#colt 723

[goatsludge]

Delta Force Colt 723 Clone

Been meaning to pick up an Aluminum CAR15 Stock for this build for ages, I've just been putting it off due to sticker shock at what the replicas tend to cost.

Finally got one in from JSE Surplus and I gotta say, this has a way better feel than the B5 Polymer CAR Stock I had on there prior - a Cherokee Cheekrest and John Masen Recoil Pad also fits on much more cleanly than the latter as well.

While there's plenty of references of Delta using Aluminum CAR Stocks, there sadly aren't any close-up enough to show whether they used them with the cheekrest/recoil pad combo that I've set mine up with.

On the same token, both those items were common enough in the unit at the time that I can play the plausible deniability card.

[goatsludge]

Delta Force - Colt Model 723 (Clone, semi-WIP)

A2 Upper with Field Sights (A1E1/C7)*

Colt Commercial A2 Lower*

Lone Star Ordnance Stowaway 2 Grip

Oldgen Boonie Packer/Johnson Redi-Mag Mk.1

Colt 'N1' Retractable Buttstock w/ John Masen Recoil Pad and Cherokee CAR15 Cheek Riser

M4 Profile Barrel w/ 6-Hole 'Skinny' Handguards

Custom 'Gangster Grip' with Oldgen Surefire Laser Products 660 Light

Aimpoint 5000 w/ Leupold Vertical Split Rings, Modified MGW Carry Handle Scope Base

AIM-1/D Designator (IR Laser) on PAQ-4 M16A1/A2 Mounting Bracket

OD General Purpose Strap, Modified with Paracord Loops

*This upper is from Tony's Customs and is somewhat of a placeholder while I'm waiting to receive a more clone-correct one with Colt proofmarks and no forge marking.

*Technically, my lower is a Colt Match Target lower and not a true Commercial M16A2, but it still has the correct A2 buffer tower profile and the Redi-Mag hides all sins.

Setup accurate for the 1993-1996 period.

[goatsludge]

Trying out different cable management on the 723

Not sure if the reference photo actually shows a velcro wrap like I used, it could be something else entirely.

Either way, this position is more comfortable to use instead of having both switches on one side of the grip since I can just rotate my thumb up and hit the laser switch.

[goatsludge]

Another recent addition to my Delta 723 Clone

In order to mount an old Laser Bracket and still be able to use the Weaver Scope Mount, unit guys would drill two extra holes on the carry handles of their CAR15's with corresponding threads tapped on the weaver mount.

These screws would allow the laser bracket to install in its usual method of a raised peg through the default optic mounting hole.

In order to do this, I had a few custom 3D-printed jigs made that allow me to mark the spots for drilling on both the carry handle and the weaver mount, respectively. They also work well as single-use drilling jigs.

Drilled the front hole on the upper slightly off center sadly, but not because of the jigs, but because of my sucky-ass drill press. Probably could have done it straighter by hand, but a bit of widening with a needle file fixed it right up.

This isn't the upper that's going to be on the final final build anyway, so I'll do better once I get the upper with slightly more kosher markings in.

[goatsludge]

(Redoing this as a separate post since the original post i reblogged from was kinda long) Some closeups on the Delta 723 Carbine Build with Gangster Grip, Aimpoint 5000, and AIM-1/D Laser on an old PAQ-4 Carry Handle Bracket. The lower was from intlmilco for those curious, and I was originally disappointed cause it came out more purple than grey, but one of the reference photos I've been using for this build (3rd pic above) appears to show a purple lower as well, so no harm, no foul.

That being said, eventually I should get a black anodized lower with A1-style buffer tube reinforcements to make this build just a hair more kosher since A4/M4 profile reinforcements weren't seen on these rifles. Will probably either have intlmilco make another one or I might just shell out the cash for a pre-ban lower and hide the incorrect markings with a redi-mag.

But for now, this is sendable.

[goatsludge]

IT Lasers Inc. AIM-1/DLR Aiming Designator

In most of the post-1993 photos of Delta using the AIM-1 series lasers on the Model 723 Carbine, the DLR model seems to be the most common over the original AIM-1/D.

The DLR can be identified by the extended guard protruding from the diode window (however, some of the early DLR models had the same flat glass diode window as the original AIM-1/D model.) This feature allows it to mount an accessory lens cap or a special blue diffuser cap with a variable density aperture (both of which are sadly missing with my example).

The unit I received also came with a PVS-4 rail grabber mount, which with some examples, were machined with a wider countersink and a custom slot to fit the laser in place of the typical carry handle/bracket adapter block.

Admittedly, my unit is in much poorer aesthetic condition than my AIM-1/D, but both work equally the same, and really I was just after the proper remote cable that the DLR kit came with.

My unit was assembled August 1995 and inspected on Christmas of the following year.

^AIM-1/D vs AIM-1/DLR

[goatsludge]

EVIL world gangster contraptions with deadly LASERS and shoulder things that go up!!!

[goatsludge]

intlmilco (above) vs Tony's Customs (below) A1E1 Uppers

While the differences aren't too remarkable, there are fine details that make the intlmilco upper more "clone correct", as it were.

The main difference is that it lacks the Anchor Harvey forge mark, or any forge marks for that matter, which is consistent with Delta 723 uppers, and faux Colt inspection proofmarks have been stamped forward of the ejection port.

The flashes from the forging and machining process are consistent with those on Colt uppers.

And finally, there isn't a weird drain hole below the rear sight screw, which the TC uppers have for some reason.

On top of all this, I was told this upper was anodized at the same facility Colt uses, making it as close to an original Colt A1E1 as possible without actually being a Colt.

I've already gone ahead and drilled the carry handle for a 2-screw MGW Mount, and next I'll swap the dust cover and barrel onto the new upper.