has been moved to the other side of the receiver. Was the previous owner or are you a southpaw?

Also, I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that that firearm was manufactured sometime between 1994 and 2004, during the Klantoon AWB period, when us lowly serfs couldn't buy them, but AR-15s were still made available to LEO and military. Might explain the nasty warning on the mag well...

Also noticed the S/N begins with "LE"...
 
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Looks like your fire selector switch has been moved to the other side of the receiver. Was the previous owner or are you a southpaw?

Also, I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that that firearm was manufactured sometime between 1994 and 2004, during the Klantoon AWB period, when us lowly serfs couldn't buy them, but AR-15s were still made available to LEO and military. Might explain the nasty warning on the mag well...
I did switch it over, I'm a lefty. Luckily the factory safety was swappable. Ahh okay that makes sense then.
 
I would call this neither of those things. I've seen colts, semi auto even, marked "m4 carbine" and "ar-15" of which this rifle is marked with neither. I believe the model is LE6920 though I could be a bit off.
 
Re. the "restriction" verbiage stamped on the right side. I don't know if Colt made too many lowers with this on them or if they think it's a good marketing trick to make buyers think they are getting something special. I say this because I've seen (and owned) some Colt AR's that had this on them that came through civilian channels as new guns.

One such "restricted" rifle that I had was an "AR-15A3" (so marked), and below that it said, "Tactical Carbine" with an LBD serial number prefix. It came off a pallet of such rifles at Kesselrings, had never been intended for law enforcement. It was marked .223, made in 2011.

Another, that was made in 2017, was marked as an "M4 Carbine", but you wouldn't want one of these. It was Colt M4 Expanse, these were in the model series CE. The one I had specifically was a model CE2000HB-TSG. It had an LE5XX,XXX serial number, with the restrictions markings. It had a 14.5 inch heavy barrel with an big, ugly flash suppressor permanently welded on the muzzle to make it legal. It was marked 5.56mm. These Expanse models came in a few different variations, with and without ejection port cover. I guess they were an economy model. The roll markings on the lower were crude. Again I say I'm not an expert, but I seem to recall that these weren't made in the Conn. Colt factory, but assembled out of left-over parts in Texas. But the box had a Colt label on it.
 
Re. the "restriction" verbiage stamped on the right side. I don't know if Colt made too many lowers with this on them or if they think it's a good marketing trick to make buyers think they are getting something special. I say this because I've seen (and owned) some Colt AR's that had this on them that came through civilian channels as new guns.

One such "restricted" rifle that I had was an "AR-15A3" (so marked), and below that it said, "Tactical Carbine" with an LBD serial number prefix. It came off a pallet of such rifles at Kesselrings, had never been intended for law enforcement. It was marked .223, made in 2011.

Another, that was made in 2017, was marked as an "M4 Carbine", but you wouldn't want one of these. It was Colt M4 Expanse, these were in the model series CE. The one I had specifically was a model CE2000HB-TSG. It had an LE5XX,XXX serial number, with the restrictions markings. It had a 14.5 inch heavy barrel with an big, ugly flash suppressor permanently welded on the muzzle to make it legal. It was marked 5.56mm. These Expanse models came in a few different variations, with and without ejection port cover. I guess they were an economy model. The roll markings on the lower were crude. Again I say I'm not an expert, but I seem to recall that these weren't made in the Conn. Colt factory, but assembled out of left-over parts in Texas. But the box had a Colt label on it.
Very interesting. Did it have the marks that said where it was made? I can't even seem to find an accurate serial number lookup to date it either. This one I believe is a 16" with the removable bird cage
 
My understanding is your rifle is a M4 variant on the AR platform. The original AR platform (or AR-15) would be the A2 variant which was the civilian counterpart to the military M-16. The M4 variant would include different furniture, barrel profile, etc. but based upon the AR-15 operation.
 
My understanding is your rifle is a M4 variant on the AR platform. The original AR platform (or AR-15) would be the A2 variant which was the civilian counterpart to the military M-16. The M4 variant would include different furniture, barrel profile, etc. but based upon the AR-15 operation.
Ha ha ha ha…. you MUST be young. I was rockin' M16A1's and CAR-15's stamped with Colt, and GM Corp/Hydra-Matic (I liked these best) and I seem to recall a couple other manufacturers (that slip my mind ATM) and they all (Colt included) had "AR-15" roll stamped on them back in the 80's.

We didn't care what was stamped on 'em as long as they worked like they were supposed to.


;) :D
 
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Very interesting. Did it have the marks that said where it was made? I can't even seem to find an accurate serial number lookup to date it either. This one I believe is a 16" with the removable bird cage
Yes, the CE series had diff. bbl. lengths and accordingly, diff. flash suppressors. I think the one I had used the Smith Ent. Vortex suppressor. At the time I bought this it, a local dealer (since out of business) had a load of these he was selling for $550 each and they were flying out the door.

My memory was mistaken, it DID NOT have the restrictions stamped in the right side of the lower. The "AR15A3" definitely had them.

Pics:

CE series:
P7130041.JPG P7130042.JPG P7130044.JPG
 
@Triggasylum pull the upper handguard off of it. Near the front sight, there should be a stamp in the form of xx/xx - this is the month/year the barrel was made. Should give you a good idea of when the rifle was made.
 
They came with the LEO-mil only markings for a while but lots of civilians own them, it's not a problem. I seem to remember those markings maybe 10-15 years ago. It's a 6920. It's a great Colt Carbine, from a good era for Colt production.

I think they now come marked M4 but are essentially the same.

I would be super happy to own one of 'em.
 
I picked this up a while ago and my buddies seem to be giving me conflicting information of what model this is and if it's "ar15" or "m4 carbine" as well as the date and so on and so forth. So I figured I would ask the forums and see. It came unmodified as far as I can tell, the other pictures are just bits I've installed. Came with one very beat up steel mag with "restricted law enforcement / military only" on it.

View attachment 1286683

As I mentioned in your other thread this is a ban era Colt 6920, which is an AR-15. Note the lack of selector tabs on your lower receiver, Colt removes them for civilian sales. Your gun has a 16" barrel, otherwise it would be a Colt 6921. Colt uses the same receivers they just add the "Restricted Law Enforcement / Military Only" roll mark to an existing lower.

Go to picture 6 of 10, that is an M4...note the intact tabs, the selector in the happy position pointed at the four letter "F" word and the 14.5" barrel.
https://www.military.com/equipment/m4-carbine
 
Yes, the CE series had diff. bbl. lengths and accordingly, diff. flash suppressors. I think the one I had used the Smith Ent. Vortex suppressor. At the time I bought this it, a local dealer (since out of business) had a load of these he was selling for $550 each and they were flying out the door.

My memory was mistaken, it DID NOT have the restrictions stamped in the right side of the lower. The "AR15A3" definitely had them.

Pics:

CE series:
View attachment 1287008View attachment 1287009View attachment 1287010

Colt f'ed up with that expanse line, it certainly didn't do anything for their reputation.
 
As I mentioned in your other thread this is a ban era Colt 6920, which is an AR-15. Note the lack of selector tabs on your lower receiver, Colt removes them for civilian sales. Your gun has a 16" barrel, otherwise it would be a Colt 6921. Colt uses the same receivers they just add the "Restricted Law Enforcement / Military Only" roll mark to an existing lower.

Go to picture 6 of 10, that is an M4...note the intact tabs, the selector in the happy position pointed at the four letter "F" word and the 14.5" barrel.
https://www.military.com/equipment/m4-carbine
What I don't get is if they were intended for civilians why was it stamped restricted law enforcement / military use? Who were they even selling them to?
 

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