....straight outta Windham, Maine. 2007-2008. A1 carrying handle permanently molded into the upper. Classic... Simply classic... 100% "old school".

BUT, with that said. Would you leave it as is, with the iron sights, or would you swap this out, swap that out, and trick it up?
Just wondering....

I would leave as is, if someone wanted to duplicate that today, they would spend a few bucks.

Recent acquisition?

What do you want to use it for?

The real answer is, it's your's, do what you want.

"2007-2008", not really "old school" to me. Like john said, it's yours make it how you like it. Old school to me would have an A2 stock on it, but then again yours doesn't have a long handguard and 20" HBAR either. You are not going to hurt the value by changing some stuff on it. It's not like its a pre ban bushy or pre ban Colt..

Thanks... Yeah, it was (legally in Virginia* -- yes, yes, ATF people watching this thread!) gifted to me (Christmas present) by my older sister. It belonged to my (late) brother-in-law, who bought it brand new back around 2007 or 2008. Shot on the range about 200-300 rounds, and then my older brother-in-law got sick with cancer and passed away.

* Yes, it is perfectly legal to "gift" a firearm amongst family members, as long as they are in the same state. We're all in Virginia, Henrico County, etc... so it's 100% legit --- thank God!

Leave it as is. If you want a different version, order the parts from PSA and build another.

The older Bushmasters I’ve owned from that era and before were great AR’s. And accurate and very reliable too.

If it was mine I'd put a grip I liked better on it. Can't really see what's going on with that sling but would likely do something else with that. Outside of that looks like a fun gun just as it is.

It's a single point sling that my (late) brother-in-law installed on it. Goes over your head & non-dominant shoulder, and hangs directly centered over your sternum.

Edit: Regarding the overall condition of the old Bushmaster - my older brother-in-law kept it totally OEM stock, with the only accessory was an A1/A2 picatinny rail mount for the carrying handle. What he planned on doing, Lord knows. He got too sick with cancer by that time.

I would love to have it! Finding any kind of carry handle upper receiver to build something like this seems to be pretty well impossible now.

uppers are cheap, buy another upper

I would leave it as is but replace the hand grip with a better one.


Looks nice.

Old school to me would be A1 stock, triangle handguards, 20 inch barrel, 3 prong flash hider, and a grip without that obnoxious 'dog pecker knot' on it.
If your eyes work with the irons, leave it as is. If not, change out the complete upper assembly with something more optic friendly, but hang on to the carry handle upper.

The old SP-1 carbine was the first AR that got my attention. The main difference is it has a pencil barrel in it. Those are classic old school guns that still get it done.

I’d much rather have the A1 upper than a flat top or A2. I like the fixed carry handle because it has more room, I can’t get my hand comfortably in a removable carry handle and I like the rugged sights on the A1.

Leave it, put an Aimpoint on it.

Yep.

Wonder how many A2 rear sights have broken? Reason I ask is MTU uses them. And have been stories of more than a few dropped hard on concrete from height etc... and all surviving.

Looking at the A1 though, it sure is more protected. Thats obvious. But now that we concede that optics are strong enough for battle it makes one wonder if irons aren't plenty strong.

That said the other thing about A1 is there are basically not adjustable. IE zero it for whatever and use holdovers. You can't accidentally move the windage or elevation. I think I like that part the most about A1 sights.

None broken that I'm aware of but I heard of a guy while waiting to qualify took a siesta and someone may or may not have jacked with his A2 sight and kinda messed him up pretty well...

On a carbine, I'm good with a 200 yard zero out to 300 yards with holdovers, beyond that is just pure luck with any iron sights for me.

I bought an XM15-E2S in the late 90s. When I got it out to the range to sight it in I found that if I sighted in at 50, it would shoot several inches to the right at 100, and if I sighted it in at 100 it would shoot a few inches to the left at 50. I sent it back to Bushmaster and they made it right so I have no real complaint, except against my own bad luck. It turned out to be a pretty good rifle, at least for my purposes. I think swapped that one for a Browning .22 A-Bolt to give my nephew for his birthday.

Back in those days you couldn't give me a flat-top AR. These days it's just the opposite but to each his own.

Sweet!!! Look what I found on the internet! Hmmmm....

https://kearms.americommerce.com/aimpoint-carry-handle-mount.aspx

Or if you want to co-witness
https://www.precisionreflex.com/bases/795-pri-ar15-carry-handle-mount-standard.html

http://www.ridgerunneroutdoors.com/M16AR15-Cantilever-Mt-CoWitness_p_212.html

This. There are people all over the country lusting after that A1 upper right now as we speak.

kwg

Just like most things I want, they don't make it anymore.

I've seen a FEW on Gunbroker. I am simply not paying several hundred dollars for an upper receiver. I'll just have to continue to do without.

H&R is supposed to be producing a retro 20" pencil barrel AR-15 to be available in March,..triangular hand guards, trap door buttstock.

Considering the demand for retro ARs these days, I can't believe somebody isn't producing more components for them. Everywhere you look they're sold out.

I'd assemble an A1 clone if parts were available.

Brownell's was selling an AR clone a couple of years ago. They suddenly got out of the AR retro business. I have to assume it was because Nodak Spud was bought up by PSA and the parts became unavailable. PSA also bought the H&R trademark when Remington/Freedom Group went bankrupt.

I have an A1 clone I made from a Colt barrel, an Aero precision lower and a Nodak spud upper plus various real and wanna be AR/M16 parts. It looks the part from a distance but it's no where close to the real thing. If a guy is quick and lucky you can get an H&R lower and upper from PSA but you have to be there when the notice comes out they are available. They sell out quick.

kwg

gave one just like that to my nephew out in Birmingham. Lad works hard but with a home schooling mom and a bunch of kids, he has very little toy money.

Still searching in vain for any carry handle upper. I have found a few online retailers that claim to have A2 uppers... But they're companies like Thunder Guns/Thunder Tactical, and Model1 Sales.... which do not exactly have stellar reputations, so I'm afraid to order anything from them.... but still very tempted....


For the rifle I'm working on, I'll just have to settle for the hideous clamp-on carry handle/sight. Best I can do.

The XM15E2S was my first AR. Mine has the 4.5" barrel and welded on Phantom. I bought it at a time that was very difficult to find any AR-15. I very quickly bought a flattop receiver so that I could mount an optic. I was really surprised by how well that barrel shot.

So, I would, and did, swap parts out to make it what I wanted.

Stophel, I'm pretty sure that carry handle upper has been sitting in my parts drawer for years. I'll double check and PM you.

Still have it, PM sent, not asking several hundred.

Thinking back to my original post about my (late) bro-in-law's Bushmaster XM15-e2s...

Yes, he obtained the A1/A2 picatinny rail mount, from somewhere, someplace...
I have no idea what his original plans were, as he got too sick with cancer from Agent Orange exposure, all these decades later after Vietnam, and passed away.

I decided to take his (assumed concept) and mount the picatinny rail mount way up high on the carrying handle, and I bought a cheap TruGlo dual color RDS scope (one turn is Red, the other turn is Green), and mounted it up. It looks a little ridiculous, if you ask me... These old open sighted carry handle AR-15's varieties were what they were... 100% "old school" like we all remember from back in the day in bootcamp.

I have since removed the TruGlo RDS, contacted my son-in-law (on the USMC base), and said, "Take it... it's yours... Or pass it to another fellow Marine. Somebody could use it!".

Here is the only thing that looks right on that carry handle. Everything else is a wanna be. kwg

https://www.brownells.com/optics/scopes/rifle-scopes/retro-4x-carry-handle-scope/

I plan on keeping my old Bushmaster just as it was...