I went with the Primary SL Prismatic
"You win 100% of the fights you avoid. If you're not there when it happens, you don't lose." - William Aprill
"I've owned a guitar for 31 years and that sure hasn't made me a musician, let alone an expert. It's made me a guy who owns a guitar."- BBI
For those who want to mount an optic on a carry handle, the Brownells retro carry handle scope is one of the best options I have found.
https://www.brownells.com/optics/sco...-handle-scope/
I understand that the Primary Arms 3x prism scope also mounts on a carry handle. If it mounts as low as the Brownells scope and still allows use of the irons, it could be a good illuminated option.
More 20in enabling!
https://www.tntesales.com/m-16-a4-up...ith-fn-barrel/
https://www.sarcoinc.com/m16a2-stock...s-pistol-grip/
The Sarcoinc M16A2 stock set I ordered was definitely from a well used issued gun, but it was 100% USGI. That's particularly good with the 7075 receiver extension and almost worth buying the whole kit just for that part alone! They also have A1 pistol grips for $10 each, a nice change from the A2 in most cases.
I love my A2 20" upper... But prefer it on an "A5" lower.
Rifle length gas is smooth
"You win 100% of the fights you avoid. If you're not there when it happens, you don't lose." - William Aprill
"I've owned a guitar for 31 years and that sure hasn't made me a musician, let alone an expert. It's made me a guy who owns a guitar."- BBI
When I was messing with an A1 back in the 1900s, the only scope mount I found that didnt change zero was the ARMS mount
http://armsmounts.com/shop/mounts/a-...6-scope-mount/
The others I tried, maybe 4 or 5, including factory Colt scopes, would get thumped and bumped carrying them around and leaned against the seat of the truck driving on dirt roads and change zero. The ARMS was very snug going into the carry handle slot, to the point you could take the nut off and turn it upside down and shake it and it probably wouldnt move. You had to pull them off to remove them. Not for the overly fastidious regarding the finish of the gun, the mount wears the finish in the carry handle when removing and replacing it a few times its so tight. Ive only found one carry handle they didnt fit very snugly in, a Colt, interestingly.
Yes, they are definitely higher than optimal, but the reliability in maintaining zero was worthwhile. In the A1 days, that was also all there was to mount a scope to unless you did a custom flat top. Ive ended up using the mount again on flat top guns because its what I had available at the time. I guess Im used to the chin weld effect. Prairie dogs @ 300 yards were toast. The zero held fine.
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
What about the Leatherwood carry handle mounted weaver rail? Did you ever try that one?
When I was young and impressionable, a Colt HBAR wearing a 3x9 on a leatherwood carry handle mount was the first centerfire rifle I ever shot. I hit the target at 100 yards so I was stoked. I was 7 years old