i bought a RIS second hand from some guy at Fort Bragg a while back and was lucky--by that i mean that it fit my rifle OK...Had it been a RAS it would have not fit.....it came with the handle you mentioned and i guess for a house clearing exercize or something like that it would be ok but in my 3gun matches i have not seen a need for it....The RIS will fit most rifles in that it is secured in the rear like a regular set of forarms and in the front by a thing that grabs hold of the part of the rifle that holds the forward part of the forearm.....the RIS is not secure enough to mount aimpoints on and that's why the RAS came into being-they mount in a different manner and require a barrel of M4 diameter so they can attach more securely and hold a point of aim for something like an aimpoint....Hope this helps....Dick