1967 Colt AR-15 Sporter question

[Dosing]

In looking at an old wholesale catalogue for Colt in Canada I see the AR-15 Sporter listed in the catalogue, but not in the pricing.
Does anyone know if they were actually being imported pre-1970? I am wondering when the actually started to show up in Canada.








full 67 PDF -> https://archive.org/details/colt-1967

 

[tiriaq]

First one I saw was well before 1970.

 

[dan belisle]

First one I saw was well before 1970.

Yup, I was in junior high around then and recall a friend's dad who bought one. - dan

 

[deadman]

Oh God how I miss my first SP1. I have nothing constructive to add.

 

[fishguy1]

I have one, sucks that it is currently a safe queen

 

[Big Bad]

To start with, it was rare to find a gunshop that would carry them. They did not have a great reputation coming out of Vietnam, although that was of course the M16. I also seem to recall a selling price of about $600, or maybe up to 5 times that of a basic hunting rifle.

 

[BattleRife]

I wasn't around to make observations in those days, but I have been interested in those early years of AR-15 history for over 20 years now. I can honestly say I have never seen an early-vintage SP1 rifle in Canada, either in person or pictured in any ads or online discussions. In the USA you see SP1s with features and serial numbers right back to 1964, but up here almost every SP1 I ever looked at has a serial number over 100,000, putting it post-1978 or so. I don't think I've ever seen one with a non-chrome-plated bore, which was a 1971 innovation.

 

[wrangler4867]

I have one that dates back to 1965.

 

[cyclone]

Based on my conversations with Southern Ontario gun shops, they were in inventory there at least by 1969.

 

[Karnage]

The reason you don't see them is because they were non-restricted for years before they were made restricted.

Most pre-ban, pre-restrictions and pre-prohibs are still out there, somewhere.

 

[canuck]

I passed on an offer of an early SP1 for $400 in the early 80s
I still beat my head on the gun room door when I think of it

 

[BattleRife]

I have one that dates back to 1965.

Nice. That should probably have the Edgewater buffer in it. Quite desirable.

The reason you don't see them is because they were non-restricted for years before they were made restricted.

Most pre-ban, pre-restrictions and pre-prohibs are still out there, somewhere.

By that logic you wouldn't see any SP1 rifles, because they were all made back when the AR-15 was non-restricted. But I've seen lots of SP1s, including some that were advertised as being early production. But then you see the chromed bore, the butt trap, and the high serial #, and realize the seller just doesn't know the model very well.

 

[Karnage]

By that logic you wouldn't see any SP1 rifles, because they were all made back when the AR-15 was non-restricted. But I've seen lots of SP1s, including some that were advertised as being early production. But then you see the chromed bore, the butt trap, and the high serial #, and realize the seller just doesn't know the model very well.

I said most, not all.

A lot were registered back when there was still a little trust in the government.

 

[deadman]

I passed on an offer of an early SP1 for $400 in the early 80s
I still beat my head on the gun room door when I think of it

About 6 years ago I passed on one that had been sitting in a safe since it was bought, price was 600 bucks, someone was getting rid of a bunch from an estate. Never registered.

Sometimes my stupidity staggers me.