Optics Mounted Atop M4 Carrying Handle

10 July 09 Optics mounted atop M4 "carrying-handle" At an Urban Rifle Course in CO last week, a student brought an M4 with the standard carrying handle. Atop the handle, and anchored only by a single screw, was an EOTech Optic. Another student brought an M4 with an ACOG similarly plunked on top of the carrying-handle. Neither set-up was satisfactory. Both optics were too high for any kind of cheek-weld, and the screw holding the EOTech came loose constantly. In addition, this set-up is so flimsy that a consistent zero could not be maintained. Optics on M4s and other ARs need a flat-top configuration and need to be anchored to an integral rail in order to be low enough, and sturdy enough, to run in a serious environment. Attempting to mount sights on top of the carrying handle is a poor idea, any way it is attempted, as these two students unhappily discovered. /John