Scarce Pre-Ban Colt Sporter Lightweight R6830 7.62×39 16” Rifle AR-15 & Box
SOLD FOR: $1,925.00
LSB#: LSB260420JS002
Make: Colt
Model: Sporter Lightweight R6830
Serial Number: LH010614
Year of Manufacture: 1991-1994 Pre-Ban / Modern
Caliber: 7.62x39mm
Action Type: Semi-Automatic, Direct Impingement fed by Detachable Magazines
Markings: Left side of the lower receiver is marked with the Rampant Colt logo and “COLT SPORTER LIGHTWEIGHT CAL. 7.62 x 39 SER. LH010614”. The left side of the receiver behind the bolt catch is marked “COLT’S MFG. CO. INC. HARTFORD, CONN. U.S.A.” and “SAFE” and “FIRE”. Top of the barrel is marked “C MP 7.62 x 39 1/12”.
Barrel Length: 16”, 17.5” with A1 birdcage flash hider.
Sights / Optics: The front sight is an adjustable A2 post and the rear sight is A2 Style L-type flip aperture.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The buttstock is a fixed A2 polymer buttstock with sling ring, checkered buttplate and trap door for storage compartment. The pistol grip is a standard A2 pistol grip. The handguard is a carbine length A2 handguard with heat shields. There is no bayonet lug and there is a Colt sear block in the receiver. There is very light storage wear. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 13 5/8” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Excellent overall condition.
Magazine Quantity & Condition: Two 20rd Colt straight magazines in Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Anodized
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 10/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 99% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish shows very little wear mainly from storage. The screw heads are sharp and the pins are unmarred, the markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Excellent – Like New condition. The previous owner claims this rifle was bought new about 35 years ago and has never been fired.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes with its serialized and labeled factory box, a total of two magazines, owner’s manual, Nylon Sling, and cleaning tools.
Our Assessment: The Colt Sporter Lightweight R6830 occupies a genuinely singular position in the AR-15 collectible market. Produced during a narrow window between roughly 1991 and 1994 — before the Federal Assault Weapons Ban took effect on September 13, 1994 — the R6830 was Colt’s factory-configured answer to shooters seeking an AR-15 chambered in the Soviet-developed 7.62x39mm cartridge, the same round that powers the AK-47 and its derivatives. The combination of Colt’s mil-spec American craftsmanship with the hard-hitting 7.62×39 cartridge was a short-lived commercial experiment; the AWB effectively ended civilian production of this configuration before it ever gained a significant market foothold. The result is one of the scarcest factory Colt AR variants ever offered — a rifle that checks the pre-ban box, the oddball-caliber box, and the Colt pedigree box all at once.
This example is extraordinary even by R6830 standards. Retaining 99% of its original anodized finish, accompanied by its serialized factory box, two period Colt 20-round straight magazines, sling, and cleaning tools, and reportedly unfired in the roughly 35 years since its purchase, this rifle presents as a true time-capsule survivor. The C MP-marked, chrome-lined barrel with its 1/12 twist rate — optimized for the heavier 7.62×39 projectile — shows no bore erosion whatsoever, lending credibility to the unfired claim. Pre-ban Colt Sporters in any configuration command strong collector premiums; an R6830 in this state of preservation, with this level of documentation and completeness, is a find that may not present itself again. – L.S.