Colt HBAR- approx value?

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FL-NC

FL-NC

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I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about the M16 family of rifles, technically speaking. I also consider myself relatively skilled with them. So I guess my knowledge and skill is more from a "user" standpoint. The one thing I never got smart about is "collector values" of these things. I really wish I still had my first- a SP1 Colt. Anyhow, a friend (non gun person) has recently come into possession of 2 of these HBAR Colts. They are in good condition, and have no bayonet lugs. This friend is considering selling them and asked me to help. From the gun show I went to last weekend, the ones I saw were wearing price tags in the $1600- $1800 range. I assume this is due to the little horsey on the receiver. I also noticed those rifles were still there when the show closed. As far as AR's go (as a "user"), I put no value in the horsey, but I guess some people do- my tastes run more towards companies like Larue and Daniel Defense. What would be a REALISTIC price tag for such HBAR rifles?
 
I just paid $2G for a minty one.....and then had to pay a local machine shop another $80 to turn and thread the barrel for the birdcage. :confused: I can live without the bayonet lug, and fitting one is a real PITA.

Buuuuuuttttt.....it came with an original Colt .22 conversion kit, Colt-branded scope and mount, a ton of extra real Colt marked 20 round mags and some ammo, so Id say $16-1800 for just the rifle is about right.

There is a LGS with an identical rifle asking $1999 too, but it hasnt sold at that price- not yet anyway.
 
I’d say $1500 is a good number, right now.

I paid $1400 for this one in 2015 that wore a Leo $900 scope and it shot 1” groups. But I wanted 1/2” groups so now it has a Krieger barrel.

So not an HBAR anymore. But it shoots lights out, and way faster and funner than a bolt gun! :)

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I've got one, too, that I've considered selling given the current prices. It's nothing I couldn't rebuild for about half of what I would likely get, with the exception of the horsey, which I don't care about.

My Cabelas had one last week... it was nowhere near collectable condition, it had a $2000 or $2200 hang tag on it. I take that with a grain of salt.

You also need to look and see if it has the receiver block... that goofy thing sticking up. Some have it, some don't. I have a Big Pin receiver, but it does not have the block... thank God.

Where these rifles have their value is in the states that still have an AWB... because anyone who wants to compete in service rifle has to find a pre-ban H-Bar to compete with. Like 1K suggests, look at GB's closed auctions and see what they have actually gone for.
 
FL-NC said:
Anyhow, a friend (non gun person) has recently come into possession of 2 of these HBAR Colts. They are in good condition, and have no bayonet lugs.
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Are these “blue box” big pin/blocked receivers? Or the last of the Green box ones without lug?
 
I had an have for a couple weeks back in 2008. Wish I still had it but only to sell it in the crazy market we are in, or the even crazier market during the ban panics. Last I looked, a nice original HBAR with the jumping jackass on the side was around 1400. More money with accessories. I built a similar rifle for $600 and had my fun. There is way too much money in the stamp on the side.
 
I have been keeping an eye on the values of Colt ARs recently and 14-1600 is an average asking price for one.

I think you could get one for $1200 with only a little luck
 
FL-NC said:
I will have to look- also, I'm learning a lot about HBARS here lol.
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If your getting a Colt for “Colt’s sake” it really doesn’t matter because your going to keep it Colt. If you want to mess with one, get a quality lower, you know will be milspec and most certainly less expensive.

Cliff note version is some of the civilian Colt’s have larger .174” diameter fire control group pins than the standard .154 pins on every thing else including non civilian Colt’s.

Some also have a larger diameter .312” pivot pin than the standard .250” pin. For the upper.

There are triggers for the large pin receivers as well as bushings and such to mate to the odd balls but I’d either keep them the way they came or avoid them.
 
First off, thanks for all the replies and assistance. I was able to get a second look at both of those rifles today and here is what I saw:
1- Marks = Colt Sporter MATCH HBAR S# 046XXX- this has the block contraption in the lower behind the hammer and a slotted screw on the lest side of the front pivot pin
2- Marks = Colt Sporter MATCH HBAR S# MH001XXX- this also has the slotted screw pivot pin on the left, but doesn't have the block in the lower.
Charlie98 said:
I've got one, too, that I've considered selling given the current prices. It's nothing I couldn't rebuild for about half of what I would likely get, with the exception of the horsey, which I don't care about.

My Cabelas had one last week... it was nowhere near collectable condition, it had a $2000 or $2200 hang tag on it. I take that with a grain of salt.

You also need to look and see if it has the receiver block... that goofy thing sticking up. Some have it, some don't. I have a Big Pin receiver, but it does not have the block... thank God.

Where these rifles have their value is in the states that still have an AWB... because anyone who wants to compete in service rifle has to find a pre-ban H-Bar to compete with. Like 1K suggests, look at GB's closed auctions and see what they have actually gone for.
Click to expand...

jmorris said:
Are these “blue box” big pin/blocked receivers? Or the last of the Green box ones without lug?
Click to expand...
 
