Lightweight AR??

[raghornjp]

I want to put together a really lightweight weather resistant AR for carrying stream fishing and beating around in the boat
Gimme a list of parts to order
How light can one go and still be the best bang for the buck
Thanks

 

[cwh]

I don't have anything super light, but my DPMS Oracle is fairly trim. You should buy that - I never shoot it anyway.....

I'd PM TWR on the fire. He has a couple light builds that seem to work well for him. Not sure if he is still around here.

 

[MontanaMan]

If they get these back in stock, for what you want, buy it................we have 3 of them & you really can't put it together any cheaper.
It's got an FN chrome lined barrel, add a good BCG & a CH & put it on a lower with a Mission lightweight stock. But when they've got 'em ya gott be quick on the trigger, they don't last long at all, especially now.

PSA 14.5" upper

Or you can buy a pencil weight barrel from Faxon, 14.5 with a brake already pinned & welded & a .625" gas block will slide over the break, add whatever rail you like, lightweight stock on a lower & rock on.

Faxon 14.5 Pencil w/brake

Finding anything good right now takes a lot of searching & checking websites often, goes fast when they get it in.

MM

 

[False_Cast]

Bang for your buck and weather resistant has me thinking SS PSA. In fact, I‘ve got one en route. So, disclaimer: I don’t have it in hand yet and I don’t know what it weighs but it’s received some really high marks, twisted right, stainless, rifle gas; all good in my book. You could probably get lighter as it’s an A2 profile barrel but not in stainless for the anywhere near the same loot, as far as I can tell. Bolt it to whatever lower you want with the buttstock, grip, and trigger of your choice. Sounds almost too good to be true. We’ll see.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-18-rifle-length-223-wylde-1-7-stainless-steel-15-lightweight-m-lok-upper-with-mbus-sight-set-nib-bcg.html

 

[Chesapeake]

AR’s ain’t light unless you change up the receiver.
Plastic and magnesium have been tried but found lacking.

Id go standard upper and lower but with forward assist and ejection port cover delete. (Andersen has done me fine) Some folks like ejection port covers.
Carbine buffe and adjustable stock.
Magpul BUIS (plastic)
Standard mil plastic grip
Light 12” full float guard
16” pencil barrel, mid gas, .650 block
Plastic mags

Will likely be nose heavy and still not that light.

A Montana or Fieldcraft would be better suited.

 

[raghornjp]

I don't have anything super light, but my DPMS Oracle is fairly trim. You should buy that - I never shoot it anyway.....

I'd PM TWR on the fire. He has a couple light builds that seem to work well for him. Not sure if he is still around here.

Got two of those and they work but wanting lighter

 

[raghornjp]

Bang for your buck and weather resistant has me thinking SS PSA. In fact, I‘ve got one en route. So, disclaimer: I don’t have it in hand yet and I don’t know what it weighs but it’s received some really high marks, twisted right, stainless, rifle gas; all good in my book. You could probably get lighter as it’s an A2 profile barrel but not in stainless for the anywhere near the same loot, as far as I can tell. Bolt it to whatever lower you want with the buttstock, grip, and trigger of your choice. Sounds almost too good to be true. We’ll see.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-18-rifle-length-223-wylde-1-7-stainless-steel-15-lightweight-m-lok-upper-with-mbus-sight-set-nib-bcg.html

Got a couple already with that barrel but wanting lighter

 

[Chesapeake]

How light?

You can do magnesium upper, plastic lower, carbon wrapped barrel, and get down around 5# if you want.
But it won’t be a bang around gun, and bang will be low and bucks will be high.

 

[raghornjp]

I was considering a pencil with carbon handguard tube and maybe a plastic lower
If not plastic the lightest stock possible

 

[raghornjp]

I’ve also got one of the psa uppers with a pencil and mloc handguards on RRA lower
Shoots great but hate the aluminum guard when it’s cold
And want to get lighter

 

[raghornjp]

A PSA freedom stainless pencil upper on a Frontier factory lower with a cmc may work

 

[Chesapeake]

Maybe look at an 80% plastic lower. Hard to find AR15 stuff in stock these days.

 

[Rogue]

Had a bowhunting pard with one of the Carbon 15s, that thing was light. It was great for packing, to light for really going fast. Took real patients to shoot off hand.

