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One More "?" for the Judge

ItGoBangItGoBang Member Posts: 1,529 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited June 2003 in Ask the Experts
Any problems with swapping bolt carriers in AR's? I have a used chrome bolt carrier I want to use in a different AR. [:)]

It will hurt you, More than it will hurt me..

Life Member... N R A

Thanks for all the help!
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Comments

  • JudgeColtJudgeColt Member Posts: 1,790 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    When you say "ARs," I assume you mean Colts, right? Remember, only a Colt is an AR-15! (Sorry GreenLantern, but I have to try to preserve the value of my precious AR-15 rifles.) As far as I know, all bolt carriers interchange physically. However, early ones do not have forward assist notches so if you use one of those in a later rifle with forward assist, you will lose that feature. Keep the correct bolt with the rifle of course. If you get to mixing brands of bolt carriers, perhaps you may run into some incompatability. I seem to recall (perhaps it is with the ArmaLite AR-10) where a bolt carrier was made with a small hammer slot so an M16 hammer could not be used with it.

    Try it. If it goes in and the rifle dry-fires and cycles properly, you should be fine.
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  • ItGoBangItGoBang Member Posts: 1,529 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have a CAR 15, it came with a chrome bolt and carrier, I like this ... it's a lot better to clean. If I would buy a new chrome bolt and carrier, Who would make the best? This would be going into a Colt (type) AR. Now..... What the HECK tdo you call AR's ??? I was using the term ( AR ) but not with the 15. If you say AR, Every one will know what type of a weapon it is, RIGHT??

    POOR Mr. Green, Gets picked on [:D] Judge, Maybe you should come shooting too??.... You two could have it out [^]

    It will hurt you, More than it will hurt me..

    Life Member... N R A

    Thanks for all the help!
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  • kimberkidkimberkid Member Posts: 8,858 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Not trying to be a buttinsky here ...

    BUT!

    A couple years ago I bought an Oly M-4 upper through GB auction; the carrier that came with it wouldn't work with any other AR STYLE weapon I had ... The carrier was of the M16 design, so being the law abiding citizen that I am I wanted to switch it out ... suprisingly the timing of the cam was different because different bolts would work but other carriers wouldn't, and that carrier wouldn't work in anything else either (bolt lugs wouldn't engage the barrel) ... I ended up having a friend mill out the sear trip area to keep it legal ...

    I've been around AR's for a lot of years and like the good Judge, I thought they were all the same too ... this is the only instance I've come across this.

    ===========================
    Chance favors the prepared mind
    kimberkid@gunbroker.zzn.com
    If you really desire something, you'll find a way ?
    ? otherwise, you'll find an excuse.
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  • JudgeColtJudgeColt Member Posts: 1,790 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you mean a non-Colt AR-15-type rifle, you could say that. AR-15 clone is another way. However, if it is a non-Colt, why not just say what it is, such as an ArmaLite M15 or Bushmaster XM15, etc.. That seems the most logical to me since the brand is usually important because it helps identify quality and features. Call a Pepsi a Pepsi, instead of a Coca-Cola-type cola soft drink.

    Colt never marketed a rifle indentified as a CAR-15, but many called the Colt Carbines by that name for convenience. I am not that familiar with the clone makers but do not recall any who used the model identification of "CAR-15" and am curious to know which manufacturer used that nomenclature. What brand is the CAR-15 you mention?

    I am not familiar with the after-market manufacturers of bolt carriers so can offer no help there. The only chrome bolt carriers I have seen are surplus M16 bolt carriers, so surplus may be your only choice for a chrome carrier. Be aware that the M16 bolt carrier may be illegal in some places and in combination with other parts.
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  • JudgeColtJudgeColt Member Posts: 1,790 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    kk, I began "composing" and left my computer for a while so when I finally posted, you had commented on the bolt carrier incompatability problem you mention. I have never run into that before. I wonder why the bolt timing cam would have been changed? All I can think of is that a different cam would delay or advance unlocking, but why? Oly has always been considered of the lesser quality clones, but why would Oly go to the trouble to make a special bolt carrier and bolt? I wonder if some early military short-barreled carbines used a different cam to work with the extremely short barrels on the early CARs where the pressure curves would be different? Perhaps Oly used such a surplus bolt carrier and bolt in the rifle mentioned. Anyone know more about this issue?
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  • BoomerangBoomerang Member Posts: 4,513
    edited November -1
    I have a Colt CAR-A3.

