297th Mi phoenix az in the 1980's all of ours were H&R's
297th Mi phoenix az in the 1980's all of ours were H&R's
When I was at Fort Devens in 1969 we still had M14's, Company C 18th Eng Bn (CBT).
We had two at Marine Barracks USNS Roosevelt Roads, PR.
I was issued a HRA M16A1 in 1975 at Ft. Knox, KY. I was attending ROTC Basic Camp. Weapon was loose between the upper and lower receivers. No telling how many times that weapon was issued and rebuilt before being issued to me. Weapon shot OK but I have shot many M16s in later years that shot better. I'm sure it was due to wear from much use. However that weapon never failed to function when fired. I retired out of the USAR with over 28 good years in 2008. Enjoyed the posts.
There are actually a few of these that are legally in the hands of private citizens as fully transferable MG's. They came out of the H&R bankruptcy when they sold off their museum collection. There were some M16s as well as M14s that were sold. They went to a Class III dealer named RJ Perry, and then were sold off. The one on gunbroker may be one of these, however, there are also some legal rewelds that were made that while expensive, would not command the same price that an original museum gun would.
It is interesting that this thread is still alive. All the H&R rifles pictured in these posts are different than the one I owned for over 15 years. The one from Gunbroker just doesn't look quite right, especially for a new, never issued, never fired weapon. The one with the low serial number is likely a REWAT. No serial number? That one would have never been allowed into the registry without one. Oh, BTW the guy that said they are common, is not correct.
My rifle was a VERY good reweld. So good that at the Knob Creek shoot, some of the class III elite challanged me to proove it was a reweld instead of asking me to proove it was real! The only non technical way to do that was to remove the pistol grip which reveadled ten tiny letters, "J.STOEMPLE." I transferred the lower to my son in 2008. He sold it in 2012 for $20k plus. Not bad for a piece I bought for $1,200.
That is actually a great price IMHO that you got for the gun. I agree, if we are talking about transferable H&R M16's, they are rare as hen's teeth. The military probably have/had oodles of them kicking around though...
A buddy did a sun fade test on some black anodizing. After a year of hanging outside it was definitely purple.
Fred Pillot
Captain
San Jose Zouaves
1876
We had many H&R M-16A1's in my unit back in the 1990's . Mine was not mine was a Hydra-Matic Div.GM Corp. Wish I had a photo of that.