Carry handle of flattop?

[FireArmFan]

I was so close to saving up the money for an AR but then I had to buy a new car so i'm not exactly in the best situation financially right now. I may be able to get the money together to buy something basic. A DMPS or something similar, nothing fancy, but I wont have a ton of extra money for optics right away. With optics i'd rather have a flattop but with open sights I'd rather have a carry handle than a flattop with the rear flip sight. I'm new to AR's so i don't know a ton about them. Anybody have any reccomendations, advice, first hand experience, pro's, con's. Do you prefer a carry handle or not? If you put a red dot on a carry handle does it sit up to high to be comfortable? I've got a lot of hours behind various rifle's but none with AR's so anything will help. This is probably my 4th AR thread but hopefully I'm getting closer to making my purchase. I like to do a lot of research before buying something. Thanks.

 

[tnieto2004]

You could get a flat top with a bolt on carry handle

 

[PTK]

I have a flat top upper with a detachable carry handle, should I ever wish to mount an ACOG instead. It didn't cost too much, $75 or so I believe.

 

[Slugless]

* Nice optics are pretty expensive.
* Nice iron sights are pretty cheap
* The carry handle has nice iron sights
* The detachable carry handle lets you eat your cake and have it, too.

 

[MassMark]

The detachable carry handle lets you eat your cake and have it, too.

Amen Brother.... Get both - you won't be sorry....

 

[battlecry]

Get the flattop and don't look back.

If I were to nitpick, the only negative is that the handle opening on the flattop is somewhat narrower to allow for the rail and clamp. If you use a sling that is a non-issue.

Make sure you buy a rifle with the correct front sight block. Flattops use the "F" type.

 

[HorseSoldier]

+1 on the prevailing line of thinking for the flat top. You can put a carry handle on a flat top, but you if you go with the fixed carry handle version you're stuck with that without buying a seperate upper.

 

[ArmedBear]

I got a flattop with a removable carry handle from J&T. So far, I've used it only with the handle, but I wanted the option of doing whatever I want in the future.

One tip: most vendors sell an upper including the handle for a discounted price vs. buying the upper and then the handle. (e.g. J&T charges $65 for the handle mounted on a flattop receiver when you order the package, but $95 for the handle alone if you order it as a separate part.) It's worthwhile buying them as a package.

 

[rino451]

If your budget is limited, get a flat top with carry handle. Although, there's something to outshooting the next guy with all his high end optics with an A2 or A1 carry handle AR. I invariably end up shooting my A2 and I have A1 carry handles for all my flat tops. You don't need optics to be effective with the AR and almost everything you learn with irons translates to shooting wtih optics. (I made the mistake in thinking that an Eotech would make me a better shooter. I just missed with both eyes open is all.)

 

[possum]

get the a3 model, with the detachable carry handle, for now you can use it and the iron sights on it, then when you go too get optics get a nice buis and optic and you will be good to go.

option 2 you take the carry handle off (detachable) get a buis now and run it like that.

i have no issues running an ar with the carry handle attached.

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

Flat top all the way

 

[Zundfolge]

Over the years I've owned two AR15s ... both were A2s ... both times I wished I had a flat top.

 

[W.E.G.]

One difference many folks are unaware of is the fact that the removable carry handle limits the amout of available elevation adjustment.

The A3 sight (removable carry handle) gives you 0.319" range of elevation adjustment
(a generous 52 MOA adjustment range).

A3


The A2 sight (fixed carry handle) gives you 0.436" range of elevation adjustment
(a whopping 72 MOA adjustment range).

A2

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

The flat top is just more flexible and I am pretty sure you can get ANY iron sights you want for a flat top...

 

[MMcfpd]

Interesting revelation there, W.E.G., but I suspect part of the reason many folks are unaware of that difference is that the limitation in elevation adjustment with a carry handle just never comes into play.

Another flattop vote here.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

The elevation difference is pretty much moot unless you are shooting past 600m with iron sights, which is probably why most people don't discuss it.

As for carry handle vs. flattop, you can always add a carry handle (or any one of several dozen other available iron sights (HK, M1A, etc.)) to a flattop; but you can't flattop a carry handle.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I personally prefer carry handles for optic sights, as they allow you to acquire targets without having to lower your head. Both my Armalite AR-10 and AR 15 have A2 handles, with A.R.M.S. rails and red dot's. I find it more usable than all my friend's A4 style rifles.

Scopes, however, work better with flattops.

 

[FireArmFan]

Thanks for the replies, I just ran across one with a detachable handle for a pretty decent price. I think that may be the way to go.