Public service announcement- don’t buy cheap carry handle sights!

[@cabragooncabulous4082]

Finally someone put a video out on this.

[@crankygunreviews]

I didn’t know it was missing lol

[@shadowwolf9503]

@@crankygunreviews Great video. My son recently bought a carry handle for me on my birthday. I have been wanting one to put on my S&W M&P 15. I served with a National Guard Field Artillery Unit, 1982-88. We had the ole M-16A1's, and I like the carry handle on AR's. Anyway, I found a carry handle for sale from an online company called Arkansas Armament. It was on sale - from $55 down to $28. It looked good in their add and they bragged about their "No BS guarantee". Their shipping was fast. Oh, and shipping was free. I received the handle in 3 days. But that's all I can say good about the company. Lol. It is a no name, probably Chinese, piece of crap ! It is very similar to the piece of crap you have. And their "No BS guarantee" ? Lol ! I have called them several times. No one will answer. I get a recording saying to leave my name, phone number and problem I'm having. No one has called me back. And their E-mail ? I tried that twice. My message wouldn't send and it says their E-mail is invalid. So much for getting my son's money back. I'll sure be much more careful next time I go looking for a carry handle. Didn't have that problem with my M-16A1. It was built in ! Lol. But I want to warn others about this Arkansas Armament company. They seem to be very shady. Thanks again for the video.

[@archmageofmetal8883]

Dude I had no Idea carry handles were so complicated. Thanks for putting this out here.

[@crankygunreviews]

@@archmageofmetal8883 just a simple guide :)

[@archmageofmetal8883]

@@crankygunreviews I've been looking for one and they range from 20$ to 300$ and I was just wondering what in the heck is the difference. Now I know.

[@crankygunreviews]

@@archmageofmetal8883 the UTG ones are pretty good. Made in USA and forged.

[@charlesludwig9173]

@@crankygunreviewsget a Colt carry handle sight, sometimes available from Brownells.

[@michaelphillips5786]

This info is soooooo helpful! I'm new to carry handles, thank you!

[@crankygunreviews]

@@michaelphillips5786 for quick reference, the UTG handles are Forged and made in US. I think the Palmetto State Armory ones are budget and pretty good as well.

[@fireemblemistrash75]

I believe Palmetto makes forged carrying handles and so does AR Stoner. And you have a point. Some basic signs to look for to see if its forged are: 1.) the stamped serial numbers 2.) the keyhole 3.) the large tightening heads and the little ridges on the ends of the screws. Im considering grabbing a psa upper for a build so I could have old school car/m4 build.

[@robertneal3364]

Bet I just ordered an ar stoner one haven’t seen it yet was hoping it was worth the 70$👍

[@fireemblemistrash75]

@@robertneal3364 hope its a dream! Ended up going the Block 1/2 style with a quad rail and KAC grip!

[@showtime1235]

@@robertneal3364i just ordered mine how has yours held up?

[@michaelshaffer8451]

Another great review, but then again, I’d expect no less from you.👍🏻 I ran into this same issue a few years back when I purchased my Colt LE-6920. Colt stopped shipping the A-3 handle back around 2012 and mine was a 2019 model. I didn’t have a red dot at first and I didn’t want to wait a month or so for Colt to ship one out to me, so I went to my LGS to see if they had one. I’ve been a loyal customer of this particular LGS for over 20 years and I only buy good stuff, both weapons and accessories. The LGS is located in a questionable part of town because the owner is a self-labeled cheapass and likes the low rent. With that, he tends to keep his better stuff in the back room and won’t bring it out unless you ask him if he has something better. Like I said, I’ve been going there for 20 years and he knows I won’t buy crap, so when I went in to buy the handle, one of his newbs reached around and grabbed one of the cheapies off the pegboard behind him. It looked identical to the cheap one in your video and I wasn’t impressed. As I looked it over, the owner came out of the the office to say hi and see how I was doing. As he walked up, I held up the handle and all I said was “seriously?”. He grabbed it, put it back in it’s plastic bag and put it back on the pegboard as he said “hang tight…” He came back a few seconds later with one from Colt and the quality was immediately apparent. I practically broke my wrist reaching for my wallet. On my way out, he reminded me to ask for him the next time I came back so I’d avoid getting the crap on the shelf.

[@crankygunreviews]

Lol, that’s a good story. I’m pretty friendly with a few shop owners too, but most of the shops I frequent are pretty small, and they put most of the inventory out so it’s fun to pick through it. Found some good deals on nice vintage holsters, grips, speed loader, and other odds and ends.

[@lord_kinbote3920]

My PSA carry handle on my A4 clone was about $80. It has a BAFE forge mark on the side.

[@crankygunreviews]

Good to know!

