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Colt le 6900

37K views 20 replies 16 participants last post by  David Panciotti 
#1 ·
I was in a gun shop today and I thought I saw a good deal. It was a Colt LE-6900. I bought it because I thought Colt made top end mil spec rifles. Now I am reading that it is some sub brand commercial rifle that Colt rebadged. I assumed since the 6920 is a standard model that the 6900 was a true light weight model without forward assist and dust cover. I now am reading that it is not. The salesman had assured me that it was a mil spec Colt. I just called the lgs told me they will only return it as a used gun! If it is a true Colt mil spec I want to keep it. If not I feel that I have been mis lead. Can anyone please help with some quality info?
 
#2 · (Edited)
I never heard of a Colt 6900. So I looked at Colt's website. I didn't see it there. So off to Gunbroker.

I'm sure the critical areas are good to go, but it isn't exactly like a issued weapon either. It looks commercial in some ways.

What you should be concerned with is these things:
-MP tested bolt
-MP test barrel
-M4 ramp
-fire control pin diameter
-buffer tube diameter
-staked gas key

I doubt Colt made this thing with anything sub par, but I'd look to see what you have and go from there.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Colt isn't putting out much info on the 6900 Light Rifle, and it isn't even listed in the catalog.

From what I've been able to find out, the 6900 is an attempt to offer a lower priced Colt branded rifle to compete with "budget" rifles offered by other makers.
With a suggested retail of about $899, it's much cheaper then the LE6920 and will probably be sold through large retailers who want to offer a Colt alternative to the cheaper AR type rifles.

It "appears" (note the qualifier) that the rifle is assembled from parts not made by Colt, and I'm not sure Colt even assembles it, **BUT**..... the jury is still out on that. The rifle IS stamped "Colt Hartford" so it qualifies as a genuine Colt.

Again, it "appears" that the rifle is NOT made to Colt mil-spec standards, as befitting a budget rifle made to sell at a lower price.
This would only make sense considering the significantly lower price.

If this just isn't what you wanted, I'd be talking to the dealer who told me it was a mil-spec Colt, since they mis-represented what it is.
You LGS may not have deliberately mis-led you, it's probably the usual gun shop personnel wifferdill misinformation.
However, they DID sell you something based on faulty info. I'd have a chat with the boss at the LGS.
 
#5 ·
Nope.
Colt Defense makes AR rifles for the military and police, all to US military specs.

According to Brent Turchi of Colt, Colt Defense passes AR rifles "over the fence" to Colt Firearms for sales to commercial outlets.
So, the LE6920 Carbine you buy at Walmart is exactly the same mil-spec rifle your local police department buys if they buy semi-auto rifles.

Since Colt Defense can simply pull all parts from the same bins whether it's for a military, police, or a Walmart special it's actually less trouble and expense than running two supply streams.
Buy a Colt Defense AR you're getting mil-spec.

Per the above posts on the 6900, it appears Colt may be offering a non-mil-spec rifle or series of rifles, and these won't be coming out of Colt Defense.
 
#6 ·
The 6900 is in the 2013 catalog, just not pictured.

From my understanding the 6900 is Colt's "ORC"or"SRC" full flat top rifle that have become so popular as of late. It would obviously be on the lower end of the price point because it doesn't have any sights but everything else about it is classic Colt.
Specs per the catalog:

Model LE6900 (Not Pictured)
Caliber 5.56X45 NATO (.223 Rem)
Barrel Length 16.1"
Bore 6 Grooves, 1-8" RH Twist
Front Sight N/A
Rear Sight N/A
Extended Length 35.3"
Collapsed Length 32.1"
Weight 6.0 lbs
Action Direct Gas System, Locking Bolt
Finish Matte Black

I haven't gone hunting for more info and quite frankly I have stayed away from all of the speculation. I have only seen what I have read on the catalog and what little a friend reported from the Shot show. I don't remember him saying there was a 6900 there. May have been but the AR15A4 was what I was most interested in.

Hopefully the rifle that your local shop sold you is in fact a "real Colt" and isn't some parts gun or some such. Please post pics when you receive it so we know EXACTLY what the LE6900 is. :D
 
#11 ·
Yes.. Call me stupid but maybe interesting about the le6900. I know nothing about guns. I get a new son in law and promise him we will have two ar-15's before I die. Back in January or february of 2013 I HEAR the government may outlaw assault rifles. So I go to the local gun shop to purchase. I am told the price is way high because of the possible government restriction, yet if the government does restrict I will not get one. So I pay $1590.00 for the first, and order the second. I am now 8 months into waiting for the second le6900 and I hear from the gun shop that no matter how long I wait, I can not have a le6900.
 
#15 ·
I would have went with the SP6920, only difference between it and the LE6920 is the rollmark.

Colt 1st stopped making the LE marked 6920's but found a lot of law enforcement depts. didn't want to have a 6920 in stock marked "Sporter". They then dropped the Sporter, brought back the LE marked 6920 then went with the current "M-4" 6920.

I asked around a lot when I bought my 1st 6920 2 years ago, the SP versions were $200.00 bucks cheaper and being the same gun $200.00 was a lot of mags back then :p

The 6900 was a cheapo Colt tried selling right around the panic, people were desperate and it sold to guys who didn't know what it was. IIRR its made by Anderson Manufactoring

I'm surprised anyone still had the SP marked 6920's on stock, I would have thought the panic buying had dried them up
 
#16 ·
le6900

The colt le6900 is colts new line for law enforcement it is all colt and every part is colts highest standard of manufacturing if you think you have a knock off just call colt and give them your firearms number .i have this model and many others this is the ammo i use in my le6900 black hills mk62,,xm287 ball 68gr,,m855a1 62gr we call it green ammo,,and 5.6mm gw pat90 its made for a 1:10 twist these ammo's are 5.56 223 and 5.6mm they all very nice for the jobs i use them for
 
#17 ·
I believe these guns were made else where using the Colt logo. I took a look at some, and the roll marks are different. Are they milspec, not sure, but I am sure it can be had at the website. I want to say the guys that made the Colt Competition Rifles are the same makers of these Colt 6900.
 
#20 · (Edited)
I'm not sure what your case is, but as is very well known by now, the 6900 was an attempt by Colt to offer a lower priced rifle to compete with the cheaper rifles offered by other makers.
They intended to do this by having a lower end rifle built FOR them to be sold under the Colt name.

The 6900 was actually assembled by Anderson from non-Colt, non-mil-spec parts.
It had no ejection port cover, a trigger guard made in one piece with the lower, no forward assist, and a free-float hand guard.
The barrel was non-chrome lined, not magnetic particle inspected, and not a 1 in 7 twist.
The bolt was not magnetic particle inspected or shot peened to mil-spec standards.

For reasons Colt won't say, the 6900 was quickly dropped by the company and the remaining rifles unloaded through big distributors at discount prices.
Rumor, (and it's just a rumor) the reason Colt dropped the 6900 was resistance from the Colt UAW Union to having a non-Union built rifle sold by Colt.

So, Yes Colt cataloged and sold the 6900.
No, it was not built by Colt nor with Colt parts, and not to mil-spec standards.
It was a "budget" stripped down model built by an outside contractor from unknown source non-Colt parts, to be marketed by Colt.

For whatever reason, it was a failed experiment by Colt and was dropped.
 
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