 

[Chesapeake]

I like the Faxon and Lancer carbon handguards, but they are $300 and out of stock.

 

[Oatmealsavage82]

Armed ferret built one that went about 5 pounds

 

[Armed Ferret]

Oh are we talkin lightweight ARs? I have two of those.


20200210_155403 by Professor Horseyhead, on Flickr


20200210_155523 by Professor Horseyhead, on Flickr

And one lighter:


20200208_154720 by Professor Horseyhead, on Flickr


20200208_154631 by Professor Horseyhead, on Flickr


Top rifle:

Forged lower, MFT minimalist stock, standard carbine buffer/milspec tube/spring, Brownells LPK, ACT trigger, MOE-K grip. Anderson no-FA forged upper, AIM nitride BCG, Daniel Defense lightweight 16" barrel (the older .625" gas block journal version--they stopped making these and went straight .750" for all their barrels), .625 standard gas block (i forget what brand), ALG single chamber brake & 10" EMR rail, Troy fixed rear sight and DD fixed front sight, standard charging handle.

Bottom rifle:

Forged lower, Model 1 Sales CAR Fiberlite replica, standard carbine buffer with weights removed, Brownells LPK, AIM SST-AT trigger, plain A2 pistol grip. Fostech upper receiver (magnesium alloy, fair weight savings against a standard al-you-minnie-um), delrin FA plug, AP Customs Rhino lightweight BCG, Faxon 16" pencil barrel, BCM KMR (original full-magnesium version, not the newer "alpha" alloys) with aluminum nut and titanium hardware, SLR .625" adjustable gas, V Seven titanium micro brake, Vortex Venom RDS with a riser from Amazon.

The AP Custom BCG was by far and away the most expensive single item on either rifle, and it was just a hair over $220.

One can go lighter, of course, and many have, but it can get a *LOT* more expensive *VERY* quickly. I have two very reliable and surprisingly accurate rigs that weigh less than just the shit some people hang off their ARs.

 

[MontanaMan]

If those aren't lite 'nuff, then a guy's got no bidness with an AR..............................

MM

 

[Chesapeake]

Yep, quite light considering the use of aluminum receivers.
I’ve built a few similar but ended in the 6# range. But I’ve not used some of minimalist items described.

I’ve built several using the Andersen uppers sans FA and Port cover, and matching Andersen lower. Fairly light, cheap, and fit/finish is good.

curious of the buffer with weight removed.

 

[Armed Ferret]

Yep, quite light considering the use of aluminum receivers.
I’ve built a few similar but ended in the 6# range. But I’ve not used some of minimalist items described.

I’ve built several using the Andersen uppers sans FA and Port cover, and matching Andersen lower. Fairly light, cheap, and fit/finish is good.

curious of the buffer with weight removed.

Curious in what way?

Edit: on the 5.6 pounder there weren't really any minimalist items used. i wasn't really *trying* to save weight per se it just came out as a lighter build. then i figured what if i actually tried to without going too heavy into the spending on all titanium lower and upper parts and shit.

A guy could get easily pretty damn close to 5 pounds even (probably 5.25 or so) with a faxon pencil tube, thread protector only, MCMR handguard, and standard bcg and carbine buffer setup.

Big ol' parts weight database from arfcom here:

AR15 Parts Weights Database

Welcome The PWD Welcome to the AR15 Parts Weights Database. I'm your host, jekbrown. This Google Sheet is an archive of part weight data with the objective of serving as a part-selection tool for the custom AR assembler. In addition to weights, other useful information has been archived in the P...

docs.google.com

 

[Chesapeake]

Curious on the cycling. You list weights removed, light bolt, adjustable gas block.
Assuming you’ve got the gas block choked down to reduce gas volume. Is it finicky with changing ammo and such?

I just assembled a 6.5 grendel that came out at 6lb 4oz.
Andersen upper no FA or port cover.
15” MWI ultra-light handguard
PSA .750 adjustable gas block
AR15 Performance light 6.5 16” barrel.
Toolcraft 6.5 bolt
No name lower, PSA kit, ALG trigger, Magpul grip.
Voltar A5 buffer system.
Magpul MOE stock.

 

[Armed Ferret]

Sounds like a good build! My Grendel is a 12" but not that light; a 30mm 1-4 in an ADM mount and a billet lower (my only stamped lower at the moment) doesn't help with that. Balance is good though, and it's handy as hell for a brush gun.