[@benrent6625]

Thanks man I didn't know that, I was wondering about how good they were on PSAs

[@showtime1235]

how’s it held up for you so far? been looking at em

[@benrent6625]

I've prob had 350rds thru it, no malfunctions at all and accuracy has been good​. It's as accurate as I can be@@showtime1235

[@Beavis4pres]

I've used a few low cost carry handles, no problems except one where it had a similar c clamp issue. A couple of plunges on the drill press fixed the improperly placed clamp holes and got solid engagement.

[@crankygunreviews]

Well, this was was garbage

[@plaiddad276]

I'm a fan of these carry handle rear sights and have purchased several of them over the years. The best ones I've stuck with are the PSA and the Leapers UTG. ZERO problems with these and have held up perfectly. These will cost you about a 100 bucks but worth every penny.

[@crankygunreviews]

@@plaiddad276 UTG stuff is pretty good, and I think forged now.

[@crankygunreviews]

@unclegus-vx7jc I agree- that’s the last one I bought, and I like it. Forged, tight, good lock knobs…

[@positiveanion4085]

My UTG PRO one drives me nuts because the 3/6 flat and marking do not line up with the mark on the handle.

[@charlesludwig9173]

@@positiveanion4085just turn out the 1/16th Allen head screw which indexes the top and bottom of elevation wheel and index for 6 clicks of depression from the 6/3,marking. This will permit a 300 meter zero with BDC function while also hosting a 200 meter zero.

[@East_Coast_Toasty_Boy]

"freedom IS the greater good"... that's what I'VE been saying!!! Thanks for getting it.

[@crankygunreviews]

👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@rbm6184]

I have a Leapers UTG carry handle on my rifle length AR. It is back at that time a $80 (today around $100) carry handle so it was not cheap and it does the job very well. When I built my M4 I had a spare backup carry handle on hand and just used that one. Cheaper and with NcStar it can be hit or miss if you get a good one. It is kind of a mid priced carry handle. Back when I got it the price was around $20-$30 but today I see them at $45. Mine works fine but I agree that if possible get a good mil spec military grade carry handle. No matter which you get make sure its mil spec military grade, not commercial. Also thread lock the screws just like you would for any scope mount and rings so you don't lose zero. Thanks for sharing. I need an A1 butt stock for my M4 to replace the mil spec adjustable. I want a fixed stock and with the smaller M4, the smaller A1 stock.

[@crankygunreviews]

Thanks for sharing. My original one may have been a UTG. They have some decent stuff- I think all my flip up irons are made by them

[@BaconSlayer69]

NC Star is crap Chinese made do not buy

[@BaconSlayer69]

Same with UTG

[@nofortunatesonII]

The UTG's that I have seen all have the square forge identification mark indicating Brass Aluminum forge. These are the same forgings both FN and Colt use. The UTG carry handle is an excellent one (mil-spec 7075-T6), and I really doubt UTG makes them. My guess is they are actually FN's branded as UTG.

[@NOTHOTlanta]

I have three, one from Bravo Company, and two from Windham. All are good and all cost over $100.

[@crankygunreviews]

Excellent.

[@AnthonyD1986]

Did bravo company discontinue those? I can’t find them anywhere.

[@blue6gun]

With the fixed A2's it's a bit more forgiving as far as quality between vendors goes but you can still get had. The upside there is that if you install the assembly yourself you'll have ur hands on every individual component so if there's a question of quality you'll know soon. The cheap cast aluminum detachable handles seem to have issues with wind age a lot of times too.

[@crankygunreviews]

@@blue6gun yeah I agree

[@thechristfollower1723]

With carry handles you actually want it 2nd to rearmost notch, or in otherwords the frontmost notch should be aligned with the front screw of the handle so that the handle looks flush with the face of the upper receiver. I hope this helps you in the future

[@crankygunreviews]

Thanks!

[@andysharlofsky627]

I agree it mounts at the front of the upper receiver

[@crankygunreviews]

Thanks, I moved it, but to me 3/4 inch fore or aft doesn’t seem to matter to me

[@charlesludwig9173]

@@crankygunreviewst matters because when sight is not placed in correct position the sight radius will not produce a .75 MOA click value from the sight when mounted to an M4, or a .5 MOA click value when sight is mounted to an A4. At 25 meter zeroing distance an incorrect sight mounting position cannot be discerned but at distance the sight will not have a BDC function as expected.

[@The_Warrior526]

I got the 20" "A4" upper from PSA (And the fixed stock lower) with the detachable carry handle with it. I set it up with the RIBZ method, the last time I had it out, and used a printed copy of the 25M A2 army target. I got it dialed in pretty good with the M855. Just wish I had access to a 300m range so I could see what it was like at that distance. lol.

[@crankygunreviews]

Good method! The PSA handles are Decent from what I’ve heard

[@charlesludwig9173]

Shooting M855 you can index your sight for 6 clicks of depression and then you can get a 50/200 zero, and still access a 25/300 zero plus full bullet drop compensation function. Be sure to produce a trajectory calculation for a 300 meter zero @ a muzzle velocity of 3020 from chronograph @ 78 feet. This is essential. And also apply standard atmospheric conditions.

