Jump to content

HBAR with a M203


MRGUNZ FIREARMS

Recommended Posts

M203 looks like a spikes 37mm launcher to me

 

I could be mistaken, but the lower looks like it has a large 3rd hole + an M16 hammer.

LOL, does the selector rotate to a 3rd position as well?  Is there a F4 that came along with it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Guys, I'm no expert....but here goes..... 

The "M203" is a 37mm flare launcher. A real M203 would be papered either as a DD or a F1 build.  This looks like the old Cobray or similar builds. (you can still get parts and mounts for these) The Spikes brand are not formed steel, but one piece aluminum receiver, IIRC.  Just for fun.....I bought two original Colt M203's with 37mm barrels from AU a few years back. (in this configuration, it transferred as a T1 firearm).  I could F1 them and swap to a 40mm barrel....but why. 40mm a chalk practice ammo is crazy expensive, (so are 37mm flashbangs and fun-flares) and it is easier to sell, should I ever go that route.  BTW, the best all around 37mm is the Spikes shorty, with the side swing tube. It mounts on a P-rail, and the side swing will accommodate anything, even the long German flares. Great for 4th of July or HNY !

For a short period, Colt used a "sear block" to keep end-users from putting in the DIAS's that were available from gun shows of the era.  There is one iteration that uses a small pin to pin the block in-place. It is NOT in the correct sear hole location, but from the outside...it scares-off the unknowing....  Previous Colt's (SP1) properly accommodated a RDIAS, and the current Colt's have the sear-block as part of the forging....which properly modifying to use a RDIAS was a specialty of M60 Joe, before he retired.

The hammer is in the cocked position, and appears to be a "notched" semi hammer. The hammer face is notched.  This would not work in a HK416 or 223, due to the firing pin block. The current full face hammers are better, IMHO.

Finally the scope appears to have the original "made in Japan" sticker on it. If it is 3X, then it is correct for the early handle mounted Colt scopes. If it is 4X, it is still original Colt (produced in Japan for Colt), but a later vintage ..... and would have several different types of "COLT" engraving possible just forward of the eye-diopter.

This is the best of my recollection, and based on hear-say and items that I have owned now and in the past. No guarantees of accuracy. Use at your own risk :)  Please correct my if any errors are identified.

MGTedFL

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, mattnh said:

Good to know - I'd never seen that before...

The area was already drilled with an extra large hole, so you would have had to push out the colt pin and block (not that easy since it's not a straight pin as I recall and had to be milled out), but then you had to weld up two very large holes (one on each side) and re-drill a sear hole.  Then you had to mill the pocket the rest of the way for a sear.  When you're all done with that, you'll find they made the infamous large hole hammer and trigger pins, so there are no full auto fire control parts off the shelf that have large holes.   Uppers had no bayo lug and no threaded barrels generally.    Still, back in the day guys were paying top dollar for a colt.  I bought one and flipped it for 1200 back in the day.   I'd be hard pressed to pay more than $150 for that gun today?  At the time colts was sucking up to the gun banners getting ready to financially fail once again.

AWB, dark times in US history!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/16/2023 at 1:04 PM, MGTedFL said:

Hey Guys, I'm no expert....but here goes..... 

The "M203" is a 37mm flare launcher. A real M203 would be papered either as a DD or a F1 build.  This looks like the old Cobray or similar builds. (you can still get parts and mounts for these) The Spikes brand are not formed steel, but one piece aluminum receiver, IIRC.  Just for fun.....I bought two original Colt M203's with 37mm barrels from AU a few years back. (in this configuration, it transferred as a T1 firearm).  I could F1 them and swap to a 40mm barrel....but why. 40mm a chalk practice ammo is crazy expensive, (so are 37mm flashbangs and fun-flares) and it is easier to sell, should I ever go that route.

MGTedFL

 

Just something to note. 40mm isn't crazy expensive if you reload (which is MUCH easier than conventional cartridge reloading), especially if you 3d print some of your components on a $100 printer. You then have the benefit of rifling and the accuracy from it, as well as a fun level of recoil, and you don't have to worry about starting forest fires every time you shoot it. 

Also, selling them is easily done by removing the barrel so it's back to title 1 and (optionally, but recommended) notifying the ATF with a simple letter. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...