The handle is removable and the rail is built into the receiver/upper. The front sight is not removable. My friends have AR's with the same front sight setup, and when they mounted traditional rifle scopes like a 3x9x40 you cannot see the front sight when looking through the glass. I�m not sure if it has something to do with the sight�s close proximity to the front of the scope, but it is not an obstruction.
I took a picture of the handle removed, but can't seem to post it in this reply. I'll try to edit my original post and see if that works.