[@coppertopv365]

Good Rewatch for me, I'm refreshing my memory, and this is a good video

[@crankygunreviews]

Thanks. I just bought another one, UTG which had good reviews, and is supposed to be forged and mil spec

[@coppertopv365]

@@crankygunreviews I'm looking to buy an unused one tomorrow from someone, and according to what you say it's not poured, and seems of good Quality. So I may buy it and your video is a good reference point.

[@yogsothoth6970]

My carry handle is a Knight's Armament. It has the Anchor-Harvey (split A) forge mark. Got it for $80.

[@crankygunreviews]

That’s awesome!

[@petesheppard1709]

Nice discussion! I have a no-name, cast carry handle that I picked up several years ago, that I've had good results with. It clamps tight and holds zero. The only gripe I have is that the 0-2 aperture does not fully align with the sight channel in a carry handle optic mount I recently bought, though the long-range aperture does.

[@crankygunreviews]

Yeah they’re hit or miss sometimes

[@petesheppard1709]

@@crankygunreviews Thankfully, mine is a hit overall.

[@172turtla]

Very good discussion here, thanks for the video!

[@crankygunreviews]

You’re welcome

[@richardturk7162]

I have several Colt USA carry handles and even a Diemaco (Colt Canada) very rare carry handle. I have a cheaper one the screw shafts are proud like they should be and the casting marks are almost not visible. Its on a cheaper build I did a while back. The cheaper one works just fine and I have had do issues with it at all.

[@crankygunreviews]

The UTG are decent for the price

[@AckzaTV]

i 3d printed my own carrying handle, and in the slicer i just added a picatinny rail on top, back and sides so i can just have a reddot on top. its on makerworld and printables a nice printable carrying grip and u can also find a printable rear sight and u can combine them in the slicer, witha lil work u can print your own rear site , all of it,a nd use nuts and bolts and shit, honestly, its worth it. i got it down to UNDER 90 grams of filament at 100% rectilinear infill 6 walls. too. u can print the wheels, and add ur own springs and still print alot of the pieces iof u really want it functional, ima try tow ork on a fully print in place version that u canjust print andit works damn well as 3d printers are acurate, and with some metal peces it wont warp too much.

[@justinschuyler]

Good video and you own up to your mistake of trying to cheap out. We’ve all been there once or twice. I’m gonna help you out… the correct position for that is all the way forward on the upper.

[@crankygunreviews]

Thanks 👍

[@331StrokedGT]

You can buy a picitinny carry handle cantilever mount that will put the red dot just in front of the delta ring. I use one on one of my rifles.

[@crankygunreviews]

@@331StrokedGT good to know

[@mattcorley9811]

I bought an UTG carry handle last year and have had NO problems. I thought it cost a lot compared to the Amazon/Ebay ones (I think it was 60 bucks, but can't remember exactly) , but it was better than gambling on a cheap one.

[@crankygunreviews]

UTG stuff isn;t bad when you can find it. I really like their backup iron sights, their AFG's and a few other components. i would have bought their carry handle if I could have found one easily when I got this one. The cheap one I bought here was actually supposed to be a carbon fiber one, but the low rent discounter I bought it from online said "They substitute with equal quality parts when the listed ones are not available" - I was not happy...

[@tsoliot5913]

UTG is literally the "made in Taiwan 🇹🇼 " to the majority of "made in China products. Their owner and CEO is trying to adapt Chinese business practices to US life, and he's dedicated the company to making good products for cheap instead of trash. They really need help with their marketing. Not stellar stuff, but good enough.

[@leonstancliff7218]

They are all cast aluminum, some are just cleaned up and polished better than others, that is why they cost 1/3 the price. You also have very nicely finished poly handles for less than the cheap cast. Some of the poly handles look so much like aluminum you can't tell until you put a file against them. The security pins for the P-rail clamps are made to be popped out and turned over so the round section catches the notches. They install them flat side down to save time in finishing since you can turn only one and insure good fit but sometimes not both. Basically the difference in cost is the price of a stripped lower so for the difference you can start another build project. Quantity has it's own quality.

[@crankygunreviews]

Nope, they're not all cast aluminum - just google forged versus cast aluminum carry handle sites.

[@terrysaunders2026]

You said you wished you could get the triangular hand guards for this rifle. They actually do make them in the carbine length. A few years ago I saw them on either SARCO or Numrich ads. I’ve only ever seen the triangular on rifle length M-16s during my time in service, but I’ve seen pictures of early XM-177s and USAF GAU -5s with triangular hand guards.

[@crankygunreviews]

I know they make them, but after a little soul searching, I decided to stick with round ones. I grabbed a Del Ton 20” upper which has the triangle Handguard bracket but sound guards so I could swap it if I want to.

[@terrysaunders2026]

@@crankygunreviews I just need a pencil profile 20” barrel for my next build, I have everything else. My early 2024 project to get me through the winter.

