Important Note:
Unfortunately, by the time I got around to publishing this review, this Troy has discontinued it’s ‘My Service Rifle’ line of retro rifles. That’s a shame, as this example had some great features not in other production retro rifles.
Lets face it, iconic guns are fun to own. And since many of us don’t have $20k to go dropping on an original, it’s usually down to waiting for a usually-still-overpriced reproduction, or spending the time part hunting to roll your own.
The Colt Commando (Model 609) / XM177, is one of those iconic guns. From the covers of books about the men who first carried ’em in Southeast Asia, to numerous classic action movie scenes.
Even for practical reasons, the attributes that led to it’s military adoption (and eventual evolution into the M4 Carbine) make it a light weight, handy, reliable example of the AR platform.
So why did I go with Troy over the other available production reproductions? Well, not going to lie, price was definitely a factor. As shown above, Colt’s reproduction was just massively overpriced, so that was a non-starter. Brownell’s clone, the XBRN177E2, currently retails for $1397.99. The Troy rifle shown here was available at a much better $899, while it was still available new. It’s worth noting that Brownell’s occasionally runs sales on their retro rifle line.
So what about the features I mentioned that set the Troy rifle apart from others such as the Brownell’s example?
Both have a short (12.5″ for the Troy, and 12.7″ for the Brownell’s) pencil barrel, with pinned & welded muzzle device that are a decent replica of the original Colt moderator.
Both feature the correct ‘teardrop’ forward assist on a fixed carry handle upper, with nice details such as the bayonet lug delete.
What sets the troy apart slightly is the use of original vintage grips from surplus stock, whereas the Brownell’s uses a reproduction of noticeably different quality. The grey color of the receiver is also present on the Troy, whereas it isn’t on the XBRN177E2 – though it appears to be a (at least decently tough) coating. Additionally, the Troy uses a metal stock like the original, rather than the polymer reproduction used on Brownell’s rifle.
There are also small touches like the faux giggle-switch bits and pieces, and receiver markings.
The Troy rifle also came with a nice load of accessories, such as a reproduction ‘field expedient’ sling (which are still available), cleaning kit, and some reproduction booklets, including the M16 ‘comic book’ manual, and an official manual in a military FM format. That was a nice touch.
Right, how does it shoot? Is it reliable? Seems to be just fine for me – though it’s worth noting that their QC may have seen a few dips, as can be found in some threads about these on arfcom. FWIW, I’ve had zero issues with mine, nor seem to have any of the fit and finish problems. It’s a light, nice handling rifle that definitely doesn’t feel at all like a 16″ AR.
I guess I’ll wrap it up by just saying – it’s a shame these aren’t available new any longer, but if you want a decent XM177E2 reproduction, it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on gunbroker, etc. for one of these.
