Colt AR-15 Sporter (SP1)
Colt's Manufacturing Company · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1964
Also known as: Colt SP1, AR-15 Sporter, Colt Model 6000
Overview
The Colt AR-15 Sporter, model SP1, was the first AR-15 sold commercially to the American civilian market, released in 1964 and produced through the late 1980s. A semi-automatic-only rifle chambered in .223 Remington, it featured a 20-inch pencil barrel, the early A1-style fixed carry-handle upper, distinctive triangular handguards, and an A1-length stock. As an early-pattern rifle it lacked the forward assist and brass deflector later fitted to military models, and its 1:12 twist barrel was optimized for 55-grain bullets.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2860 g (100.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 990 mm (38.98") |
| Barrel Length | 508 mm (20.00") |
| Sight Radius | 500 mm (19.69") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Direct Impingement |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 988 m/s (3241 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1738 J (1282 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 305 mm (12.01") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Aluminum |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Anodized |
Calibers
- .223 Remington · primary — also known as .223 Rem, .223
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Fixed Carry Handle, Triangular Handguards, Pencil Barrel, No Forward Assist, No Brass Deflector
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Civilian market · adopted 1964 · as AR-15 Sporter SP1
Production
Production years: 1964-1989
Roughly 15,000 produced by 1969; the foundational civilian AR-15 model, superseded by the AR-15A2 Sporter line
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Eugene Stoner
Discontinued: 1989
Notes
Sold under Colt model number 6000 (later R6000). Shipped with five-round magazines. Often confused with the military M16; the SP1 is semi-automatic only and is the genesis of every civilian AR-15 that followed. By 1969 roughly 15,000 had been built.
Background
The SP1's aircraft-grade aluminum receiver and all-plastic furniture were so alien to 1960s sporting-goods buyers raised on walnut-and-steel rifles that Colt's early ads had to reassure customers the 'space-age' materials were as durable as traditional ones.