[@crankygunreviews]

@terrysaunders2026 excellent!

[@astragreen]

Triangular hand guards on a flat top, no I think not!.

[@crankygunreviews]

@@astragreen to each their own

[@naughtystep285]

I’m still researching (& saving!) for my 1st AR. I saw the overall difference in quality but your explanations cleared it up. Good looking rifle!

[@crankygunreviews]

You can save for an expensive AR or buy a budget one and a lot of ammo. Most people won’t know the difference shooting a few hundred rounds a year through a budget AR

[@naughtystep285]

@@crankygunreviews Definitely budget for my first. Spent a lot buying misc. mags, including AR and for my PCC. If not for WA banning standard cap mags, I’d have it already. I’m probably getting it from PSA. Great service so far, and they’ll sell me a rifle without the mags. Lost work from the “Vax” mandate awhile too. Maybe I need to restore a few tractors?! 🤔

[@crankygunreviews]

@@naughtystep285 I sell anything I can to keep my hobbies going :)

[@cliffordmontana4562]

@@naughtystep285 Dude, just quit wasting time and get a PSA! I mean that with all respect. They are so fun. Start with a nice lower with the EPT (enhanced polished trigger) and magpul furniture. Don’t get cheap stock and grip, because you’ll waste money switching them out for Magpul or other brands. Don’t hesitate to get a “Blemish” upper to save money. They go down to around $130. Good luck.

[@woodsghost9088]

Somebody said it but I'll say it again. Buy the PSA lower NOW! WA is trying to ban ARs so you need to get things done NOW! Buy a lower. Don't buy a whole gun. Buy a lower with the stock and grip and trigger all installed. THAT is the firearm. You can buy uppers later. Also, you pay 11% more in tax when you buy a upper and lower together. But buying them separately saves you 11%!!! Just put an upper and lower together and BAM you have an AR! And pay attention to PSA, they will sell uppers without charging handles and bolt carriers. I recommend buying a upper which has the bolt anf carrier already in it. But buy the lower now for $130-$160!!! The special EPT(?) trigger is nice and the Magpul furniture is nice but my second upper I got was the plain Jane and I am plenty happy with it. But for $30 more, if you will only have 1 lower for the next 5-10 years, that special lower is a good buy.

[@Rustyshackleford85]

Alot of fraud on ebay. I've seen cheap ones labeled as colt with 50 watchers. They're paying premium prices for junk.

[@crankygunreviews]

Yep.

[@ianstokes7081]

Ive got one from PSA and another from Spikes Tactical. Pleased with both so far.

[@crankygunreviews]

Great!

[@EDOGZ818]

Thank You! I just Sub'd because this video deserves it!

[@crankygunreviews]

Thanks for the sub!

[@ryanblackgoat4741]

I need a keyhole marked carry handle for my colt 6920....just so it we'll match the keyhole lower and upper

[@cornbreaddiabetic4615]

You can rebuild the cheap carry handles, remove the dumb giant bolt knobs and tap the screws out, add lag bolts and nuts, cut the excess bolt off and file down. It locks up tighter than any high dollar A2 sight

[@drewb5738]

Buy once, cry once. Buy nice or buy twice. - Usually good advice when it comes to firearms.

[@crankygunreviews]

True, but not everyone has the budget to buy the best all the time

[@woodsghost9088]

Buy "enough" quality. I don't need Daniel Defense quality. But is PSA right? They have been good to me so far?

[@woodsghost9088]

I am running Midwest Industries irons and a Sig RDS, so again, you don't always need to spend a fortune to get "enough" quality, but when it's important, go for that extra few dollars. And a $70 sight for someone making $30k/year is tougher than for someone making $80k/year.

[@crankygunreviews]

@@woodsghost9088 I agree with this statement. I mean, I bought a forged no-name handle for $20 instead of buying a Colt or DD

[@crankygunreviews]

@@woodsghost9088 very very true

[@billmoyer3254]

I gave you a thumbs up just on your channel name. The content is better still! Thank you.

[@crankygunreviews]

@@billmoyer3254 aww that’s awesome! Thanks!

[@MADMAX839]

Thank you.

[@ron8566]

Really good tutorial. Thank you.

[@crankygunreviews]

No problem

[@SSK-27]

Thanks man, this helped me.

[@crankygunreviews]

Glad it helped

[@cadamsm11]

Nice video-You touched on it briefly, but do you (or the commenters) have anything to add concerning the ‘canting,’ or spring pressure that pushes the assembly off-center? I just got a nice, forged handle (square mark), but unless cranked all the way down, it wants to spring to the left. Thanks, Chris

[@crankygunreviews]

I assume you mean on the sight base? Best fix I have is a piece of business card lol

[@cadamsm11]

Yes, I’ve done a ton of reading recently on this. Armalite in the 90’s apparently put out a rebuttal saying they are built this way on purpose, and some canting to the left doesn’t affect anything. But in the same response, mentioned that match shooters often buy a sight with tighter tolerances or even weld a tab to eliminate the problem….I thought you just said there was no problem! I did slide a thin brass strip in the right-side gap, which works, but it makes you wonder how many thousands of troops had sights that weren’t quite right!

