Difference between a sporter and a mil-spec AR?

[wally36]

Shop near me has a nice used Colt sporter rifle in stock and I was wondering what the difference is between a sporter AR and a regular mil-spec AR. Also what would it take to convert a sporter to a regular AR?

[QuackXP]

Shop near me has a nice used Colt sporter rifle in stock and I was wondering what the difference is between a sporter AR and a regular mil-spec AR. Also what would it take to convert a sporter to a regular AR?

For what I have gathered the SP6920 and SP 6940 are exactly the same as the LE6920 and LE6940 except for the markings. The SP line are labeled Colt Manufacturing and the LE line by Colt Defense and is marked for military and law enforcement only.

[Saddlerocker]

If its a 6920 it is THE spec (except for a 16" barrel instead of 14.5 of a military M4)
Its basically the gold standard in ARs. No upgrades necessary (unless you want new handguards/stock/grip)
If its less than $900 id buy it asap

Best deal going for a new one right now is from G&RTactical $990


Check out this thread, it will allow you to get a good idea of how many rounds were put through that rifle. Unless they put a new BCG in it, it will be pretty easy to see the wear on the bolt and carrier to see if it has less than 1000 rounds through it. After 1k it kinda gets blurred, but at least you will be able to tell if its a show pony (safe queen) or a workhorse( high round count).
http://www.ar15.com/content/page.html?id=255

[wally36]

It is a SP6920 and is supposed to be slightly used which I'm not opposed to because it should be a little cheaper. I'm gonna go check it out tomorrow after work.

[justsayno]

I would assume, GS serial numbers are no different than sp ones?

[y0rlik]

It is a SP6920 and is supposed to be slightly used which I'm not opposed to because it should be a little cheaper. I'm gonna go check it out tomorrow after work.

Well, since the sporter version was only introduced this year, I would say that the odds of it having seen heavy use are pretty low.

[wally36]

Any idea what I should expect to pay for this?

[Noah_Zark]

Wally:

"A nice used Colt sporter rifle" could describe about a dozen different Colt ARs. "Sporter" was used as far back as the early 90s to skirt around the ruckus about "assault rifles" at the time.

Some Colt Sporters didn't have bayo lugs on the FSB or muzzle devices. Some did have muzzle devices. Some Sporters had the large-dia hammer and trigger axis pins. Some Sporters were set up as ".223" instead of "5.56."

OTOH, as yOrlik pointed out, Colt is still making ARs with the "Sporter" name.

You'd need to provide most of the serial number (with prefix letters) for anyone to address the question properly, and then you would have an accurate description of the of AR at the time Colt built it. No telling what subsequent owner(s) have swapped in and out.

Noah

[y0rlik]

Wally:

"A nice used Colt sporter rifle" could describe about a dozen different Colt ARs. "Sporter" was used as far back as the early 90s to skirt around the ruckus about "assault rifles" at the time.

Some Colt Sporters didn't have bayo lugs on the FSB or muzzle devices. Some did have muzzle devices. Some Sporters had the large-dia hammer and trigger axis pins. Some Sporters were set up as ".223" instead of "5.56."

OTOH, as yOrlik pointed out, Colt is still making ARs with the "Sporter" name.

You'd need to provide most of the serial number (with prefix letters) for anyone to address the question properly, and then you would have an accurate description of the of AR at the time Colt built it. No telling what subsequent owner(s) have swapped in and out.

Noah

Noah: The OP said in another post it is a SP6920, which by all accounts is the same thing as the LE6920, just with different roll marks on the lower. Colt discontinued the LE6920 this year and replaced it with the SP6920 (in the process I think they also changed the accessories that come with it, but I'm not sure on that).

To the OP: the SP6920 is Colt's basic entry level M4 style AR. It is a regular AR such as you would find from any other manufacturer. Also, if you are familiar with the Chart, the Colt 6920 is the standard by which all others are judged. If they have it for a good price (NIB SP6920's run about $1000 OTD if you shop around), grab it.

[Noah_Zark]

Noah: The OP said in another post it is a SP6920, which by all accounts is the same thing as the LE6920, just with different roll marks on the lower. Colt discontinued the LE6920 this year and replaced it with the SP6920 (in the process I think they also changed the accessories that come with it, but I'm not sure on that).

Thanks for the clarification; must have had my "man blinders" on, but it wouldn't matter anyway. Colt model numbers mean nothing to me because I'm not interested in memorizing several dozen model numbers the way I used to know New York Yankee and Cincinnati Reds stats when I was a kid in the late 50s and early 60s.

Noah