The Amazing Colt Delta Elite HBAR AR15 - Accuracy Edition

[@JR15A2]

This was the first rifle I ever bought as a young man in 1986 at an Eastman gun show at the George R. Brown convention center in Houston, TX. I still have it to this day, and it will still shoot .75 MOA groups at 100 yards with 69-77gr match ammo. It's the most valuable firearm (to me) in my collection and would be the last rifle I would ever sell.

[@armstrong2052]

That's when I was born! And when we lost our beloved new automatic rifles.

[@JR15A2]

Yep, I remember those dark times very well. Our community had nowhere near the level of support that we do now, and we're lucky that's all we lost, no thanks to the super fudd NRA. @@armstrong2052

[@DaveL9170]

Since you got it in 1986 hopefully you filed a MG Form 1 on it

[@JR15A2]

Nope, it was the summer of 86 and I was barely organized enough to find my way downtown without a mini supercomputer with GPS in my hand at the time. @@DaveL9170

[@JR15A2]

Yep, thanks to the NRA.@@armstrong2052

[@DK-gy7ll]

In the late 1980s the anti-gunners weren't going after semi-autos yet, but rather those that could "easily be converted" to full auto. That's why Colt thought the sear block would shut them up. Well it didn't, because by the 1990s the anti-gunners weren't just after full-auto conversions, but all semi-autos as well.

[@brianchamberlin4781]

I ordered a Colt HBAR from John Jovino Guns , in NYC. It was 1985, and was on a waiting list for the Marine Corps contract to be completed. My HBAR isn't neutered, and is very early in the run. I still have it, and it will outshoot many rifles that are much newer.

[@TacShooter]

I bought one for $1111 back in 1988. Then I purchased a surplus AN-PVS-2A Starlite Scope for it for $1695. One of my squadron's machinists modified the included mount for it because the A2 carry handle is beefier than the A1's. Sold both not long after to help finance a venture. Really liked the rubber armored Tasco scope. I read at the time that Colt would test fire 100 AR15A2's and pick out the two most accurate specimens, then turn them into Deltas. The aluminum case it came in looked like the aluminum coffins I saw dead Canadian Special Forces shipped out in when their C-130 crashed at Fort Wainwright, Alaska's airfield in early 1989, during the Brimfrost exercise, where temperatures dropped to -52 deg to -89 deg F (depending on the source). IIRC, the Stockton - Purdy shooting in 1989 adversely affected the distribution of this rifle?

[@marvinmartiani1337]

Hellova story pal. You got any good ones from band camp?

[@TacShooter]

@@marvinmartiani1337 What's your beef? That you had to read something for a change?

[@Mockturtlesoup1]

@@TacShooter pretty sure he was just making a joke at the end. He wasn't being sarcastic when he said, "helluva story."

[@jason200912]

Crazy for a scope to be more expensive than the rifle. I know 15k was enough for a down payment for a decent 3 bed house in a major city.

[@ryanpc2]

If I recall (I think it was Small Arms Solutions video on the Delta Elites), the Colt factory would look for rifle barrels that had really good groupings and set them aside from the other factory rifles so that they could put them in the Delta Elites instead. It really is a cool piece of 80s history and I hope to own one one day. I like how complete yours is with the history behind it and the box/accessories with it.

[@FeatheredDino]

I never knew Colt put that red triangle symbol on anything other than their Delta Elite 10mm 1911! Learned something interesting.

[@artgee2270]

Nostalgic Colt Rifle. Had a Match Target HBAR that was one of my favorite rifles from that era. You perfectly described the love hate relationship between Colt and the civilian market during that time. Colt shenanigans would fare worse in today's market. There are dozens and dozens of other AR manufacturers to choose from today. Retro is in. I wonder when H&R will clone this rifle?

[@Wabbitsw]

I love that I don't have to like what you like in a rifle to enjoy your content. What I enjoy watching is your excitement, how your eyes light up when you've got something you thing is really really cool.

[@jackvliet]

You gay?

[@ds5503]

The pointer gets me every time.

[@ReubenOaks84]

Colt really seemed reluctant to offer civilian AR's and neutered them horribly, they really only wanted government contracts, which assisted in their demise

[@isaacfreeman8860]

Funny thing about this rifle. It was used by the USMC during the Invasion of Panama

[@davidpittman9664]

My service weapon was an M16-A2 starting in 1993 while in boot camp at Ft. Knox, KY. That continued with my duty station in Germany. Very retro piece

[@Eli-pf5og]

Great vid, I have a neutered HBar marked “Match HBAR” that I got in the early ‘90s. Great shooting gun, unfortunately it spends most of its time in the cabinet. I need to get it out more!