[@crankygunreviews]

@@cadamsm11 you can compensate for it by adjusting your windage a tick and you’re back to normal,

[@cadamsm11]

You are right, a simple solution. When I’m cranked down to 6/3, the pressure on the base keeps it in place if I want to ‘keep it straight,’ so it’s a moot point unless I’m dialing, which I rarely do. Chris Bartocci of Small Arms Solutions was kind to reply to me and explained where the axis of the sight is, the slight cant doesn’t make a difference. @@crankygunreviews

[@crankygunreviews]

@@cadamsm11 Chris is awesome. Good to know information as well

[@abstractapproach634]

Idk, with the weapons these days you get what you pay for, but iron sites are hit and miss. I have an Ozark, I think it's similar to yours, but no wiggle. The fit and finish leave something to be desired and the elevation know twists a bit but the apature stays on the same spot.

[@crankygunreviews]

As long as the sight stays put, and I can hit my target, I’m ok with it, even if the finish isn’t the best

[@therealsolo23]

Got the anderson ones. Hopefully it’s good enough

[@crankygunreviews]

I haven’t tried the Anderson ones.

[@garyK.45ACP]

Great video. For reference, a good quality A2 rear sight assembly, itself...unassembled...costs $65-85. $100+ for an NM sight. JUST for the sight. Unassembled. Expect a decent carry handle with sight to cost $80-100. You may find one cheaper in an auction...but follow the tips in this video to identify a good one. Poor quality sights will not hold zero, will change windage zero when flipping from the large to small aperture, be very stiff to operate (or very loose) and not be consistent for each "click" of adjustment. They can also be very loose in the carry handle base. The carry handles themselves may not have staked knobs and the cross bars often do not engage the slots in the top rail, as shown in this video. If you are expecting to _actually use_ the sight...and it isn't just a piece of "decor" for a "look", then buy a good quality handle/sight.

[@crankygunreviews]

Completely agree

[@Danstheman1357]

I bought a midway USA stoner carry handle and the sight has so much wiggle. kinda pissed, debating on trying to get a refund but its already on the rifle

[@crankygunreviews]

At least they’re not hard to remove 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@CraigKrohn]

I had the same issue with same manufacturer

[@theshapeexists]

I bought a psa carry handle sight for my del ton. Great for $70. I l8ve the bang for your buck psa delivers

[@crankygunreviews]

Yeah I appreciate they’re price and value

[@nunyabusiness7405]

this is why i purpose built my a2's with forged a2 carry uppers. no screw on carry handles.

[@crankygunreviews]

Yeah the forged uppers are nice

[@archangel20031]

I got a cheap one and just replaced the small attachment screws with larger ones and a thicker end plate..

[@crankygunreviews]

If you have or can find those parts easily great. Not everyone can

[@untouched303659]

Those cheap sights are good for stripping the sight out for carry handle upper receivers if your on a budget.

[@coreym172]

No. The a2 sights are different specs than an m4 carry handle and will not properly fit and will not zero correctly. The a2 sight drum is slightly thicker and also is at a different range setting from an m4 carry handle. Trust I know because I thought that was a great idea and tried it and failed and then researched and quickly found out and had to order accordingly.

[@billfast]

they do make carbine length triangle hand guards .

[@crankygunreviews]

I know but they look goofy

[@sigspearthumb1056]

Did that carry handle really have a 5/3 marking. What’s up with that do they actually make them like that?

[@crankygunreviews]

I’ve seen several like that- I think if you give it another full rotation from the 300 setting it’s for 500

[@rustynail246]

I only buy surplus carry handles, no UTG, Tacstar, Aimsports, or shit like that.

[@crankygunreviews]

The UTG are actually good forged handles. I bought one after this video, and it is made in the US, forged, and seems to be as good as the MilSurp one I have here.

[@cooperrogers9076]

I have a cerro carry handle that is legit, but the rear sight housing also twists like your fake one. Any chance you know how to fix that? I think i might be missing that set screw.

[@crankygunreviews]

I shoved a piece of business card in mine

[@GUARDIAN.13]

Just buy a monstrum. They are like 35 bucks and not only are they made of 7075t6 aluminum but it has actual sqaure locking lugs forged into the bottom to keep it from moving back and forth instead of using the screws as lugs.

[@crankygunreviews]

I may need to try one of those

[@GUARDIAN.13]

@@crankygunreviews I love mine. Their prism scopes and new in the front prism magnifiers are amazing as well

[@jessehohler9464]

That a monstrum? Recently got the same one. loose as hell mine the side rail dosnt even fully go around the bolts bet your is same way. I got 2. 1 fits great & you can see the difference

[@crankygunreviews]

Not sure what brand mine is

[@Aegisltd]

Just gave thumbs up number 223; would’ve rather been like number 556 but still appropriate 👍

[@crankygunreviews]

That’s awesome :)

[@lewismingledorff6417]

Very helpful. Thank you.

