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8/27/2009 5:46:27 PM EDT
I have a Bushmaster carry handle and a Colt carry handle, but I have managed to mix them up and I don't know which one is which.

Here are pics of the forging marks:

Carry Handle 1


Carry Handle 2


Again, these are two different carry handles.  Which one is which?

Thanks

******UPDATE*********

To answer some of the questions posted:

Both sights are set on the "3" setting - one click away from "Z"

Both sights have 6/3 on the wheel.

The cardinal forged carry handle screws are staked on.

The A1 carry handle screws are removable.

I compared the height from the bottom of the carry handle to the base of where the sight housing sits on each carry handle.  The cardinal forged handle is noticeably shorter.

I then compared both carry handles to a known Colt carry handle off of my 6920.  The cardinal forged handle is shorter in the same area.  The A1 forged handle is the same height.  I don't know why I didn't do this in the first place.

So, I am pretty sure the cardinal forged carry handle is the Bushmaster and the A1 is the Colt.

And yes it does make a difference - as mentioned in this thread.  Since Bushmaster flat top uppers do not use the  F marked front sight base, which is shorter, the Bushmaster carry handle is shorter.

Thanks for everyone's comments.
8/27/2009 6:24:31 PM EDT
[#1]
Kind of hard to tell...those are forge marks, they don't indicate the make of rifle. I would guess that the one with the cardinal forge mark came off the Bushy.
8/27/2009 6:24:42 PM EDT
[#2]
I have seen both just as shown on factory Colt M4 carbines in our arms room.  There is no other way to determine which is which.  None of the Colt supplied CHs have the letter "C" anywhere and Cardinal Forge is one of the suppliers along with Cerro (keyhole) and Anchor Harvey and Alcoa.

Why the big desire to call one Colt and one BM?
8/27/2009 6:36:14 PM EDT
[#3]
on the colt the thumb screw stud will be staked on the end so the thumb screw wont screw all the way off.
I bet the A-1 marked one is the colt.
8/27/2009 6:43:35 PM EDT
[#4]
i have a cardinal forge carry handle and the thumbscrews dont turn off all the way on it.
8/27/2009 6:54:40 PM EDT
[#5]
just got a new bushy upper yesterday for my KISS gun, it has a square on the right side and has the same metallic, speckled looking finish on the windage body. i say the top one is the bushy
8/27/2009 7:00:36 PM EDT
[#6]
Does the top carry handle have an 8/3 elevation wheel??
8/28/2009 10:13:29 AM EDT
[#7]
whose stamp of the "leaning backwards smokestach"??? is stamped or embossed on handle #1??? the same marking is on a couple of carryhandles i have,, also i beleive my lmt upper.. is that cardinal???
8/28/2009 10:20:25 AM EDT
[#8]



Quoted:


whose stamp of the "leaning backwards smokestach"??? is stamped or embossed on handle #1??? the same marking is on a couple of carryhandles i have,, also i beleive my lmt upper.. is that cardinal???


Yes, Cardinal forge.



The "smokestack" is a Cardinal...








 
8/28/2009 10:47:36 AM EDT
[#9]
The Cardinal Forge mark is on my Colt Tactical Carbine. So, I would say the top one belongs to Colt.
8/28/2009 10:59:45 AM EDT
[#10]
Quoted:

Quoted:
whose stamp of the "leaning backwards smokestach"??? is stamped or embossed on handle #1??? the same marking is on a couple of carryhandles i have,, also i beleive my lmt upper.. is that cardinal???

Yes, Cardinal forge.

The "smokestack" is a Cardinal...

http://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/NC/SYMBOLS/images/cardinal.jpg
 


don't look like no damn cardinal to me,, looks like a falling smokestack. it's theirs,, they can make it look like whatever that catches their fancy
8/28/2009 12:32:06 PM EDT
[#11]
Every damn one of you is guessing.  No friggin way to tell.  Some of you don't even read the entire posting.
Both makers are common carry handle suppliers for Colt.

In the end what difference at all does it make to anyone?
8/28/2009 12:38:45 PM EDT
[#12]
Quoted:
I have seen both just as shown on factory Colt M4 carbines in our arms room.  There is no other way to determine which is which.

This.

Neither is a Colt. They are both carrying handles.

8/28/2009 12:46:05 PM EDT
[#13]
I have a Colt carry handle that came from........Now get this ............A Colt rifle..........It's forge mark does'nt look like either of those. It hs an A1
8/28/2009 12:58:12 PM EDT
[#14]
If I remember correctly, a dimensional difference is present: the height.  I will need to look at my sights tomorrow to get the numbers.
8/28/2009 1:54:21 PM EDT
[#15]
Top one is the one Bushy supplies with their rifles.
8/28/2009 2:22:21 PM EDT
[#16]
If I remember correctly, a dimensional difference is present: the height. I will need to look at my sights tomorrow to get the numbers.



that is what i was thinking i saw. I know i dont know much but it looks like the top one has a lower rear sight assembly. or a step between the lower sight assemblt and the top of the carry handle. i thought this existed on bushmasters that has a lower front sight post, and colts has a higher front sight post and so had no step from the sight to the handle . somthing about a "F" marked front sight base. someone please correct me (or ignore what i say) if i am way off here.
8/28/2009 3:42:06 PM EDT
[#17]
Bottom one is Colt. The "sight housing" sits higher than the actual carry handle. Every Colt carry handle I have seen has been like this. Likewise, ALMOST every commercial carry handle I have seen is like the top pic.

You may also find that the height from the bottom of the CH to where the bottom of the sight housing sits is a bit taller on the Colt made one, by around .040".