[@chrischiampo7647]

Thanks For Sharing This Awesome Piece of History MAC

[@gprojectnoob4779]

I use to have a Sporter Match HBAR. Other then the large pin trigger and front pins it was a great gun, oh and the AWB sear block. I still have that same exact 3-9x 40 except i removed the rubberized covering and painted it OD.

[@ThePckupelan]

Never seen delta elite in person, only in books. Thanks for bringing this up. Keep em comin

[@johnhannahM2.0]

I had a 1993 Colt Match HBAR with an Arms mount and a 3-9 Leupold VX2 50 mm. It would shoot no better than 1.5" MOA with 68 gr. Hornady BTHP handloads. There is a big difference in accuracy in factory guns from that era and good builds of today. My DMR build shoots well under an inch MOA with 55 grain V-max loads.

[@JR15A2]

I've been able to get 1.5" 5 shot groups at 200 yards from the R6600DH I bought in 1986. I recall quite a few other people reporting MOA accuracy out of the old HBAR models over the years, too.

[@edduran5330]

Colt Delta also has its upper proofing stamps just forward and above the ejection port

[@thePrussian]

That aluminum box reminds me of the old coolers my grandpa would use as a fish cooler when I was young.

[@ErikKaiserprotongeek]

I remember when that rifle came out the Delta Elite series with the 1911 as well I had bought my first a2h bar back in 85 or 86 I can't remember

[@matthewrutherford6164]

That was an awesome video I will be continuing to watch the gauntlet videos love the torture test videos.

[@charlesmullins3238]

Here I just pulled the old vid up yesterday mac…lol..love it

[@charlesmullins3238]

And I live in Floyd co Ky….lol this shit keeps gettin more weird by the minute

[@dgax65]

I had one in the early 90s. The reason I got it was because I already had a Delta Elite 10mm pistol. I just saw the Delta Elite HBAR at the gun store and made an impulse buy. I hate that I sold both of those guns, but that's what you do when you're young and always looking for something newer and cooler.

[@jason200912]

Colt hbar is only worth 1600 now so you did fine it's not like you sold a valuable polytech or a full auto or a set or a gewehr

[@Dannymurmaid]

2006 iraq, I had my optic mounted on top of a carry handle. Definitely helped due to all the bulky body armor at that time.

[@donwyoming1936]

I think every Colt I bought in the late 80s had an ARMS mount in the box. I've got quite a few now. 🤠

[@rkbyrd4432]

Thanks for the overview. I have to kick myself - hard. Back in '95 or '96 I had a chance to by a matched set of the AR and the 1911. I couldn't justify going into savings for the set at the time. I should have bitten the proverbial bullet and put them on a CC. I later got a neutered Sporter Match HBAR that I have and love to this day. The receiver is unmilled (still filled in) in the rear area and the bayo lug is missing. Smooooth running rifle, just like you said.

[@436jcarr]

I wanted one of those and the matching Delta Elite 10mm pistol so bad. I ended up getting a standard HBAR that I still shoot today (heavily updated in the intervening years).

[@ahiraband3939]

Still kicking myself way back then had a chance to buy one of those for 800 bucks and passed on it.

[@mtgAzim]

That's a neat dagger. You should look into Todd's stuff if you haven't already. He's got some really cool daggers, swords, knives and so on. One of his stores is for really high end expensive stuff, and then the cutlery shop is for more normally priced items. And he also has a really great youtube channel.

[@rustyknifelover4463]

Great information, thank you.

[@stackscustominc1]

i cloned this gun back in late 90's using a colt hbar, colt cheek riser, one of the colt carry handle scope mounts that goes strait to 30mm rings and an early Leopold mk4. it was an amazing shooter

[@ChrisFowlerNH]

I own an almost exact copy in Bushmaster (1980's). I found the lowest rise rings I could for the scope but damn, having that original configured scope with the rail as part of it? I need to research one of those.

[@jessicasimp4459]

And according to Chris of Small Arms Solutions… having a heavier barrel extends the life of a barrel to handle lots of full auto firing, up to 900 rounds or more.

[@SmallArmsSolutions]

In the case of full auto fire, the heavy barrel can double the rate of failure in a destruction test. The standard M4 barrel will fire 45 or so rounds before failure, the heavy SOCOM barrel will last over 900 before failure. Similar in 20 in barrels. However, in the case of the HBAR, this was done for the purpose of accuracy.