[@crankygunreviews]

👍

[@daveyburton3557]

Luth-ar has the carbine length triangle handgaurds. $40ish

[@crankygunreviews]

Good to know

[@TheMailmanOfSteel]

You mounted the carry handle wrong, its supposed to be flush with the front of the receiver.

[@crankygunreviews]

@@TheMailmanOfSteel OK, but in theory if I move it further back on the pic rail, I should have a better site radius. I can shoot it fine where it is if it’s supposed to be in the front or in the back, it really really doesn’t matter to me.

[@TheMailmanOfSteel]

@@crankygunreviews 1 in of sight radius matters less than the difference between a 10.5 and an 11.5 barrel. No harm in doing it right and not looking goofy.

[@crankygunreviews]

@@TheMailmanOfSteel I didn’t think it was goofy till you said it was lol- honesty, I think someone else pointed that out a long time ago, and I believe I already changed it

[@TheMailmanOfSteel]

@@crankygunreviews No worries. I actually cut my carry handle long ago to use as a back-up sight behind an Aimpoint, back when Forged carry handles were easy to find for $20 or so on ebay.

[@crankygunreviews]

@@TheMailmanOfSteel 😳

[@davidschaadt3460]

I have four cheap ones. Real good video. But I knew what you were going to say. Hmmm.

[@crankygunreviews]

Once in a while you get lucky- I had a cheap one before and it was fine. This one not so much

[@-1Patroit.]

Get the Colt A2 and you got to best thats around. 180 but it’s worth it.

[@crankygunreviews]

Yeah very true

[@markh2715]

good info!

[@crankygunreviews]

FYI the new manufacture UTG carry handles are forged and made in US, pretty good for around $80

[@swampk9]

I have several Keyhole 4 surplus carry handles. Does anybody know the story behind them?

[@conchaholic7287]

Good info, thanks!

[@crankygunreviews]

You’re welcome. Just shop around. Look for forged and US made ones where possible, if you can afford them. I bought a UTG to replace thin one; made in USA, forged, and arpund$65-70 if I recall

[@willchrisman3220]

I was wondering: Was the second carry handle made by Monstrum?

[@crankygunreviews]

No idea- no name on either one

[@charlesludwig9173]

There are two detachable carry handle sight base heights. One is synced to F height front sight base and the other syncs to height of an A2 front sight base. A mismatch will prevent the rifle’s bullet drop compensation function from the sight to be realized. Also, the Communist Chinese detachable carry handle sights don’t function, period. I teach the Squad Designated Marksman Course and once encountered a Soldier’s Rifle that had been fitted with a Communist Chinese detachable carry handle, likely originating from a Ranger Joe’s down the street from post. I don’t completely know the circumstances for this but speculate a Soldier in an earlier class lost original carry handle sight during training and thus replaced it with the CCP sight. At any rate, the CCP sight, not being zeroable prevented the Soldier I was training to get desired results. Today, the detachable carry handle sight is obsolete, being superseded by the MaTech BUIS. So, the only application where the detachable carry handle sight is common and preferred these days is in US Service Rifle Marksmanship Training, where the detachable carry handle sight, when somewhat match conditioned, supports better scores than can be produced from the MaTech, which cannot be synced to match ammunition to get exacting elevation setting from a 6 o’clock hold at some distances. Now, one thing for sure, learning sight alignment and sight picture from irons will get the novice marksman off to a better start because irons better reveal the shooters understanding for having properly aligned sights than can be recognized from a shooter’s maintenance of eyeball to scope reticle relationship. Also, with practice a shooter can easily get results from irons on par to a scope and even better results from irons than shooters using a scope sight but having no initial marksmanship development from iron sights.

[@crankygunreviews]

I learn more every day, thanks for posting your comment, I guess I’m not sure which carry handle I have, whether it’s for my front sight or not, but it seems to work pretty well.

[@charlesludwig9173]

@@crankygunreviews a mismatch will prevent zeroing. You will shoot too low or too high.

[@crankygunreviews]

@@charlesludwig9173 that’s if you follow the correct zero procedure :)

[@charlesludwig9173]

@@crankygunreviews right. Back a few years ago Rock River produced some match conditioned A4’s for shooters competing in US Service Rifle Competition. They delivered the rifles to dealers fitted with mil-spec height carry handle sights and A2 type front sight bases. These rifles could not be zeroed properly to shoot at 200 yard Military Decimal Target. Lots of these rifles got returned to Rock River. A few years later those rifles somehow ended up being used by the CMP for Small Arms Firing School where they all shot too high to be zeroed without bottoming out the rear sight and taking the front post for a full rev turn. Even then 6 o’clock hold with line of white was needed to get in X-Ring. Not good for novice shooters coming to the firing line to shoot from standing position. At any rate, the next season the rifles had been refitted with the proper F height front sight base to permit center mass hold. Very interesting stuff that for a lot of shooters was cause for frustration. I’m glad the mismatch problem is mostly over now. I remain vigilant however since I teach Service Rifle Marksmanship, thus I keep both an extra mil spec and commercial carry handle at hand to loan to students that come to class with a mismatch.