Is this another difference between "Mil Spec" and commercial? I'm not going there.
8/28/2009 4:31:40 PM EDT
[#18]
The top one is the same as what came on my 6920.
Either one will work fine.
8/28/2009 4:39:39 PM EDT
[#19]
Quoted:
Bottom one is Colt. The "sight housing" sits higher than the actual carry handle. Every Colt carry handle I have seen has been like this. Likewise, ALMOST every commercial carry handle I have seen is like the top pic.

You may also find that the height from the bottom of the CH to where the bottom of the sight housing sits is a bit taller on the Colt made one, by around .040".

Is this another difference between "Mil Spec" and commercial? I'm not going there.


Well it sits higher because it has elevation added as shown in the pix.......in other words, the base is not bottomed out.................tankers.................

8/28/2009 4:39:42 PM EDT
[#20]
My Bushy has the cardnal.
BK
8/28/2009 5:12:35 PM EDT
[#21]
oops
8/28/2009 5:31:53 PM EDT
[#22]
hijack inbound.

how bout this one. i bought it used listed as a colt. having no colt to compare it to i am not sure on it.



8/28/2009 5:34:02 PM EDT
[#23]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Bottom one is Colt. The "sight housing" sits higher than the actual carry handle. Every Colt carry handle I have seen has been like this. Likewise, ALMOST every commercial carry handle I have seen is like the top pic.

You may also find that the height from the bottom of the CH to where the bottom of the sight housing sits is a bit taller on the Colt made one, by around .040".

Is this another difference between "Mil Spec" and commercial? I'm not going there.


Well it sits higher because it has elevation added as shown in the pix.......in other words, the base is not bottomed out.................tankers.................



You missunderstood me, or I didn't explain myself well.

There is a difference, trust me. In the sight base casting or something. I have both versions (colt and unknown lower tier manufacture) and they "profile" different when both sights are bottomed out. Ask the OP if both sights are bottomed out, Judging by the sight wheel in the bottom pic I'm willing to bet they are.

Here are mine.

"Commercial"


Colt




FWIW the Colt has captivated thumb nuts and the other does not.


8/28/2009 5:42:39 PM EDT
[#24]
Well have you considered that what you are looking at is two different makers of rear sight bases both following a blueprint that allows for the front edge of the base to vary in height so long as other portions of the spec are true?  I am sure that there is more than one maker of sight bases.
Food for thought.

Edit... look at the pix of the carry handle above your last post and you will see yet another style of angle on the base........less slope than the ones you show.
Making you wonder don't it?
8/28/2009 5:55:30 PM EDT
[#25]
The post of the other carry handle makes me wonder, but I did state earlier there may be a difference in the sight base castings. And there is a difference in height (about .040) between my two handles forgings.

I will admit though that there may be more (or less) to this whole thing.

I know this doesn't really prove anything as I could be holding the calipers to get the desired result I want, but I assure you these measurements are accurate. At least as accurate as a cheapo Frankford Arsenal slide caliper can be.

"Commercial"


Colt


Damn, I need to get a life. Its Friday night and Im talking pics of carry handles.
8/28/2009 6:07:08 PM EDT
[#26]
This rack in our arms room shows some that look more like the one in the post above yours.........almost flat top base.
I doubt the ear height makes any crap of difference but the height of the sight aprature from the bottom of the handle with the base bottomed out would be a better point to measure for reference.
8/29/2009 1:18:58 AM EDT
[#27]
Quoted:
Every damn one of you is guessing.  No friggin way to tell.  Some of you don't even read the entire posting.
Both makers are common carry handle suppliers for Colt.

In the end what difference at all does it make to anyone?


A heck of a lot of difference.  Colt GHs put the rear sight poiint .04 inch higher than  Bushie hndles.

From the pics, it appers the Cardinal forged handle is Bushie.  You can confirm this by looking at the rear of the pieces.  the colt handle will have a noticably thicker steel base, at the bottom, than the Bushie iece.  Use of the Colt base will either nned a barrel w/an F base, or the .004 higher front sight blade that Bushie and DPMS sell.

8/29/2009 8:10:46 AM EDT
[#28]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Every damn one of you is guessing.  No friggin way to tell.  Some of you don't even read the entire posting.
Both makers are common carry handle suppliers for Colt.

In the end what difference at all does it make to anyone?


A heck of a lot of difference.  Colt GHs put the rear sight poiint .04 inch higher than  Bushie hndles.

From the pics, it appers the Cardinal forged handle is Bushie.  You can confirm this by looking at the rear of the pieces.  the colt handle will have a noticably thicker steel base, at the bottom, than the Bushie iece.  Use of the Colt base will either nned a barrel w/an F base, or the .004 higher front sight blade that Bushie and DPMS sell.



So you are saying that the Colt uses a thicker sight base (metal thing that sits on the carry handle) than BM uses?  Other than that the basic frame of the carry handle is the same?  

8/29/2009 8:30:57 AM EDT
[#29]
Quoted:
I have a Bushmaster carry handle and a Colt carry handle, but I have managed to mix them up and I don't know which one is which.

Here are pics of the forging marks:

Carry Handle 1
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/officerlow/IMG_1869.jpg

Carry Handle 2
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/officerlow/IMG_1870.jpg

Again, these are two different carry handles.  Which one is which?

Thanks

My Colt detachable carry handle that came with my 6721 carbine with the forge markings of "AB" looks like your pic on the bottom, when it is adjusted the lowest setting the upper edge is even with the top of the carry handle.

I agree, if you could measure yours adjusted at the lowest setting, measure from the peep hole to the bottom, the taller one is the mil-spec Colt and the lower one is the commercial brand.


9/3/2009 4:35:36 AM EDT
[#30]
Original post updated.
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