[@jojohuckmeister2771]

I recent received my first Colt HBAR from my late grandfather's collection. I have been trying to find more info on them, but have noticed that the bull barrel isn't threaded. I would love to know why. But thank you for the content.

[@charlesmullins3238]

Some match ones wasn’t I recon…that 1 be even cooler to me

[@jamesweaver9636]

Love when you feature 80s firearms! Nice ol’ girl.

[@bubbacop]

So I bought a delta hbar back in 1988 and came in aluminum case and all. My delta stickers on the grips have come off long ago and we’re just stickers. I noticed on the video at about 10:11 that his appear to stick up some. I bout the colt 10mm delta medallions but are 1”8 thick. I’m wondering if anyone had same issue as me and were able to use the thicker medallions.

[@404tactical7]

Really cool rifle. Thanks for the informative video. I graduated from high school in 1989 in Floyd County Indiana- what a coincidence 🤘🤘

[@thehedgeknightnc3681]

Beautiful aircraft. I spent many a day doing HST ops under the E as a Red Patcher. RAH.

[@snugglezbrah5558]

Kensight makes the carry handle mounts too in that style. Maryland Gun Works also makes the old delta style mount still. You just have to call them and order by phone.

[@jessicasimp4459]

Dear Tim of MAC, do a recap video on the Heckler & Koch HK33 because that would be great if you go deeper into the history of the HK33. For instance, the HK33 had the possible chance of being adopted by the US, thanks to Harrington & Richardson and the HK33 being the closest possible answer to what if the M16 were to not exist. And yes that now the HK33 becomes my current top favorite gun in general.

[@vinceruland9236]

My Sporter Hbar is identical to your Delta Elite, minus the DE features. Mine has the shaved bayonet lug, A1 slabside lower, and no sear block. Early 6601. Not sure when they switched to A2 lowers.

[@irafowlerjr.7492]

Fantastic, really enjoyed, thanks

[@petesheppard1709]

I remember the Delta Elite ads in actual print magazines, where the AR was paired with the Colt Delta Elite 10mm 1911. Do you have one of the pistols? That would also be a great video topic!

[@WORRO]

Excellent video Brother. Thumbs up ~John

[@wilsonwagner4446]

My 20” Sporter 2 shoots excellent with its government profile bbl. My rifle loves the federal fusion 62gr stuff for some reason. Probably because my father fed it nothing but yellow box Norinco 55gr ammo until he passed the rifle down to me on my 18th birthday lol. Definitely need one of those H&R mounts!

[@sinner8236]

Hey Tim. You once did a review of Polish beryl. As a member of the Polish arms community, I would like to ask you to review the new Polish MSBS Grot carbine, which FSB Radom sells to Ukraine and which is quite well assessed by their armed forces and our territorial defense. Is it already available on the civilian market in the US? Greetings from Poland.

[@fluff2001]

Anyone know why the sound of the rifle is so much more silent than the normal very loud explosion sound of each round ? It sounds just like a small click ( as if a suppressor is on the barrel ) .... Maybe it is normal loud explosion if you are there in person vs just being recorded on video ? Anyone know ??

[@Tx_TitanXD]

Do you think you will discuss what is going around the the A2 community on what's going on between Colt and CZ?

[@bobbygray496]

If you upgrade the trigger to a Geissele SSA-E trigger and use quality match ammo it will shoot 1/2 MOA all day long. I fired a 100-6x rapid fire sitting in a military match at 100 yards....with 52 grain Miwall match white box. Geissele has the large pin Colt triggers. They are the only outfit that sells match triggers for the Colt HBAR series of rifles!

[@charlesludwig9173]

I can sometimes get half MOA from my match conditioned AR I use in US Service Rifle Competition and my scores with it have been good enough to earn the US Distinguished Rifleman Badge. I also have had a few HBARs but without fitting a float tube these rifles would not get close to a half minute from sling supported position. At any rate, your post aroused my curiosity enough to ask for some details on your marksmanship training, how you get consistent tight sling tension, and what sort of sight picture you are using to get the great results you are reporting. Seems to me the results would assure High Master Classification and enough X-Ring hits to win a lot of matches. Makes me want to know your secrets.

[@bobbygray496]

@@charlesludwig9173 Use a handstop under your handguard...there is a way to mount one...using the front sling support puts pressure on the barrel and affects your accuracy. Also my Delta clone loves 69 grain SMK match ammo. Try it....and you will find out that I am right!

[@bobbygray496]

@@charlesludwig9173 I forgot to mention that you attach the front sling mount to the handstop with a qd attachment. You mount the handstop thru the holes of the handguard....there is just enough room to do this without touching the barrel....it can be done...that way nothing is putting pressure on the barrel and you will get 1/2 groups at 100 yards with 69 grain SMK bullets.

