Ar15 Serial Number

What year was Colt AR15 serial number SP147007 manufactured?? - Answered by a verified Firearms Expert. That AR-15 Sporter was made in the 1969-1970 time frame. I can get you pricing if you know the Model number SP-1, R6000, etc. Philip Van Cleave, Firearms Instructor. Colt AR15 Serial Number Database? This is a discussion on Colt AR15 Serial Number Database? Within the M16 AR15 forums, part of the Rifle Forum category; Does anyone know of a reliable serial number database for Colt AR-15's? AR-15 Rifles Questions including 'What is the value of a Colt ar15 model sp1 serial sp204269' and 'How does the buffer work on an AR-15 rifle'.

UPDATED AS OF 3-28-2018

Q: What does my serial number mean?

A: Nothing is more frustrating than to know little or nothing about the firearm you own or are about to buy. Use the information in this page to help determine when your Olympic Arms firearm was produced. Please read THE ENTIRE PAGE before writing or calling for more information. Most of your questions can be answered with the following information.

FIRE: The Reason for our Limited Information Database:
As many of you already know, on the 7th of June, 2000, Olympic Arms experienced a devastating fire that destroyed our assembly area, inventory space, and sales offices. In those offices were housed our current as well as archival records with regards to manufacture, acquisition and distribution of firearms. The books that we, as well as all federally licensed firearms dealers are required to keep are commonly known as 'Bound Books', or 'A&D' (acquisition & distribution) books.

These books, over 25 years of Olympic Arms history and data (to that date), were completely and 100% destroyed in that fire. All A& D book records prior to the 7th of June, 2000 are GONE. Period. Agents of the BATFE were on site as the ashes cooled to verify that these records were inb afct destroyed. This is an unfortunate situation that severely limits our ability to provide product information for any and all firearms produced by Olympic Arms including AR-15 lower receivers and/or complete AR products, as well as bolt-cation rifles and receivers, as well as Safari Arms 1911 handguns and frames manufactured and sold prior to that date.
What we CAN Provide:
As a result all that we can provide is what you see below, a date 'range' in which your serial number was manufactured.

What we CANNOT Provide:
  • We CANNOT provide you with the EXACT date the serial number manufactured.
  • We CANNOT provide the exactr date the serial number was shipped.
  • We CANNOT provide you with information determining whether a particular serial number was a factory assembled firearm or sold as a stripped receiver.
  • We CANNOT tell you into what configuration/model that your serial number was assembled into.
  • We CANNOT determine whether or not your particular serial number is a legal grandfathered pre-ban firearm as it pertains to many current (unconstitutional) State laws.

What Does This List Show Me?
Below you will see a list of serial numbers. At Olympic Arms, we group our serial numbered lowers into 'ranges'. These serial number ranges are based on the first and last serial numbers as recorded in our hard copy A&D (Bound Book) ledgers. Eachg ledger has a start date and a start serial number that are recorded on the cover opf each ledger. This is how these ranges are then categorized.

Prior to our fire, the process had begun to record all the information from our paper historical bound book ledgers into an electronic database. All that had been recorded to that date were simply the cover information (start date/start serial number, end date, last serial number) recorded in each ledger. This is the information you see listed below.

If you'll notice, all the serial number ranges have a letter prefix but one. The initial receivers made by Olympic Arms simply contain a 4 digit serial number, no letter prefix. Each subsequent serial number range (either beginning with 0001, or 1001) will show a 1 or 2 letter prefix. Coincidentally, you may note that these receivers were made from billet aluminum, making Olympic Arms the first manufacturer of billet lower receivers for the AR15.

Ar15 serial number lookup

Ar15 Serial Number Location

Additionally, you will see several lines for serial numbers that begin with the same letter(s) prefix. These prefix series are divided by a date range to their right. These date ranges are the beginning and ending dates of the physical paper ledgers in which those numbers were recorded. In other words, the ledger books were not large enough to contain all of the numbers (0001-9999) from any particular serial number series in one book. For that reason, there is a beginning date and end date for each ledger. That is what you see below.

Serial

SPECIAL AND IMPORTANT NOTE: If your receiver's serail number or model number incorporates a 'date stamp', in either the serial number area or model number area, it is a POST-BAN RECEIVER REGARDLESS OF THE DATES LISTED ON THE LIST BELOW.

