![ar15 a2 carry handle ar15 a2 carry handle](https://i.imgur.com/QyZeEA6.jpg)
Introduced in the M16A2 service rifle, hence the common designation, this assembly continues to see use in the M4A1 carbine. The elevation dial or drum sits under the aperture sight. The A2 rear sight assembly is a dual-aperture design however, unlike the A1, the A2 is adjustable for windage and elevation. You adjust the elevation using the tip of a cartridge to depress a spring-loaded detent and rotate the front sight post. The A1 carry handle contains a dual-aperture rear sight adjustable for windage only - the windage wheel is located on the right side of the carry handle. The M16A4 service rifle also features this type of carry handle.
![ar15 a2 carry handle ar15 a2 carry handle](http://media.midwayusa.com/productimages/880x660/Primary/263/263553.jpg)
The handle still houses the rear sight assembly however, the handle also possesses a noticeably lower profile than its predecessors. The M4 carbine adopted the year prior features a flat-top upper receiver with the then-new accessory rail and a removable carry handle that you attach using two thumb nuts. Modern military small arms rarely feature carry handles anymore. Army standardized the MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail in 1995, it changed the approach to accessorizing weapons. In fixed carry-handle designs, if you want to attach an optical sight, you need to use a separate mount. In AR-15 rifles that conform to the A1 and A2 variants, the carry handle is fixed and integral to the aluminum upper receiver forging.
![ar15 a2 carry handle ar15 a2 carry handle](http://media.midwayusa.com/productimages/880x660/Primary/118/118165.jpg)
It also served to protect the original trigger-shaped charging handle, although this purpose is no longer relevant.Ī variety of carry handle types are available for AR-15-pattern weapons. In addition, the innovative straight-line construction of the rifle necessitated the elevation of its sights to compensate.īy housing the rear sight assembly and elevating it in relation to the top of the receiver, the carry handle ensures the shooter can acquire a sight picture and achieve a consistent stock weld. In the AR-10 and early AR-15 prototype design, the charging handle reciprocated in a longitudinal slot milled in the top of the upper receiver. Is it strictly a carry handle, or does it serve another purpose? However, the purpose of the AR-15 carry handle has been the subject of an ongoing debate for years. This type of carry handle, mounted to the side of the gun, can be seen on such classic weapons as the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) and M60. 50 BMG anti-materiel rifles (Barrett M82A1/M107), and light/general-purpose machine guns (M249 SAW, M240 Bravo).įor carrying a heavy weapon, the addition of a carry handle is sensible, especially if the rifle or machine gun’s overall length renders the use of a sling impractical. In addition to the AR-15/M16 series, you’ll find carry handles on some 1970s–‘90s 5.56mm combat rifles (FAMAS and HK G36), 1950s 7.62mm battle rifles (FN FAL and AR-10 - the AR-15’s predecessor). Carry handles on modern military rifles appear almost anachronistic - a relic of the Cold War or, more broadly, the pre-9/11 era.