[@crankygunreviews]

@@charlesludwig9173 is there a marking on the rifle and carry handle that delineate what they are? I think I may have seen an “F” somewhere…

[@isaacsanchez3966]

Thanks bud really helpful

[@crankygunreviews]

No problem 👍

[@ahole5407]

And a LMT L8A rear sight is cast so what is your point?

[@crankygunreviews]

My point was don’t buy the cheapest cast sight handles you can find, like I did. Try to look for better ones. Even a UTG is made in the US and forged now, and better than whatever the first one I bought was,

[@sirmcpablo7349]

Bought one that was forged but the whole thing ended up being canted

[@crankygunreviews]

@@sirmcpablo7349 interesting. I’m sure they’re are bad forged ones as well. I bought a UTG us made forged ones for another rifle, and it is really good

[@Dark_Ages_Crusader]

For the money it costs to get a “good” detachable you can buy a stripped fixed upper receiver.

[@crankygunreviews]

Yep

[@hansblitz7770]

Nobody "builds" these rifles except the manufacturer. We assemble them. Pushing two pins together isn't building jack shit.

[@crankygunreviews]

No kidding I say that tongue in cheek. Meaning it’s a joke. And for the record, some guys do fully build their rifles- buying every part… this particular one was just two pins.

[@whiteyfisk9769]

Its a colloquialism dude, chill.

[@ar-15techtipsinunder5minut8]

The rear sight is suppose to be crooked and move, sticking a piece of paper in it defeats the purpose of the design.

[@crankygunreviews]

A more expensive and properly built Sight doesn’t have near the movement this cheap one does.

[@abstractapproach634]

Square, keyhole, or splintered A AR all known good forge marks.

[@crankygunreviews]

Thanks for the info!

[@Hamzat22]

I want to buy an areo a2 handle from brownells. Is that a good buy?

[@crankygunreviews]

Aero precision is typically very good, but I do not have any experience with their carry handle sights

[@some_cool_random_guy]

thanks

[@crankygunreviews]

No problem, shop carefully

[@joehalligan7497]

This is a really great video!

[@crankygunreviews]

Thank you very much!

[@rabidmaddog4130]

Dude, the round marks are NOT sprue marks. Those are ground down. And you have the c clamp part upside down. It wouldn't clamp like that if you spent $100 on it!

[@crankygunreviews]

I never said they were sprue marks, I said they were made from the mold. they’re probably on the inside of the mold. Also, the steel clamp is not upside down, it’s the same shape in either direction.

[@rabidmaddog4130]

Look again. I can see it's upside down

[@crankygunreviews]

@@rabidmaddog4130 it doesn’t matter it still won’t clamp strong enough and it still walks on the rail because the screws are not pronounced enough to sit in the pic slots.

[@rabidmaddog4130]

You don't want it, send it to me. I'll put it on my ARK mutant.

[@crankygunreviews]

It’s sitting in a drawer- backup just in case, but it’s not on a primary gun

[@Wlvrtnjm]

You're 1 notch too far rearward. Also, the cheap one might work better if the clamp weren't upside down. Triangle handguards are only available for rifle length gas systems. If you train at all, you should be able to look right over the iron sight while using your dot

[@crankygunreviews]

I was told by others I had the sight too far back as well. Also the clamp was the same shape whether right side up or upside down, you think I didn’t try that first? You can buy carbine length triangle handguards if you look there is at least one company that makes them. Training does help with red dots, but I’ve shot irons so much, I like them. Red dots do take practice, and I just haven’t put in enough yet.

[@consumer1073]

meters or yards for the range finder?

[@crankygunreviews]

On these I am not sure what they used. Maybe meters

[@joemorganeatmyshortschannel]

im fixed carry handle on my boog setup but if needed i could do a modern flat top receiver fit and finish do matter

[@crankygunreviews]

Fit and finish matter a lot 👍

[@DanielStankiewicz-f1o]

Never intended to be used as a carry handle

[@crankygunreviews]

I’m well aware. But it is a carry handle :)

[@Skinwalkerxiv]

Or get in with the company armorer and steal a bunch of them that haven’t been used in 20 years

[@crankygunreviews]

I don’t know any armorers and I do not condone stealing :)

[@Skinwalkerxiv]

@@crankygunreviews I was a company armorer for a while. I 100% did not steal any unseralized or unused things from the connex

[@crankygunreviews]

@@Skinwalkerxiv 👌👍😄

[@BaconSlayer69]

😅 get an LE style collapsible stock

[@crankygunreviews]

I like fixed stocks and they look like they comply with the stupid rules in my state

[@BaconSlayer69]

@@crankygunreviews what state u in and ur state is okay with mag capacity but a different stock no wtf is that clown ville

[@crankygunreviews]

I’m in Mass- we have 10 round mag capacity, fixed stock, no flash hiders… but there are some ways around some of that- pre ban, or de-featured guns kind of have weird rules. Our laws are weird.