Mine has big pins, block, screw-in front hinge pin, integral carry handle, A2sights, 20" heavy barrel, no bayo lug, and didnt come with a flash hider originally. Dont know if I hurt the value by adding the muzzle device, but I really dont care. The whole gun just looks wrong and unfinished without it.

IMG_20210622_221816_5.jpg
Ya, its a lot of money for an AR, but Ive got plenty of 16 and 18" guns already, and was going to do a 20" build anyway. It shoots great, is crazy accurate with irons, and has been %100 reliable so far.

I also like that its as close as I can get to a real A2 in civvy life. :)
 
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Not too long ago (maybe about seven years), one of our local LE supply stores was selling some WADOC trade-in Colt Nat'l Match HBARs (presumably tower guns for a prison that was closed) for as little as $700. The current prices I've noted have all been at least $1600, and I've seen a few tagged at over $2K.
Rubone said:
View attachment 1008526
Deals are out there if you are ready to jump when they appear. I bought a Pre-ban Sporter Target a couple years back in very nice condition with an original mag and a Leupold scope mount for $900. On top in the pic.
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Um, question: that second rifle down, looks like the cantilever mount (not a Burris PEPR?) is mounted backwards?
 
Boat anchor special.

The HBAR was Colt’s clever idea to get people to pay more for a barrel that cost them less to produce.
 
Back in the day, when Colt was producing the HBAR generation of guns, I wasn't interested in them, because by then there were plenty of aftermarket AR clones that were much closer to "mil-spec" than the Colt products. I still am not interested in the "emasculated" Colts.

Nevertheless, there are Colt fetishists that will pay good money for them. I can see someone asking (and getting) $2,000 for one.
 
JCooperfan1911 said:
Colt’s clever idea to get people to pay more for a barrel that cost them less to produce.
Click to expand...
Not entirely untrue, but not entirely fair, either.

Colt HBAR came out right about the time the notion that the pencil-barreled A1 would not group in competition. "Everyone" knew this. Few remembered to put in that said competition was by people using high sling pressure, or that the average shooter was not putting enough rounds downrange to heat the barrels to where they would start vertical stringing.

We also have to remember that there were two HBAR profiles, too. The USGI version was "heavy" only near the FSGB and out to the muzzle--basically where sling pressure was being applied. The Colt Version was a heavier profile for the entire length (ish). The barrel was still profiled, and it used a different barrel blank (with a different heat treat/heat cycling which had a major effect on barrel accuracy). Colt later added a version of the barrel with the M203 cut--"because it's Kwel." So, they saved no machining steps (and needed a whole batch of machine tools to the task).

Not long after that, free floating became the name of the game (if not for USGI versions).

The improved heat treatment for barrels moved into all barrel profiles by any number of vendors.

The HBAR is a unique snapshot in the history of ARs, something made in only limited scope, for reasons that were obvious at the time. This is what imputes the present high value to the Colt HBAR.
 
CapnMac said:
Not entirely untrue, but not entirely fair, either.

Colt HBAR came out right about the time the notion that the pencil-barreled A1 would not group in competition. "Everyone" knew this. Few remembered to put in that said competition was by people using high sling pressure, or that the average shooter was not putting enough rounds downrange to heat the barrels to where they would start vertical stringing.

We also have to remember that there were two HBAR profiles, too. The USGI version was "heavy" only near the FSGB and out to the muzzle--basically where sling pressure was being applied. The Colt Version was a heavier profile for the entire length (ish). The barrel was still profiled, and it used a different barrel blank (with a different heat treat/heat cycling which had a major effect on barrel accuracy). Colt later added a version of the barrel with the M203 cut--"because it's Kwel." So, they saved no machining steps (and needed a whole batch of machine tools to the task).

Not long after that, free floating became the name of the game (if not for USGI versions).

The improved heat treatment for barrels moved into all barrel profiles by any number of vendors.

The HBAR is a unique snapshot in the history of ARs, something made in only limited scope, for reasons that were obvious at the time. This is what imputes the present high value to the Colt HBAR.
Click to expand...
The barrel on mine is only "heavy" past the front site and the whole gun balances nicely, IMO.

If the measure of any barrel is accuracy, I certainly have no complaints. :thumbup:
 
I’ve always said if you want an AR that is not milspec, buy a Colt. Colt Manufacturing Co. LLC built ARs for the civilian market. They are good shooting rifles but have a lot of parts that are not compatible with milspec parts. Which parts will depend on when the rifle was made.
Colt Defense made M16s for military sales and also made the LEO ARs They were two different companies and the parts were made to different specs.
Is A Colt AR worth more then other ARs? Not really. There are companies that build better ARs then Colt did.
Will a Colt sale for more then most ARs? Yes, most often. This is due to the fact that there are a lot of people that will pay to ride the pony.
For the simple fact that people are willing to pay more for a gun with the Colt brand on it, they are worth buying for the investment. Colt HBARs average $1200 to $1600 like others here have said. But in the box unfired, they bring a premium.
 
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