This date-stamp when used in conjunction with the serial number will be seen in the form of '95.Hxxxx', '94.Vxxx', '95.BLXXXX', or similar. These date stamps may also be seperated from the balance of the serial number by a 'dot' or dash. These numbers will look like: '95.xxxx', or '94-Vxxxx' or similar.

Date stamps may also be incorporated into the MODEL NUMBER of the unit. They would be seen in the formula of: 'MFR 94' or 'OA93-95' or similar.

This is important, as several serial number series were in production when the 1994 Clinton Era Crime Bill went into effect September 13, 2004. For this reason SOME of those serial numbers were grandfathered in as 'Pre-ban' serial numbers, and some were not. Those that were not grandfathered, then received a DATE STAMP that was incorporated into the model number or serial number as exlained.

If you have any questions regarding the interpretation of the markings on your lower, please feel free to send a picture of the left sidfe of the recoiver or any and all of the markings on your lower to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We'll be happy to take a look at the pics and give you some assistance.

Match your receiver up with the letter prefixes on the chart below. Each line is separated into 5 columns.

Ar-15 Serial Number Engraving

Column 1: The serial number itself (including prefix).

Column 2: The beginning serial number in that book.

California ar 15 serial number

Column 3: The beginning date for that book. If there is only one date listed after the serial numbers in column 2 and/or 2, all of those numbers were manufactured on that same day.

Column 4: End date for that book.

Column 5: Comments regarding that range of serial numbers. The comments as listed would apply to all of the serial numbers with the prefix listed to the left.

