Gary Gordon's Mogadishu CAR-15: the Gordon carbine, part by part

On 3 October 1993, Master Sgt. Gary Gordon and Sgt. 1st Class Randy Shughart were killed defending the crash site of Super Six Four, a Black Hawk shot down in Mogadishu. Both received the Medal of Honor.

Cloners call Gordon's rifle the Gordon carbine, and most sources identify it as a Colt 723. We rebuilt it slot by slot from his citation, Mark Bowden's reporting, Allen Engineering (AE) and 17 years of AR15.COM owner posts, then priced what you can buy.

What a Gordon carbine clone copies

You're copying a Colt 723: a 14.5 inch carbine with a 1 in 7 barrel, carbine gas and a collapsible CAR stock. Late 723s wore an A2 type upper with the older A1 style rear sight.

Then you add the direct thread suppressor, plus the red dot and light owners reconstruct from private photos.

CAR-15, Colt 723 or Gordy: what the names mean

CAR-15 is the catch all name for Colt's short M16 carbines built before the M4, and it's what Bowden calls Gordon's weapon. Colt called it the Model 723, and Larry Vickers, issued one at Delta in late 1988, says the unit just said CAR-15.

You'll also see RO723, Colt's model code, and Gordy, a builder nickname. The CAR-15 label also covers the Vietnam Commandos in our XM177E2 clone build.

Gary Gordon, Task Force Ranger and Operation Gothic Serpent

Gordon went to Mogadishu in 1993 as a sniper team leader with Task Force Ranger for Operation Gothic Serpent. His citation lists him with US Army Special Operations Command. Bowden and Wikipedia place him in Delta.

Soldiers of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry watch helicopter traffic over Mogadishu on 3 October 1993. That night the battalion's A and C Companies were part of the convoy sent for the Rangers cut off in the city after two Black Hawks were shot down. U.S. Army photo via DVIDS, VIRIN 181207-A-ZZ999-645, public domain.

Super Six Four and the Medal of Honor

Gordon and Shughart were killed defending the Super Six Four crash site. Both received the Medal of Honor posthumously on 23 May 1994.

Master Sgt. Gary Gordon in an official Army portrait. He was the Delta sniper team leader on the 3 October 1993 mission, and he and Sgt. 1st Class Randy Shughart received the Medal of Honor posthumously on 23 May 1994. U.S. Army photo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sniper rifle or CAR-15: the citation and Bowden disagree

Gordon's citation says he went in "equipped with only his sniper rifle and a pistol," and it names no model. It also says he gave the pilot a rifle from the wreckage with its last five rounds.

Bowden's 1997 Philadelphia Inquirer serial, built on pilot Michael Durant's account, says Shughart handed Durant "Gordon's weapon, a CAR-15" after Gordon was hit. It was set on burst when Durant fired it.

Wikipedia records Paul Howe's point that the rifle wasn't Shughart's distinctive M14. Durant later said he might have been wrong.

Colt 723 variants over its service life

Delta issued new 723s from late 1988, and SOCOM put the M4A1 on contract in February 1994. Wikipedia, citing Chris McNab, says Rangers at Mogadishu called their M16s unwieldy while Delta's CAR-15 users didn't, and that sped up interest in the M4.

A Scout Sniper Instructor School student on patrol at Quantico, Virginia, in July 1987 carries what the official caption calls an M16A2 carbine, with round carbine handguards, a standard front sight base and a blank firing adapter on the muzzle. The 723 was an M16A2 generation carbine; the caption gives no model number. Photo: Cpl. D.A. Haynes, U.S. Marine Corps, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Our M4A1 Block I clone build covers the M4A1, and our Delta MRE clone build and CAG HK416 clone build cover later rifles tied to the unit.

Early and late 723s: A1 upper to C7 type upper

An AR15.COM thread on the 723 lists three builds: M16A1 uppers on 14.5 inch pencil barrels, then C7 type uppers (A2 uppers with the A1 style sight) on pencil barrels, and finally on A2 profile barrels cut for the M203.

AR15.COM member Augee calls the 1 in 7 twist and the A2 grip the only constants on US issue 723s. So copy the A1 style sight, not the A1 receiver. Our M16A1 clone build covers that sight and the A1 forgings.

Colt 723 vs 727 and 733

The 727 is the carbine with the adjustable A2 rear sight. The Rangers in Mogadishu carried mostly M16A2 rifles, plus some 727s, and the film props imitate the 727.

Some forum posts call Gordon's rifle a suppressed 733, the 11.5 inch carbine in our Colt 733 build from Heat. We found no evidence for it.

