I was searching for a topic/thread I think I have read before that discussed the difference between the two but could not find it anymore. Any info, inputs would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Notice the difference between the height of the sight bases between the two:

Commercial Handle




Mil-spec Handle

The height difference between the "shelves" on which the two sight assemblies sit is .040 inches.

Edit for more info: The commercial handle is meant for use on carbines without an F-marked FSB or a taller sight post, and the mil-spec handle is meant for use on a carbine that has an F-marked FSB or has a taller sight post installed.

Thank you very much sir!

You're welcome. That was something I noticed a couple of years ago when I was getting ready to buy a detachable carry handle for a paperweight. The would-be paperweight turned into a rifle.

BTW, would a mil-spec carry handle work with a non-F marked FSB?

On a rifle, yes. On a carbine, chances are, it will, but if you run into problems while trying to zero your rifle, a simple fix is to buy a slightly taller sight post.

Oopps forgot another question: Are the folding rear sights similar in height when deployed with mil-spec or non-mil spec carry handles?

Topic Moved

Is the milspec carry handle for the M16A4 rifle different from the millspec carry handle for the M4/carbine in any way?

By the way, where can I buy a new.  I have been waiting to buy one from BCM for months but they just don't get them in.

Rainier Arms carry them (DPMS).  Olympic Arms also carry them.  If you are a "fit and finish" type of fella, the one that I got from Olympic Arms about three years ago has the best machining work.

The carry handles for the A4 and M4 rifles are the same. Both have 600 meter elevation adjustments as opposed to the A2's 800 meter elevation adjustments. I've bought two mil-spec handles out of the EE. Both were Colt, for whatever that's worth.

Or that Bushmaster had not refused to use "F" height FSBs or at least taller sight posts when needed - and to avoid this very simple solution, instead made their own entirely ass-backwards carry handle?  Would have made it much easier... you know, to do it right the first time.  

But as far as most commercial manufacturers are concerned - the .040 offset affects only about 15% of carbines only (not rifles) so chances are, most people will never zero their irons close enough, and never notice that they can't zero properly.  So, rather than do it right, they simply take the risk of a couple people a year complaining - tell them to buy their taller front sight post, and let the majority of the knowingly miss-assembled carbines remain unnoticed.  

The "commercial spec" detachable carry handle is one of the worst examples of the failure and refusal of a lot of commercial companies to build proper rifles and passing off the possibility of failure to the consumer.  If they're willing to take a risk of 15% of rifles being unable to be sighted in properly and send them out the door, what else are they willing to push to the consumer when they know it's substandard?

~Augee