[@BaconSlayer69]

@@crankygunreviews unconstitutional is what that is

[@crankygunreviews]

I agree. And I do what I can within the rules, but if you know the rules, you can find exceptions sometimes too

[@JimNobles-gv4ky]

8/3 or 6/3 is so inappropriate for the same rifle.

[@JimNobles-gv4ky]

5/3?????

[@crankygunreviews]

@@JimNobles-gv4ky 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@crankygunreviews]

@@JimNobles-gv4ky 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Leatherneck556]

Thumbs down for using the PC term "Modern Sporting Rifle". Otherwise really good video, but using PC language to win over people who are always going to hate you is a terrible strategy in the 2A culture war.

[@crankygunreviews]

It’s a good strategy to keep videos monetized though, I agree with you, but I try to play within the rules while still providing content- haven’t had any videos taken down yet luckily

[@paulfrehley7352]

I bought mine from Aero Precision for just under a hundred bucks. Pretty sure I got the good one.

[@crankygunreviews]

Yeah, Aero won’t ship to me cause I’m in a ban state so I have to look elsewhere

[@paulfrehley7352]

@@crankygunreviews WTF? I’m in California. What state “bans” the shipping of a fucking *rear sight* ???

[@crankygunreviews]

@@paulfrehley7352 not the state, Aero won’t ship to Massachusetts

[@paulfrehley7352]

@@crankygunreviews Oh ok, a company policy, not a state law. Then you could just have a friend in a state they ship to buy one & send it to you. The one Aero sent me is legit milspec.

[@crankygunreviews]

@@paulfrehley7352 yeah I have heard there’s are milspec and really good

[@nuyabiss]

Buy a good barrel a good bcg and good irons/optics don't cheap out in those 3.

[@Kballs]

Whew glad my handle is forged not chinesium.

[@crankygunreviews]

Makes a huge difference

[@andrewjohnson6907]

You bought an NCStar didn't you

[@crankygunreviews]

This cheap one was a no- name. Actually I tried buying a carbon fiber one off a discount website, and they sent me this garbage. I got a partial refund, then months later bought the forged one

[@magdump7380]

I bought a PSA carry handle back when they used to have them on the daily deals all the time. No complaints, solid carry handle.

[@nuyabiss]

Probably a colt carry handle...nice buy for 12 bucks damn.

[@crankygunreviews]

Yeah no kidding, usually EBay deletes items they deem possible to be used on a “assault style” weapon

[@JBidensucks]

Damn bro "Z" for zero would have immediately told me run away. That's not how it's supposed to be

[@crankygunreviews]

Well I’m not that versed in these, that’s why I made the videos for others

[@Butt-Head9]

I have a Brass Aluminum Forging Enterprises (square forge mark) sight that has the "z". and if you look into FM 3-22.9 basic rifle marksmanship you will see it refer to the z mark on the sight. even the 25 meter sighting in targets talk about the z mark. could you elaborate on how it's not supposed to be like that?

[@Butt-Head9]

(2) Battlesight Zero the M16A4 MWS. If necessary, the soldier should battlesight zero the weapon as follows (Figure 2-9): (a) Adjust the elevation knob (1) counterclockwise, when viewed from above, until the rear sight assembly (2) rests flush with the detachable carrying handle and the 6/3 marking is aligned with the index line (3) on the left side of the detachable carrying handle. To finish the procedure, adjust the elevation knob two clicks clockwise so the index line on the left side of the detachable carrying handle is aligned with the "Z" on the elevation knob. (b) Position the apertures (4) so the unmarked aperture is up and the 0-200 meter aperture is down. Rotate the windage knob (5) to align the index mark on the 0-200 meter aperture with the long center index line (6) on the rear sight assembly. archive.org/details/milmanual-fm-3-22.9-rifle-marksmanship-m16a1-m16a2-3-m16a4-and-m4-carb/page/n23/mode/2up

[@AmericaNeedsWeed]

Whats better psa or UTG? Or there another one?

[@crankygunreviews]

I don’t know, I bet UTG and PSA are about the same. I just picked up a UTG and it’s pretty nice. Forged, made in USA

[@FierceMouse]

I've had both. I broke the UTG when I used loctite and tried to remove it. My PSA is solid

[@crankygunreviews]

@@FierceMouse I’ve never seen the need for loctite- if they’re decent quality, they stay pretty tight, and I want to be able to remove it and put a red dot on if I choose

[@FierceMouse]

@@crankygunreviews - I agree. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way.

[@irockdirtyshoes]

Saved my $16! phew

[@crankygunreviews]

🤣🤣