Was it a burst gun? The Colt 725 question

Bowden says Durant's CAR-15 was set on burst, while owners describe issued 723s as safe, semi and auto. AR15.COM member Augee, who signs as Augee Kim of Tactical Night Vision Corporation, calls the Colt 725 the burst 723.

Wikipedia says the Model 725 was Colt's original Canadian C8 carbine, so treat that as disputed. Your clone takes semi auto parts either way.

Gordon carbine parts list: the issued part and what to buy

Here's every slot: what the 1993 rifle had, as far as anyone can show, and the closest part you can buy. Exact means the period pattern, equivalent a legal stand in, and missing a part we don't stock yet. Stock status is as of 27 September 2026.

Product photography supplied by the listed merchants through their affiliate feeds.

How sure we are about each part

We graded each slot by its best source. Strong means documented for the model. Moderate adds a maker, a painting or veterans pointing at Gordon, and weak means period norms or one person's reading of private photos.

We checked 56 claims: 35 held, 17 needed correcting, 2 are disputed and 2 can't be checked. Augee is behind most Gordon specific detail and also worked on RECOIL's replica and the upper Forgotten Weapons shot in 2023, so we count them as one source. One enthusiast parts list and AE's parts page are one source too, since AE credits that list.

The lower receiver group

Every card here is semi auto, because Gordon's lower was a machine gun's.

Lower receiver: A2 profile, or an A1 forging

The clone lists call for a Colt A2 profile lower, and owners report both A2 and A1 forgings on 7xx carbines. Gordon's lower isn't visible in any known public photo.

Both are equivalents, not the issued part, and the gray A1 forging suits the Colt finish.

Trigger: semi auto parts in place of the M16 group

Gordon's rifle had an automatic group, or a burst one if Durant remembered right. You can't install either, so fit a semi auto GI group, the equivalent, unless your complete lower has one.

Stock: Colt CAR fiberlite on a two position tube

Augee says the coated aluminum XM stock gave way to the fiberlite CAR stock on a two position tube with an early lock ring. Four position tubes came with the M4. Gordon's own stock isn't documented.

The tube, buffer and spring are exact, the H&R stock an equivalent and the B5 a budget lookalike. We don't stock the early lock ring yet.

Grip and trigger guard: A2 grip, GI guard

Augee names the A2 grip as a constant on US issue 723s. One enthusiast list says it could be a Lone Star grip, without a source, and the GI guard comes from the clone lists alone.

The LBE grip is your budget pick; the rest are exact.

The upper receiver group

The rear sight separates a 723 from the film's 727 style props.

Upper receiver and rear sight: the C7 carry handle

Late 723s used an A2 type upper with the deflector and the older A1 style sight. Canada's C7 shares both, so cloners call it a C7 upper. For Gordon, the evidence is a painting of the crash site plus the clone lists.

The A1 sight is exact and only needed on a stripped upper. Brownells' C7 is the right type but out of stock, H&R's isn't on GPP yet, and the M16A1 upper is an early 723 equivalent.

Barrel: Colt 14.5 inch, 1 in 7, carbine gas

Allen Engineering and veterans point to a 14.5 inch, 1 in 7, chrome lined Colt barrel with carbine gas. The profile is open: one enthusiast list says pencil, AE says government, and Vickers is relayed saying Delta used both pencil and M203 profiles.

Skip mid length gas and SOCOM profiles. With no Colt barrel in stock, the barrels are stand ins; the gas tube is exact. H&R's runs 14.7 inches. Our AR-15 barrel length guide covers the tradeoffs.

Gas block and front sight: a standard height FSB

The front sight base is the gas block, and a carry handle upper needs the standard height, non F marked base. The taller F base is for flat tops.

B Kings' standard height, non F marked base for a .750 inch barrel was out of stock on 27 September. The post after it is an exact A2 post.

Handguard: Colt six hole round carbine

RECOIL says production 723s had six or seven hole handguards and a round cap, and the clone lists specify Colt's six hole guard. The triangle cap belongs to the film props.

No listing names the six hole guard, so both handguards are equivalents; the cap and delta ring are exact. Match the cap to your barrel, .750 or .625.

Bolt carrier group and charging handle: Colt and GI

The clone lists say a Colt carrier and a GI charging handle, and nothing Gordon specific backs either. Colt's carrier is exact but out of stock, and the Wilson M16 carrier is the equivalent.

What suppressor Gordon used, and why 14.5 inches

The can is the Gordon carbine's signature, and AE says journalists and influencers often name the wrong one.

Suppressor: a hand built OPS Inc M4

OPS Inc was Phil Seberger's small California shop. Ron Allen joined in 1993, when OPS had made no more than a few hundred suppressors, and later carried the designs on as AE.

AE says the Delta can had no numbered model; Seberger just called it the M4. It was designed in the early 1990s for the 723's 14.5 inch barrel, threaded onto the muzzle and located on a collar at the front sight base.

