Reasons for resurgence of AR fixed handle upper popularity?

[Tim padilla]

Not sure it?s me or if others that have noticed. Seems like starting this year I?ve noticed a uptick in the demand / popularity of the old school fix handle AR uppers .
I do not know if it?s a specific upper from Colt during a certain time period or if it?s really all of the fix handle uppers from other companies such as Bushmaster/Olympic/DPMS/etc..

Is it due to the demand of people doing retro builds ?
Are all the original foundries that forged A1/A2type uppers not making them anymore and the supplies are all dried up ?

Interested to hear opinions or facts on the topic.

[Big Chudungus]

my yahoo shoot-it-all-up type shooter buddies like to put optics on top of the carry handle ("because its easier to look through") and scoff at suggestions of "proper cheek weld".

They also play lots of shoot'em up Video Games.

IIRC, at the dawn of FPS games someone came out with "viewer" that was like holding a rifle with some cheek weld etc. It went over a like a fart in church and never seen again.

[Spyder]

I like nostaligia. Same reason I have an old carburetor on an old 440 in an old Dodge. I've got a fun little carbine length A1 upper with triangle handguards and a 3 prong on it. With a 10/20 mag locked in it's a great little plinker. Whenever I manage to move out of CA, using the replica 20 round waffle mags will be even better.

[sigstroker]

It's probably mostly new shooters that just started in the last 10 years and don't know how much that old crap sucks. There's a reason the Army got rid of that crap.

[HKAllTheThings]

Someone watched Blood Diamond recently

[ir0nclash86]

1) sexier asf
2) optic height with a carry handle while wearing gear is perfect. People buy tall risers to get the same effect but some of us rather just use the carry handle instead.
3) sexy asf

[Peahi2]

SWAT was one of my favorite shows in the 70s when I was a kid.





Python cameo from an episode.



Tacticool for their time. **All images from IMFDB.ORG.

[tabascoz28]

Did someone say tacticool?

[stormvet]

Like stated nostalgia, the AR has gone full circle. Almost everybody has a flattop or 5, what’s left to do…go old school for the fun of it.

I started with the old school.

[MudCamper]

My first AR back in the 80's was an A2/A4 style with a removable carry handle. Love those iron sites. Simple dependability. Reasonable accuracy. No batteries or fragile optics. I played with optics on flat tops over the years, and still own a couple. But the carry handle is by far my favorite.

[The Gleam]

My first AR back in the 80's was an A2/A4 style with a removable carry handle. Love those iron sites. Simple dependability. Reasonable accuracy. No batteries or fragile optics. I played with optics on flat tops over the years, and still own a couple. But the carry handle is by far my favorite.

I have a detachable Colt carry handle on a Colt sled around here somewhere that came on a steal of a deal I got on a whole rifle with a Colt HBAR upper.

Took it off at one point, or swapped uppers, can't recall, and was going to sell it online - never got 'round to it, so will probably keep it. Tucke in a sandwhich bag in the parts bin most likely.

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[jarhead714]

Just remember, it’s a rifle not a F’n purse. Don’t carry it like one. It’s called a carry handle because that’s where the rifle carries the optic which as previously mentioned, is near perfect height for many different optics AND most mounts still allow the use of the rear sight.

[Barang]

my favorite.

[Devilock04]

I was looking for an A1 or A2 upper about 6 months ago as I had almost enough parts to put together another upper with parts I?ve taken off other uppers and I have a bunch of flat top uppers in various calibers.

I was planning on building a 1990?s style carbine with a fake suppressor, plastic hand guards and gas block mounted light, but I couldn?t find a new fixed carry handle stripped upper anywhere.

I ended up picking up a complete police trade in Armalite A2 upper off Gunbroker, but it has a mid length gas system so my fake suppressor won?t work. I?ll probably put a carbine length gas system in it eventually.

I guess I just got bored with the tactical stuff and wanted something different.

[jarhead714]

I think people are starting to figure out (or remember) that a 20” carry handle AR with a 36 yard zero and a sling is an idiot proof death ray out to 300 meters.