For those with a taste for true classics, this Gunbroker auction might be worth a look. Up for sale is a factory original Colt 601 machine gun in excellent condition. In its fully transferable form, this rifle is a pristine example of some of the AR-15s that left the Colt factory in 1962. Of course, a unique specimen like an original Colt 601 carries a price tag that reflects its rarity. With a starting bid of $90K and a buy-it-now price of $100K, this machine gun is reserved for those with plenty of disposable income.

Details and information are listed below.

Gunbroker: Colt 601 Machine Gun All Original M16 AR15 A1 M-16

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/784046911

Offering a fully transferrable Colt 601 AR-15 in excellent condition, serial number 111xx. This is a select fire machine gun. This is the first version of the AR-15 produced by Colt. This is ALL ORIGINAL FACTORY PARTS including a 1 in 14″ twist barrel. There are no replacement parts on this rifle, this is exactly the way that it left Colt. This rifle was made around 1962.

The Model 601 was the first “AR15 Model” produced by Colt. Manufacturing started in December of 1959, with the first 300 rifles being produced, and continued until the summer of 1963. Changes made by Colt in the production process would include; painting the furniture green (after approx 100 were made), different roll markings, and changing the aluminum alloy from 7075 to 6061. Less then 14,500 were produced, with serial numbers in the 101-14,484 range. The bulk of the rifles went to the US Military with 8,500 going to the Air Force, 1,000 going to the Army for evaluation in project AGILE, and a handful going to the Navy SEALs. The rest went in very small numbers to police departments, and to foreign militaries such as Australia, Burma, India, Malaya, and Singapore. Many of the components found on the 601 were “Prototypes”, and were unique to that only that model.

There are only a handful of transferrable Colt 601’s with most of the production going to the US and foreign militarys. Of the few transferable 601’s in the United States – this may be the only one that’s all original and unmolested.

I would judge that it has been fired a few times as the internals and buffer show little to no wear. Another good place to look for wear is inside the mag well, and it’s clear that there is little to no wear in that area too.

This is a factory built machine gun, not a conversion. Many M16’s on the market are converted semi-autos that were ‘drilled out’ before the 1986 ban. This was a machine gun from day one, and this is how it left the factory in 1962.

The rifle is in overall excellent condition and has a excellent bore. Don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime oppurtunity! I am a class 3 dealer and this is in dealer inventory, meaning that it’s ready to ship tax free to a class 3 dealer in your state. I will E-file the paperwork, and the transfer time to your dealer is only 3 or 4 days presently. This comes with one original Colt 601 20 round mag, original 601 sling, and will ship insured for the final auction value.

Information and Images Source/Credit: Gunbroker.com