Colt M16 Touch up Paint

[Chicken Men]

I have seen lots of factory Colts, M16 and AR-15's with areas of touch up paint from the factory. Usually by the bolt hold open latch roll pin. Is there paint like this available for this use or should the entire lower be Duracoated?

Thanks

CM

 

[tony k]

When Colt produces M16s, to them they are cranking out $800 guns. When the bolt hold-open catch pin is punched in, the process often scratches the lower, so they use touch-up paint to cover the scratch. It's one of those rites of passage, and actually one of the ways Colt fanatics recognize that the finish is original (no touch-up there means it has probably been refinished).

AFAIK, it's plain ol' black paint.

And as far as refinishing your lower, unless your M16 has less than 50% of the original finish left, redoing it in any finish will reduce the resale value of your RR. It's not unlike rebluing a 19th Century Colt Single-Action Army .45.

YMMV.