    Boomer

    "Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as it is by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed."NRA Life Member
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  • ItGoBangItGoBang Member Posts: 1,529 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    What I called a CAR 15, is my OLYMPIC ARMS, SWG. It is marked Mod. "CAR AR" It is a Pre-Ban. it has an 11" bbl, and the (CAR) type flash hider. Chrome bolt and carrier. In 1967 I was one of the lucky ones that got a COLT CAR15, Army called it a CAR, but all it said on the side was Colt. ANYONE back in the army that said "CARBINE" was talking about the .30cal M1 Carbine. But to us OLD Army guys... It's a CAR15.
    And to the COCA-COLA - PEPSI thing.... I would calll it POP! Just like I would call anything that looks like a COLT AR-15, an AR.[8D]

    Judgecolt, Why not come shooting with Greenlantren and I and a few others 12 JULY 2003 Would be a good time to talk about this afrer a few beers [:D]

    It will hurt you, More than it will hurt me..

    Life Member... N R A
    American Legion, AARP, MECU, MWCA, SMSC, BSC, NASDS
    Thanks for all the help!
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  • JudgeColtJudgeColt Member Posts: 1,790 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    IGB, thank you for the information. Why did not you just say your rifle is an Olympic? That seems to be to be as important as saying your pickup is a Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, GMC, etc.. By using the correct name, many important characteristics are automatically revealed. According to the Blue Book (which is far from a reliable source), Oly did have a model called CAR-15, which was discontinued in 1993. I would have to dig out all my Oly catalogs to see if the BB is correct, but I suspect it is. I stand corrected. However, apparently from what you say, your rilfe is not marked CAR-15, but rather CAR AR. Strange. (Did you check it to be sure?)

    When I was in the Army about the same time as you, the short-barreled Colt carbine XM-177E1/E2 was called a Commando or Shorty for short. A Carbine was indeed the M1 Carbine.

    Where are you going shooting? (I am not sure I would want to shoot with GreenLantern because he might try to depreciate the value of my AR-15 by calling your Oly an AR-15. I am not sure I can afford the risk because I want to retire on that early AR-15's value.)

    By the way, why would any pro-gun person, which I assume you are, be a member of AARP, a decidedly anti-gun organization?
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  • ItGoBangItGoBang Member Posts: 1,529 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    We will be shooting just outside of Rochester, Minnesota.. I dont know how far that is for you? And you would be safe, I will keep Greenlantern under control [:D] As far as AARP, I got a free card, and have used the discount I can get with it on some things. I will keep it as long as the AARP does not tell me I am too old for an AR [:D][:D][:D][:D] It's good to have people on this that you can joke and BS with.... Without, getting to a big fight.

    I have seen a few Oly's just like the one I have on GB. Sorry I did not say the name before.... Just cant remember all I have untill I start looking at them.[:)]

    It will hurt you, More than it will hurt me..

    Life Member... N R A
    American Legion, AARP, MECU, MWCA, SMSC, BSC, NASDS
    Thanks for all the help!
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  • JudgeColtJudgeColt Member Posts: 1,790 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    IGB, Rochester is about 350 miles or so, a bit too far. Thanks for the invitation anyway. Have a good time, but don't let GreenLantern call your Oly an AR-15 as I cannot afford the reduction in value of my precious AR-15s.

    It must be nice to have so many AR-15-type rifles that one cannot remember who made them all! If they were all Colts like mine, it would be easier!
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  • kimberkidkimberkid Member Posts: 8,858 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Judge -
    I don't typically go changing parts around but in this instance I felt it best. What started the comparison was that I had picked up a generic (non-Colt) carrier at a gunshow ... when it didn't fit the upper I tried it in 2 other AR style weapons (I believe one was a Busmaster and the other was a PWA) ... anyway ... none of the other bolt/carriers fit the Oly upper and it wouldn't fit either of the others ... the Busmaster and the PWA parts interchanged fine ... then I did some swaping of the bolts, all the bolts worked in all the carriers as long as the Oly carrier was in the Oly upper ...

    Lastly as a side note, I just happened to think, although the upper was advertised as an Oly, and I bought it thinking it was ... I guess that doesn't necessarly mean it was ... I don't know why anyone would make a non-standard carrier ... its strange, but true ...

    ===========================
    Chance favors the prepared mind
    kimberkid@gunbroker.zzn.com
    If you really desire something, you'll find a way ?
    ? otherwise, you'll find an excuse.
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