[@bobbygray496]

Here is what you need: AR15 A2 HANDGUARD SLING STUD ADAPTER BIPOD MOUNT. a handguard, with a QD mount for your front sling attachment!

[@lfaktore]

I still have my pops’ colt marked ar15 sporter match hbar… currently being converted to a Gordon carbine 😊

[@toddschutter6535]

I don't have the Delta package, But I do have a really early HBAR. It is very accurate. Probably because it still has the bayonet Lug, LOL!

[@goatman67al]

Another great video

[@giborchayil]

I had a large pin Comifornia edition HBar, not the Delta, but I can attest to it's accuracy!!!

[@luloadventure]

Hi Tim, is that Optic SFP? Very interesting Rifle, thank you for sharing.

[@scottdoran3112]

...outstanding video, you should bumpstock that a2 in honor of Colts forward thinking.

[@armstrong2052]

I dont know why, but that delta grip is the fkn coolest thing ever. I can't believe i haven't seen them before and nobody is making replicas.

[@JR15A2]

They were just cheap stickers that quickly fell off with any use, unfortunately.

[@armstrong2052]

@JR15A2 Oh, I think their symbol is cool. That's lame it falls off. As a pairing on a wall display, the pistol and rifle together would look awesome imo. 👌

[@chipsdubbo5.56]

Good looking rifle!!!

[@jeffshootsstuff]

It would have been interesting to see the HBAR profile. I'm curious whether it's thicker than my Windham Bushmaster HBAR which is crazy chonky.

[@chlebowg]

I have a R6600 A2 HBAR Sporter, not neutered. I does like BH Mk262 77gr OTM.

[@brazzy1467]

I have my dad's colt Delta Elite HBAR. Now he had bought it from a former Memphis Police Officer when my dad was a Memphis Firefighter. But the rifle has the fixed 4x power optic and there is no letter from Colt. So I can contact Colt and get a letter from them for the serial number I have?

[@cman10345]

Shout out from Floyd county Indiana!

[@glockcam]

That’s funny. My Chinese under folder was imported by Sile when they were in NY

[@Berzilla]

I looked for that scope mount and it was not there ,I would like to get one for my SP1

[@stackscustominc1]

that's bad ass, my polytech underfolder is a sile import

[@jockobacumbo623]

Great video! If you were to put a different scope on it, what magnification would you choose?

[@peterbaptiste6278]

Can say that hand load 77 grn will give you a one hole five round group at 100. Great rifles!

[@charlesmullins3238]

I’d like to handload for it…my 55gr blitzkings all touch from a plain ol 16” doublestar with 3x9 Nikon ar optics bdc standard trigger…

[@Cooper_Outdoors]

Heavy barrels 😎 like grandpa with the heaviest/hotest loads we can do! The barrel will take the heat of repeat mag dumping on targets 😎 good videos buddy!

[@thebronzetoo]

I remember this piece!!

[@OhioGentlemenArms]

I recently bought a preban hbar. It’s at the top of my favorites. It doesn’t have that cool triangle.

[@TwistedOff]

I purchased a delta elite in 1990. It has no barrel markings. We’re all deltas 223 or 5.56. I’ve only fired 223, but I have a case of 5.56 ammo. Is it safe to fire the 5.56? I found it strange to have no barrel markings at the end to under the barrel hand guards.

[@steven-k.]

I had one on order, but I never got it because after the Bush import ban, Colt's stopped selling AR-15s to civilians for about a year and a half, they would only sell them to the police, and that rifle is dated during that period. They did briefly make some Delta HBARs out of Colt Sporter HBARs starting in late 1990, but by that point I had given up waiting and I found a 6601 and bought the Tapco scope separately. I sold that gun, but I bought another one in 1998 which I've still got. Yeah, accuracy is not that amazing, I had mine rebarrelled with a DCM type match barrel. In-between I had a Colt LW Sporter, which was actually more accurate than the HBAR, and this was the point where I realized that heavy barrels don't help with accuracy at all. (The Deltas were selected during test firing at the factory based on their accuracy, apparently.) As far as the receiver block goes, that wasn't an attempt by Colt's to be politically correct, ATF had a tendency of accusing people of owning MGs if they had any M16 parts in the gun at all. Colt's modified the guns to make it really difficult to use any M16 parts. There were cases of people using FA carriers in the gun and ATF greased them up to make them double, all kinds of shady stuff. Eventually, one of the cases was appealed in Georgia, and the ruling was that the gun had been assembled and intended to function as a semiautomatic rifle and the judge criticized ATF. After that, ATF gave up on those cases. But there were a lot of those cases, especially in Washington State.