Owners once called it a 3rd Model. Augee, relaying Ron Allen, says it predates the 3rd Model, but OPS's old website dated the design to 1987, so the dating is disputed. You can't buy an original.

Allen Engineering M4-Delta: the current equivalent

M4-Delta, or M4-D, is AE's current version, stocked since 3 October 2023. AE's 2024 and 2025 posts give 9.75 to 10 inches, 23 to 24 ounces and 4.4 inches of mounting length.

It's an equivalent, not a replica, and Augee says Ron Allen won't make an exact copy. We don't stock it. AE ships through FFL/SOT dealers, so start at its Gordon carbines page.

The Gordon collar that locates the can on the FSB

A two or three piece clamp collar locates the can against the front sight base. AE sells a long one for the M4-D on 14.5 inches and a short one for the AEM5 on 12.5 inches.

Otter Creek Labs added one in June 2023, per AR15.COM, and we don't stock either.

Muzzle device: bare thread under the can

The Delta can threaded straight onto the muzzle, so nothing sat under it, and the OPS Inc flash hider on one enthusiast list has no source. Unsuppressed, other Delta 723s show A2 birdcages under plastic shoot off caps, by Augee's reading of period photos.

The Wilson birdcage is exact and the KAK your budget pick. We don't stock the caps.

Barrel length: 14.5 inches, not 12.5 or 12.7

AE says 12.5 and 12.7 inch Gordon barrels exist only to seat its AEM5 against the front sight base. The AEM5 was designed for the Mk12 in the early 2000s, and the Delta can predates it by almost a decade.

On AR15.COM, Ron Allen is quoted saying he made only 14.5 inch cans for Delta. For the 12.5 inch look anyway, the OCM5 is an equivalent for that route, not Gordon's, and it was out of stock.

The AEM5's own rifle gets our Mk12 Mod 0 clone build and Lone Survivor Mk12 build.

Optic, light and mounts on Gordon's rifle

Most Gordon specific detail in this section traces to Augee's descriptions of photos the public hasn't seen.

Optic: probably an Aimpoint 5000, and disputed

Aimpoint's history puts 5000s on special forces carbines in Riyadh in 1991, and RECOIL says 3000s and 5000s were used in 1993. Augee is relayed saying most of the unit had 5000s.

But in 2024 he wrote that it isn't clear any Aimpoint was fitted, and one member reads the one known photo as a Litton M845 night vision scope. Treat the 5000 as period correct, not documented.

Originals are used market only. The Aimpoint PRO is your equivalent and the StrikeFire II a budget lookalike.

Optic mount: carry handle Weaver rail and 30mm rings

The clone lists give Leupold Rifleman rings on an A.R.M.S. Weaver rail, and the A.R.M.S. #02, NSN 5855-01-299-7777, is the usual clone mount. Nothing documents it on Gordon's rifle.

Augee has argued for a carry handle Weaver mount with vertically split rings, and for Aimpoint's own mount as the unit's most common. We don't stock the #02. The rings are exact to the lists and the Weaver mount an equivalent.

Light: a Laser Products 6P, if one was fitted

The 1993 maker was Laser Products Corporation, which used the SureFire brand from 1985 and took the name in 2000. Augee describes a non public photo of a 6P type light with a push button tailcap and IR filter, in a 1 inch ring on a Weaver rail at about 7 o'clock.

Another long time member never saw a photo clearly showing a light. The clone lists' SureFire 660 isn't in our feeds, so all three cards are equivalents. No source puts a laser or foregrip on the rifle.

Finish, sling and magazines

Finish: Colt gray, and how much paint was left

Augee says a 723 this old wore Colt's gray anodizing. The photos he has seen show camouflage paint being stripped, mainly from the receivers, with paint left on the plastic parts and the can. He doesn't date that, and the pattern is unknown.

The gray H&R A1 lower suits the finish. We don't list a gray C7 upper or paint yet.

Sling and sling mounts: not documented for Gordon

No source shows a sling on Gordon's rifle, and the clone lists mark both sling mounts N/A. Augee read Delta photos as showing USGI slings at the front sight base. Our surplus USGI sling was out of stock, so a plain nylon sling stands in.

Magazines: USGI 30 round aluminum, assumed

USGI 30 round aluminum magazines are an assumption. One AR15.COM member spotted Redi-Mag couplers on Delta carbines in a period photo. Our Redi-Mag listings were out of stock, so the cards are magazines only, Colt's USGI first.

Black Hawk Down prop vs Gordon's real rifle

The 2001 film made the rifle famous, but its Gordon prop was another gun.

