Some random thoughts on "weight"

[lex137]

I've always been concerned about weight the lighter the better, why cause I'm not a big guy and I can't haul that much weight. Yeah you could say pull your skirt up and suck it up, but if I'm to tired to shoot because my rifle weighs a ton than why do I even have it, mine as well just pack the pistol only. I try to always buy the lightest guns and gear if I can.

[kwando]

I recently built an upper using the BCM KMR Alpha and it was really light, I'm thinking about using that handguard on a couple of others but....they work fine, just heavier.

Wish BCM would release their original KMR again. You think the Alpha is light, feel the original

Lightest rifle I have is my 11.5 SBR (BFH barrel, shaved FSB) with 10" KMR rail @ 6lb 5.0oz with DD fixed front and KAC rear. Add what I normally run (Scout M600, Aimpoint micro) and it brings the weight up to 7lb 0.8oz.

I took Kelly's 2day carbine class with it and a suppressor and the arms/shoulders were sore at the end of each day.

[lex137]

^^^ that's going to be my problem my can weighs 20.7 oz, ouch didn't thing about that when I bought it... I'm trying to build a really light sbr to make up for it.

roberth try bootleg tactical they use the same mounting hardwear as bcm's and they have a nice picatinny/keymod in the same section
https://bootleginc.com/product/bootleg-handguard/

i thought about this hand guard but my can won't fit inside of it

[kwando]

Don't go MAG Tactical for lowers, I've seen too many break.

[lex137]

I got a spikes upper and lower (badger)

[Zundfolge]

The big problem with the super light ARs (sub 4.5lb) is that they're light which is great of carrying and for transitioning between multiple targets, but they're also usually very fragile. Drop one and its done.

I've been kicking around the idea of building a sub 5 lb rifle but I also want an AR to be as durable as my 7lb gun. This is why I think a Tavor would be a nice middle ground. It'll weigh as much as my AR but most of that weight will be close to the body so it'll handle like a real light AR but carry like a regular one. Another thought is an AR pistol because if SHTF I don't care what the ATF says about shouldering a SIG brace.

I bet the old timers look at us complaining about a 7lb-8lb AR and shake their heads thinking back to the ten pounds of M14 they humped through the jungle

[lex137]

^^^ no shit, I'm sure they would tell us to suck it up for sure, were softer (me included) than those men back in the days, they were built like brick house shit houses while we're the new plastic version....

[ruthabagah]

well: used to think that I could carry a heavy rifle all day, just like when I was in the army 25 years ago, so I did not care much about weight in my build. I made them all super sturdy and with all the tacticool accessories that would make me a better bench shooter...

Then I started playing airsoft, where i did the same mistake, and quickly realized that if I really needed to fight for my life, I would need something i can fight with, run with, roll and hide behind cover if i had to and do this all day...

Gone are the heavy build, the fancy red dots and other accessories. I go light, sturdy, basic.

[Doc45]

I bet the old timers look at us complaining about a 7lb-8lb AR and shake their heads thinking back to the ten pounds of M14 they humped through the jungle

Hah!! I guess that's a more concise way of making my point.

It's all good, just an observation.

[SA Friday]

Ounces make pounds. Pounds make pain.

My rifles from 10-15 years ago are very different than that I build today. It's hard to overlook the ease of use and carry of a DD lightweight 16" middy when it shoots just as well as a 15 year old 20" Colt HBAR. Short of M855, the average additional acceleration is about 15 fps per inch of barrel. Owning both barrels, I can attest the accuracy difference is a push. The DD is CHF and chrome lined, can't get any better life span. Why carry the weight? No reason to.

Hand guard weight; die quad rails, die! Half a lb of weight, bu-bye.

Upper and lower weight; forged vs milled. Of equal strength the forged will be lighter.

There's just not a lot of reliable builds that are ultra-light where some of the parts are just too compromised to really rely on, but there are quite a lot of really strong middle of the road weighted parts now a days. You can easily get into a 6lb range optic topped rifle with very high end reliable parts. Longer and heavier barrels do have their place in specialized ARs, but there are just too many good lighter options out there to lug around a 9 lb AR if you don't want to.