SN Range1st DateEnd DateSpecial Notes
0001000403/14/79Prototypes
1000884503/14/7906/04/82Cut from aluminum bar stock. Most were made for other manufacturers such as Palmetto Armory.
X1001X298707/02/198206/01/1983
X2988X348406/02/198309/01/1983
X2988X348406/02/198309/01/1983
P0001AP0588A12/17/198207/18/1988PAWS: Police Automatic Weapons Service, OR
Z0001Z200209/08/198308/24/1984
Z2003Z395505/29/198402/08/1985
Z3956Z600702/14/198512/12/1985
Z6008Z801812/17/198509/10/1986
Z8019Z998509/15/198603/09/1988
Z9986Z999903/09/1988
W1001W295703/09/198805/08/1989
V0001V071612/02/198610/01/1987
These receivers were manufactured
are for BM, there were more.
NAMV1NAMV10003/20/198508/28/1986These were limited edition Vietnam War Commemoratives.
USMC1USMC32001/21/198604/05/1993Limited Edition US Marine Corp Commemoratives sold as stripped lowers to one manufacturer who assembled them into complete units by special order.
U1001U159708/18/198711/28/1989
F1006F300004/27/198908/25/1989
F3001F505208/25/198912/14/1989
F5053F910912/14/198908/10/1990
F9110F999908/10/199010/03/1990
T1001T211910/03/199001/08/1991
T2120T375801/08/199104/05/1991
T3759T748004/05/199101/31/1992
T7481T953201/31/199208/12/1992
T9533T999908/13/199209/24/1992
AA00109/24/1992PROTOTYPE
AA1001AA229709/24/199212/23/1992
AA2298AA242512/23/199201/04/1992
GG1000GG100902/01/199307/05/1993
OA1001DOA1039D10/07/199110/31/1991
OAD1040OAD106703/16/199210/09/1992
OAS1042OAS113803/18/199210/13/1992
AC10000AC1005802/08/1993
C0001C5000+06/01/198912/15/1990Manufactured to meet demand of pending California ban (C = California).
LL0001LL026701/05/199301/22/1993
BL1000BL278402/01/199305/26/1993
BL2785BL481405/26/199312/03/1993
BL4815BL686112/03/199302/24/1994May be Date Stamped (see above note)
BL6862BL879902/25/199406/18/1994May be Date Stamped (see above note)
BL8800BL953306/20/199407/20/1994May be Date Stamped (see above note)
BS0001BS069908/27/199408/27/1994May be Date Stamped (see above note)
BS0700BS082508/27/199408/27/1994May be Date Stamped (see above note)
NF0001NF199901/03/199405/21/1994May be Date Stamped (see above note)
NF2000NF399905/21/199408/27/1994May be Date Stamped (see above note)
NF4000NF405508/27/1994May be Date Stamped (see above note)
94NF100095NF258711/14/199401/24/1995Post Ban H series.
UK0001UK044808/27/199408/27/1994May be Date Stamped (see above note)
E1001E209909/01/199104/24/1997
E2100E229004/24/199703/08/1990
CA0001CA069002/21/199408/09/1994Cast Aluminum receivers
TBOR1791TBOR199119911991These receivers are made from Beryllium copper.
CIA0001CIA340210/28/199607/14/1997These receivers were made under contract withCentury International Arms. These are NOT Olympic Arms firearms, are post ban and not supported by Olympic Arms warrant in any fashion whatsoever.
H1300H329908/27/1994Any 'H' series number lower than 'H1300' was made prior to 08-27-1994. No further information is available about these lower 'H' series numbers.
H3300H335408/17/199409/13/1994May be Date Stamped (see above note)
95H111295H334006/06/199507/07/1995Post Ban H series
V1000V149905/05/199405/11/1994May be Date Stamped (see above note)
V1500V275505/11/199408/05/1994May be Date Stamped (see above note)
V2757V319509/26/199711/25/1997May be Date Stamped (see above note)
SA961000SA96197503/21/199609/18/1996
SA1975SA350004/15/199701/02/1998
SA3501SA515001/01/199806/18/1998
SA5151SA655006/18/199809/28/1998
SA6551SA819910/05/199805/10/1999
SA8200SA980005/11/199910/07/1999
SA9801SA999910/07/199910/18/1999
AUS1000AUS104905/06/199802/01/1999
JJ0001JJ160010/09/199902/18/2000
JJ1601JJ205902/18/200003/22/2000
JJ2060JJ418203/22/200010/03/2000
JJ4183JJ543910/03/200002/07/2001
JJ5440JJ692003/08/200112/04/2001
JJ6921JJ871312/04/200108/06/2001
JJ8714JJ999908/07/200101/29/2003
KX0001KX160111/04/199805/10/1999
KX1700KX293505/10/199908/20/1999
KX2936KX473508/23/199901/20/2000
KX4736KX576001/20/200003/31/2000
KX5761KX766804/01/200007/20/2001
KX7669KX959007/20/200104/03/2002
SGW0001SGW104502/15/200004/10/2001All SGW serial numbered lower receivers are CAST receivers, and sold stripped, or as 'Plinker' Rifles only.
SGW1046SGW204304/10/200102/14/2002
SGW2044SGW387803/25/200204/05/2003
SGW0473SGW58897/19/20007/23/2004
MX1001
These receivers are match-grade quality Maxhard® treated Aluminum forged receivers.
BT0001BT185305/24/200201/20/2003Series named after long time employee Bill Thrall. Thanks for your service Bill!
BT1854BT365401/21/200307/11/2003
BT3655BT545307/11/200312/01/2003
BT5454BT730012/02/200305/02/2004
BT7301BT7301BT999911/05/2004
M0001M019802/20/20020304/01/2002Series Stopped because of CNC change.
LP0001LP057705/02/200102/19/2004OA-98 Pistols only
SM0001SM809602/3/20036/22/2005Series names after Oly CNC programmer Steve Melby. Thanks for your service Steve!
SM8097SM99997/29/200510/31/2005
TB0001TB499012/06/20058/11/2006Series named after long time employee Tim Butterfield. Thanks for your service Tim!
TB4991TB99998/15/20066/17/2007
KJ0001
KJ50104/20/2007
12/27/2007

Series named after Karl Jergens. Thanks Karl for your years of service!

KJ5011KJ999912/27/20076/30/2007
JF0001
JF5000
6/10/20081/29/2009Series named after long time employee John Fischer. Thanks for your service John!
JF5001JF99991-28-2009

11/04/2009

WZ0001

W5010

04/070095/21/2010Series named after long time employee Walt Dziadyk. Thanks for your service Walt!
WZ5011WZ99995/21/2010

10/09/2012

CH0001
CH5010
9/30/2009
6/20/2011Series named after long time employee Chris Holeman. Thanks for your service Chris!
CH5011CH99996/21/20115/04/2012
SB0001
SB5010
10/08/20123/08/2013Series named after long time employee Shane Barker. Thanks Shane for your years of service!
SB5011SB99994/08/2013

07/06/2013

AW0001AW38107/16/201310/08/2013Series named after Andrew Wilson. Thanks for your years of sesrvice Andy!
AW3811AW501011/14/201303/02/2014
AW5011AW99993/03/20145/06/2015
TS0001TS273012/09/201502/15/2017Series names after Tom Spithaler. Thanks for your service Tom! You were the best employee we ever had.








Ar15 Serial Number List

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Ar 15 Lower Serial Number

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