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Colt Match Target Rifles are
proven heirs of Colt's worldwide reputation for dependable and consistently accurate rifles.
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Model
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MT6731
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Name
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Match Target Competition HBAR
II
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Caliber
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.223 Rem
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Finish
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Black anodized receiver; Black
oxide barrel
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Action
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Semi Auto, Gas-Operated,
Locking Bolt
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Capacity
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9 rounds standard
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Barrel Length
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16" HEAVY
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Rifling Twist
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RH, 1 turn in 9"
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Rifling
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Grooves 6
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Trigger
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Smooth, Heavy
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Front Sight
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Adjustable Post for Elevation
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Rear Sight
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Adjustable out to 800 meters
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Sight Radius
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19.75"
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Weight
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8.5 lbs. (empty)
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Overall Length
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39"
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Special Features
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Flattop receiver allows for
low scope mounting.
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The Colt AR15 has been one of America's most controversial
rifles since its introduction during the Viet Nam War. People either love it or hate it, not too many in the middle. One of the
few things I can thank Bill Clinton for was his assault on rifles. I decided to get one before our liberal minded womanizer in the
White House ran Colt out of business. After a few trips to the range and hunting, I am truly impressed with the rifle and sorry I
waited so long to own one. Rapid fire does not impress me, but accuracy does.
My rifle is a Colt Match Target (flat top) with 16" heavy barrel with 1 in 9 twist. It has a removable handle so that a scope or
optical site can be easily mounted. It comes with match rear sights and regular front site. My eyes are not what they used to
be so I first opted for a Trijicon ACOG Reflex optical sight. This site is great for general use. You can order it with a mount for
either version of the AR15. The site is the "dot" type, not a cross hair and it has no magnification. My sight has a 7 minute
of angle orange dot, but can now be purchased with a 3 MOA dot for more precise aiming. A tritium lamp powers the dot in
low light conditions, with no batteries required and it has no off/on switch like most dot sights During day light, the dot is
power by fiber optics absorbing the surrounding light.
After a couple of trips to the range, I couldn't help but wondering how accurate the rifle was, so I decided to mount a scope on
the rifle for some target work. Finding a set of mounts for the flat top AR15 presents a challenge. Where could I get a set of
mounts high enough for a correct sight picture? Even with a tall set of mounts, the scope is still too low to easily look through. The answer is a set of see-through mounts
(mine are Redfield) that is usually seen on only deer rifles. The extra height brings the scope up to a
comfortable height. NOTE: Some people worry about the front sight blocking the view of the scope unless
the scope is mounted above the front sight. Actually, this is of no concern. Your mounts for the scope
need to bring the scope to the same height as the iron sights, or to a comfortable height for viewing
through the scope. The scope will "look around" the front sight even if the front sight extends up to cross
hair level of the front lenses. I mounted a Leupold VXIII 3.5x10 for accuracy testing.
On the first trip to the range I was hoping for one MOA groups or 1" at a 100 yards. After a few zero shots
to get on target, I tried a load that shot well in my Kimber M84 bolt action. I could not believe what was
happening on the next few shots. The AR15 was shooting under one inch for the first five shots!!! This was
an off the rack gun, not some custom job. The hard part of shooting the rifle accurately was dealing with
the trigger. It broke pretty cleanly, but it must have been 8-10 pounds. Needless to say, I had to work on
the trigger. I looked around the Internet and talked to a few people and decided to replace the factory
trigger assembly with one made by JP Enterprises. I installed it myself with the excellent instructions
provided with the trigger. Took about an hour or so. The JPE trigger is completely adjustable, takes all the
creep out and breaks like glass. I set it to fire with about 3 lb. of pull. Now back to the range for the next
round of tests. The new trigger now lets me consistently shoot 1/2 MOA groups with handloads. It loves
Sierra 53 gn match HP's with 26.5 grains of H335.. On a recent prairie dog hunt, MR. President couldn't
believe how the AR15 would reach out there with the heavy barreled varmint rifles in the 250-300 yard
range. One great thing that we noticed on the PD hunt is that the recoil is so light, the scope doesn't move
off the target. You see the bullet hit the target through the scope.
Another great replacement accessory is the Pachmayr grip. It is thicker from front to back and positions
the hand farther to the rear. The result is proper finger placement on the trigger, and improved trigger control.
I know some of you will not believe the groups sizes, and I may not be able to shoot those groups on my
next trip to the range, but I now have total confidence in that rifle. I will trust it on the next hunt and I will
trust it if I ever have to defend myself with it. It is more accurate than I am, and after shooting
approximately 2000 rounds of different types of ammo, both factory and handloads, it has never misfired or
jammed. It's a shame that Bill Clinton has robbed future generations of this fine rifle. JOIN THE NRA TODAY!!
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