#2 and #3 in Renegade’s picture are the configurations most commonly seen in the wild (+/- KAC grip), at least in the units I have been exposed to or seen wandering around FOBs.
Edit: This response is
totally irrellevant to OP’s question. I apologise.
250,000 optics is a lot of coin. Even at $500 a piece (not including training, parts, spares, etc) that is a lot of money for countries that are not the US. For perspective, that would be 0.31% of Brazil’s entire defense spending budget… just on the optics.
For that reason my guess is that the overwhelming majority of these rifles will be sold with Carry handles.
Let’s thrown in another question: The telestock kit for the M16A4 has a different NSN than the M4 telestock–is that just from a different buffer, or is it an entirely different assembly?
What do you mean by “most desired/requested”. Desired or requested by who? The most common setup since the KAC M5 RAS (ARS) came out has been with the ARS. Whether the rifle had a carry handle or backup ironsight is unit/person dependent. Although, there should be an aimpoint M68/M4 or ACOG if there’s the MATECH BUIS instead of the carry handle. The MATECH doesn’t have as fine or repeatable of an aperture as the carry handle.
My personal favorite M16-A4 was the SDM-R variant made by the Army Marksmanship Unit for 3rd ID. They took M16-A4s already on the receiving units’ property books and modified them.
There was a Preventative Maintenance Monthly section about that kit at one point, but I don’t remember exactly when it came out to look it up in archives.
