ar15 with irons (Poll)

[Teirst]

So I have been wanting to pick up an AR15 for a good while now. I have found a few REALLY good deals, however they have fixed carry handles. I know there are kits to had a scope mount to a fixed carry handle but...well...they just look silly.

so what do you think, would you buy an AR with a fixed carry handle?

 

[DnPRK]

30 years ago I had perfect eyesight and preferred irons. But once I turned 40, presbyopia (age related inability to focus on close objects such as sights) caught up with me. I've swapped out my A1 and A2 receivers for flat tops so I can mount optics and still enjoy shooting. Bravocompanyusa.com sells quality stripped uppers for $80 and it takes 20 minutes to complete a swap if you have the tools.

A flat top with removable carry handle is the best of both worlds if your eyesight is still good.

 

[kraigwy]

I shoot high power, for me there is no reason for optics. Besides, when I shoot Any Rifle - Iron Sights and Any Rifle -Any Sights, I seem to do better with iron sights.

The Best 100O yard match I fired, I beat my Any Sight Rifle using the Same Rifle with Iron Sights, then beat both those scores in a third match witch was Service Rifle with a M1A.

 

[Evil Monkey]

Get a flat top and then buy a rear sight. That's what I recently did.

Now I can use iron sights, yet also have the option to add an optic along with the iron sights.

 

[packheat]

I second evil monkey. I bought a flat top and put a A2 carry handle sight on it. Its very accurate and returns to zero reliably if you should remove it. New flat tops seem much more common than new fixed handle carbines. I'm certain the "tacticool" craze is responsible but it is for the better since it makes the rifle so versitile. FWIW I bought a S&W MOE flat top and it came with a nice Magpull BUS on it already...whole package was 900 bucks!

 

[zombieslayer]

I wouldn't pass up a really good deal on a standard carry-handled rife. Later on, you can always buy or build a flat-top upper if you're not satisfied. Just my 2cents,

 

[Teirst]

I have found several really good AR deals recently. I am having a hard time talking myself out of this http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=534836

 

[5.56RifleGuy]

I have an SP1 with a fixed handle. I love the Iron sights. Very light too.

 

[mesabi]

I would say buy one with a fixed upper, and another flat top upper receiver with different barrel length, barrel diameter, or handguard.

Quick change to different type of shooting and you would be very familiar with the trigger.

 

[Skans]

I have an SP1 carbine with a fixed handle. I'm no longer a big AR15 fan, but I'd much rather have a more modern setup without the carry handle. An AR15 carbine is light and small enough that it makes the "handle" rather useless IMHO. I can understand why Israeli HB FAL's have a carry handle; never understood why Garands and M14's don't have carry handles, and always thought that a carry handle on an AR15 was "odd".

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

No, I wouldn't buy an AR with a fixed carry handle - even if I was never going to use optics.

For one, with a flattop, I can choose from probably close to 100 different sets of iron sights for the AR. You want M1A National Match sights on your AR? They make those. Want an HK drum sight on your AR? They make those. Want an elevation adjustable folding sight? They make those.

Two, I have an A2 upper receiver I bought in 1998 before I was sold on the idea of flattops. The reason I still have it is because, short of just giving it away, I can't get rid of it.

So, even if you never use optics, the flattop offers more versatility and better resale potential. If you do decide you want to use optics, then the flattop just absolutely crushes the carry handle.

About the only place I like the carry handle better is for niche applications (like a compact ACOG in a carry handle); but since they make detachable carry handles, you can do that with a flattop as well.

 

[Teirst]

you hit on one of my big concerns.

That a fixed carry handle would hurt the ability to resell.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

My advice* would be to price out what the individual rifle parts are worth by themselves and give the upper a value of $0. If the deal you are getting beats that price by $100, then it is definitely worth taking a look at. If it doesn't then, you aren't really getting that great of a deal and since most modern ARs are better built now than they ever have been, there is a decent chance you are buying something inferior at almost the same price.

*I only look at ARs in practical, tool-terms. It is possible some of these deals might have tremendous collectible value. I wouldn't know.

 

[jborushko]

while i have both. i prefer iron sights. i have an ACOG inline with the iron sights. works best for me.

honestly unless you are trying to do the "long range" people having a high power scope on your ar15, and always carbine for some reason, just make me mad!

my flat tops (all but the beowulf flattop) have the standard front sight so i often put a detachable carry handle on them.


the Beowulf has a scope but it had a low profile gas block, it has a fix power scope 4x scope on it

this is how i roll!

 

[demigod]

I have no problem owning fixed carry handle ARs. I never take the carry handles off of my flat tops.

I'm probably one of the few guys who BUYS BCM carry handles to add to my guns.

 

[Hoskins]

I have a Rock River Arms M4 Entry Tactical. It comes w/ a sorta Hybrid flat top/iron sight carrying handle. I will always have iron sights on stadby. On my issued M4 I had it flat top w/ an RCO/ACOG. However, myself & all my Marines carried our detachable carrying handles (which were zeroed) in our assault pack. I never 100% trust optics & want iron sights as a back up.

 

[darkgael]

Irons

I like the aperture rear on the AR. I changed the standard set up to a National Match and have shot my best groups with it while testing ammo - 1/2 MOA. I wear varilux lensed glasses and so my eyesight is not what it was 40 years ago; with the aperture, though, the front sight is clear. I have no need for a scope.
I do own an ACOG. It's not on the AR.
Pete

 

[thesheepdog]

I like Irons, but, I like optics better!

 

[Teirst]

hmm, this is probably the least helpful poll of all time. Been tied almost the whole way

So much for my "ask the audience" helping me with the $32,000 question

 

[madcratebuilder]

I have both but for the first time buyer a flat top with a carry handle is the best of both worlds. If you get the AR bug you well end up with a few of each.