How the film's Gordon prop was built

RECOIL reports the prop was a Guatemalan export Colt M16A2 with its 20 inch barrel cut to about 10 inches, the front sight base moved back, eight hole handguards with the triangle cap and a fake suppressor.

It carried an Aimpoint CompM on a B-Square mount because the 3000 and 5000 were out of production by 2001. RECOIL also lists Augee on its replica team.

A Hollywood correct Gordon build on an A2 upper

If you want the movie rifle, start with an A2 upper and its adjustable sight. H&R's Government carbine upper is the equivalent and its stripped A2 upper the budget route. The original CompM isn't in our feeds, and today's CompM models look different.

The Ranger rifles get our Black Hawk Down CAR-15 build.

What the internet gets wrong about Gordon's rifle

Here's what the sources correct.

Hose clamped dive lights belong to Panama, not Mogadishu

The hose clamped dive light was on Vickers' 723 at the Modelo Prison raid in Panama in December 1989, per his caption, and he says 6P lights soon replaced it. Owners read 1993 photos as showing 6P type lights on short rails or barrel mounts.

The Aimpoint 5000 was in use by 1991

A 2009 forum post read a date off Aimpoint's older website and decided the 5000 didn't exist until 1997. Aimpoint's own history puts 5000s in Riyadh in 1991.

Not every Delta carbine was painted

Augee says most Delta carbines stayed black and the painted ones were mainly sniper and recce element guns. A second member said the same from his own service.

The civilian legal path to a Gordon carbine clone

Gordon's rifle was a select fire machine gun. Your clone starts as a semi auto rifle, and the barrel and the can decide your paperwork.

Two NFA stamps for the accurate suppressed rifle

A 14.5 inch barrel is under the 16 inch rifle minimum. To run the M4-D on a bare muzzle, you're building a short barreled rifle and adding a suppressor. ATF announced on October 9, 2026 that it would stop enforcing NFA approval and registration for both, but some states ban them or only allow registered ones.

The 12.5 inch AEM5 build is an SBR in every case. Our suppressor tax and paperwork guide covers what changed in 2026.

No stamps: pin and weld to 16 inches, or a 16 inch barrel

A 14.5 inch barrel stays a rifle only with a device pinned and welded until it measures 16 inches. That leaves no bare thread for the M4-D, so you give up the can. A 16 inch barrel is simpler.

Both cards are equivalents; measure the finished length before you call it 16. Fake can sleeves raise legal questions of their own, so check before you buy one.

State bans on suppressors and SBRs

Some states ban suppressors or SBRs outright, and Massachusetts builders report they can't build the suppressed version. Check yours before you buy.

What you can buy today and what is unobtainable

We priced each route from our feeds on 27 September 2026.

The H&R Retro 723 rifle and 723 style uppers

H&R's Retro 723 rifle is the closest complete gun in our feeds. Its listing describes an M16A1 upper, the early 723 layout, and a six position tube that's later than 1993. Its barrel is 14.7 inches, so leave the muzzle device on.

H&R's Retro 723 16 inch upper, an equivalent, is the only 723 upper we list. Its listing doesn't name the receiver type, so ask if you want a C7.

Buying a complete Gordon SBR instead

Every complete Gordon or Gordy rifle on Google's first page in our 27 September checks was an SBR, from BG Defense, Centurion Arms, B Kings Firearms and Type A Rifle Co.

We haven't checked their specs or prices, none is in our feeds, and you'll still need to check your state's SBR and suppressor rules.

Parts no retailer can sell you

The Colt 723 and its automatic or burst parts are machine gun parts, and the original OPS can is unobtainable. Aimpoint 5000s and Laser Products lights are used market items.

We don't yet stock the M4-D, a Gordon collar or a six hole handguard. Our standard height base and USGI sling were out of stock on 27 September.

What GPP builders add from this parts list

No cart named on GPP from 10 December 2025 to 27 September 2026 mentions Gordon, the 723, Black Hawk Down or Mogadishu. Nobody searched GPP for those terms in the 90 days to 27 September either.

What you do add are the retro lowers. From 31 January to 27 September 2026, you added the PSA M16A2 lower 62 times and H&R's gray M16A1 lower 46 times, while the Retro 723 upper got 4.

Adds are clicks, not finished rifles. Of those lower adds, 12 and 5 came from 9 August to 27 September 2026, after we tightened bot protection.

Sources and photo credits

Why no photo of Gordon's rifle appears here

We found no public domain photo of Gordon's rifle. The known ones are privately owned, one posted by Larry Vickers and others from a fellow veteran's collection, and you'd need their owners' permission to use them.

We don't reproduce the copyrighted crash site painting attributed to James Dietz. The Special Warfare Museum's exhibit photo on Wikimedia Commons shows what looks like a later flat top carbine, so don't use it as a reference.