[@stickfighter1038]

Agree the Colt HBAR AR15 is a classic.

[@NHDude]

Bought a PSA A2/A4 clone and put a rail in the handle to mount a bugbuster scope (I'm poor). It's a tack driver but heavy boi, would not want to run a course with it.

[@Maine307]

soo, in 1998, while iw as in the Marines, issued my M16a2.. What barrel was I using? The Hbar? just like that one? or was that a totally different barrel.. 1998 - US Marine. Service Rifle M16a2.. barrel type? ..ps..thanx for the memories..

[@joebrown8873]

Government profile.

[@oldesertguy9616]

The HBars we got for our police department also had a red plastic wedge that tightened the fit between upper and lower. It fit in the area around the rear takedown pin.

[@RangerPhantomSAS]

Awesome. I remember those as a kid in the day. ❤

[@Cincinnatis]

Love modern stuff but something about a classic gives me the fizz.

[@jakewolf079]

Nice dagger

[@92naz32]

I still have a Colt HBAR I picked up in the early "90's. I converted the rifle to compete in NRA/CMP service rifle matches by modifying the hand guards free floating the barrel, having the front sling swivel removed (swivel on float tube), replacing the front sight post with a NM version, 1/4 moa adhustable rear sight, and installing a two stage RR trigger that had been polished. I did not replace the barrel and this was still a 1 moa rifle with the right load. Maybe I got lucky with the barrel, but for a chrome lined unit it did great until about a dozen or so years ago when the chrome started to come apart due to the high round count. Even now with a degraded barrel it still was capable of 1.5 moa before it became "Queen of the Safe" about ten years ago. I would like to replace the barrel, but where do I even find a new Colt HBAR barrel???

[@steven-k.]

From Colt's. Presumably they don't make them anymore, but there are lots of people who rebarrelled the rifle for CMP and don't need their old barrel.

[@fatcat3211]

This rifle makes me think Golgo 13.

[@damiensachar1630]

Can you do a colt HBAR Elite Car-a3?

[@ivanrodriguez8966]

That thing looks ridiculous. I want it.

[@ianray8823]

If we keep on this retro rifle direction eventually Guntubers will have to do reviews on VHS

[@ricks.1092]

Wonder who the forger was on Tim's example? Looked like a "M" on the right side of the carry handle, by the rear sight.

[@SmallArmsSolutions]

Martin Marietta

[@ricks.1092]

@@SmallArmsSolutions Thanks for the info,.

[@austinhughes1924]

That’s the kind of rifle I want.

[@TuckerDale89]

Not gun related, but who made the dagger pointer

[@charlesludwig9173]

Glad that someone invented the Picatinny Rail.

[@georgediaz882]

How do we go about contacting colt for paperwork like that?

[@steven-k.]

If you go on their website, you can order a historical letter. They won't do them for US property marked guns though.

[@vermontvermont9292]

I like my RRA A4 HBAR .

[@colbysicecream]

Have you tested it with a binary trigger or select fire?

[@craigslyst]

Sile Distributers building is now Hogan's Alley Paintball and Airsoft

[@newdefsys]

The Delta Elite HBAR was an instant legend the moment it came out. Everybody _knew_ _a_ _guy_ that had one and it was always an epic encounter to see one in the wild.

[@ADRay1999]

Question for ya, since you’re a bit of a lever action rifle fan do you own a Savage 99?

[@michaelmeyers1827]

With mag pul accesorys

[@Usmc0341]

I have one of these still, i usually get jokes cracked about my “ ancient rifle” by my buddies with their new age, latest and greatest, UNTIL we start shooting for groups, then i hear silence 😂😂

[@craigslyst]

Big Gun Store

[@michaelcoursey8614]

I used to cut grass with a 22

[@BornAgain2019]

Great museum piece. In this case evolution is a good thing. Great review though.

[@charlesludwig9173]

Colt did not really understand or care to produce a real match conditioned rifle that would produce the sort of accuracy desired by US Service Rifle Competitors. A two stage trigger, quarter minute sights, and a float tube would have done it. Instead, Bushmaster, DPMS, and Rock River came to the aid of shooters desiring a factory match conditioned rifle. The bottom- line is the Match Target Colt’s were “match” in name only, not at all an indication for needed performance to compete in any sort of CMP or NRA governed US Service Rifle Competition.

[@Nuarmy]

Thats what she said at 8:02