#CarryHandle

Springfield Armory has a new (and yet old?) rifle, the SA16-A2. As you can probably tell, it is a clone of the venerable M16A2 rifle. It even includes the proper integral carry handle.

Primary Arms has been steadily improving and expanding its range of optics. The lineup of prism scopes has grown and undergone revisions, and the MicroPrism family is the current flagship. This review will cover the SLx 3x model, which sits between the 1x and 5x versions.

LaRue Tactical has an interesting new take on the classic carry handle mounting rail. The AccARizer rail runs from the carry handle to the front sight post with one continuous rail surface. Let’s take a look at the details. 

Brownells, once the unquestioned leader in the retro AR space, is beefing up their lineup once again. These three new retro uppers add a newer twist to the range. Let’s break them down.

With the new Springfield Armory long-barrel Hellion rifle release, it has increased my fervor for the platform even more. Daniel Y. is reviewing the 20″ barreled Hellion for TFB while I am reviewing it for our sister site, AllOutdoor.com. Playing with the long barrel Hellion got me thinking “What If?” with regards to alternate Hellion carry handle options? So I whipped up some Photoshop mock-ups to see what could be possible if someone was to make a new carry handle for the Hellion platform. In this article, I photoshopped my ideas and in some cases crudely placed handles on guns as a rough draft.

That’s all until next year.

One of my favorite stories to write each SHOT is a summary of all things throwback. The Retro Roundup gives me an excuse to snoop around the show looking for anything new in the world of the old. This year’s offerings were so plentiful that I split the article into two parts. This is the non-AR portion. Here are a few of the standouts from SHOT Show 2023.

Windham Weaponry continues to add new rifles to its lineup, including an XM177 variant. The XM177 family was one of the first AR-style carbines to enter wide use. Several variants were used, including the XM177E2 and GAU5/A. Most original versions featured a ~4″ moderator attached to a 10″ barrel. The ATF decreed that the original moderator was a silencer and thus required a tax stamp.

The carry handle. Love it or hate it, it’s an iconic feature of the AR-15. In recent years there has been a resurgence in their popularity. Unfortunately, this has led to some misunderstandings and incorrect advertising. So let’s take a look at the common models and what sets them apart.

Retro guns have been undergoing a renaissance lately, with an increasing number of manufacturers offering firearms that appeal to more classic tastes. Many SHOT Show 2022 vendors displayed wares of interest for the carry handle gang or vintage enthusiasts, or just people who already have plenty of modern guns and just want something different.

Tommy Built is the company responsible for keeping the G36 fandom alive and well stocked with G36 style weapons in the US. For those of you not familiar with Tommy Built and his G36s, he started off converting the HK SL8 into G36s. Last year I posted about Tommy Built’s US-made T36 receivers. Well, Tom has continued by making his own T36 upgrade accessories.