If the owner wanted an AR-15, why didn't he simply buy one, instead of defacing a classic rifle? After all, don't they sell them in every corner store there, next to the beef jerky and chewing tobacco?

I'm already on record elsewhere here as being a fan of side mounts for certain applications, if they're well done. In this case, while the quality is good, the design definitely leaves much room for improvement. It's no surprise this rifle was relisted, and still went unsold. I presume the starting price prevented a more sympathetic individual from rescuing it and returning it to its' rightful form.

(As usual, I'm late to the thread, being a newbie with so much material to cover.)