Mr Grendel by Professor Horseyhead, on Flickr

Cycling on the ultralight is fantastic, zero felt recoil and even full power M855 doesn't seem to upset it at all. I tend to just drop 55-grain handloaded plinkers (a lil lighter on the powder just to stretch it a little further) through it though. hornady 55fmjbt over 10x kills clays at 200 yards quite reliably. Faxon spins a dang decent barrel.

(yes it opens up when it gets hot, but it's repeatable and predictable on that front, so it isn't an issue--avoiding bumpfiring/fast mag dumps keeps things in check just fine)

 

[Big Stick]

I'm not a Tinker Toy Krunchenticker Guy,as I'll default to TOUGH first.

Gonna be tough to beat a dot sighted Ruger 5.7 worn across the titties,in a GFI Kenai.

Have seen me often tote a KIDD UL spout(16"),wearing a KIDD trigger group in a Hogue stock...with a 'dot................

 

[Chesapeake]

Ordered a Faxon stainless pencil 16” from Joe Bob today. Might be what your looking for, but it’s only 8 twist.
But they have so stock.

 

[bgold]

Ferret, I'm about to do almost exactly that on a Gendel build for my youngest. Just got my first ALG rail as part of a trade and really like it. It's going on the Grendel and guess a G rail on the gun it's on now...

 

[Armed Ferret]

Ferret, I'm about to do almost exactly that on a Gendel build for my youngest. Just got my first ALG rail as part of a trade and really like it. It's going on the Grendel and guess a G rail on the gun it's on now...

I've become a MASSIVE fan of ALG rails. They're quite inexpensive (especially if you grab up a handful during their blem sales a couple times a year--probably one coming up as it's been a while), solid as hell, light, and slim without being tiny. I find myself having to justify using anything else on a build these days.

I have a 14.5" blackout (for supers only) on the builds list, just waiting for an appropriate-length ALG unit to come back in stock for it.

 

[bgold]

I keep wondering if they have stopped making them. Haven't found many of them back in stock for quite a while. I handled a pard's V1 rail, and those aren't even listed any more.

Was going 12" with the expectation of a dedicated can if/when my FFL/SOT comes through...but just saw a pretty good deal on a 16". Haven't tried Monster barrels, but just might give it a whirl.

 

[MontanaMan]

I've become a MASSIVE fan of ALG rails. They're quite inexpensive (especially if you grab up a handful during their blem sales a couple times a year--probably one coming up as it's been a while), solid as hell, light, and slim without being tiny. I find myself having to justify using anything else on a build these days.

ALG rails have a long barrel nut with a lot of bearing surface making for good stability & with a thicker, stiffer rail, less deflection.................but I don't really like their feel - ergo's, but the price is definitely right.

The other two rails that have comparable mounting systems (i.e., long surface area) are SLR & Geiselle, who makes the ALG branded stuff too.

A newer rail that also has a long barrel nut is what WOA is now offering; I got 2 of them & am in the process of getting parts for the rest of the uppers; pretty stiff, but on the heavy side & priced right as well.

MM

 

[Big Stick]

The Horn slid by the other day and we were probably talking about shooting and the like and he brought up a good point,about FF tubes being COLD in the Winter.

Anybody ever seen Heat Shrink Tubing large enough,that it'll drift a round small profile FF tube?................

 

[dznnf7]

Easy to get, and the bigger you go the higher the quality [and price]. Some of it comes with very badass adhesive in it, so be aware when you search. It's used in buried or wet connections on big electrical feeds.

 

[Big Stick]

Gimme a link. Money will keep a brother warm.

Please.................(grin)

 

[dznnf7]

Reluctantly [since I've never bought it, or anything from them] I found this: shrinkylinky

That site has a lot of different options.

 

[dznnf7]

One other possible option to consider is bicycle inner tube. It might be too curved, but I have a pile of them from road-racer size up to fat tire beach bike. And they're all cut up. The only bikes I own burn gas.
I use them for ranger bands, tape-on tool covers, etc. I've got a fucked up thing where my fingers turn white and dead in seconds if I touch cold metal, so it's always on my mind.

 

[cwh]

I was planning to wrap tubes with white athletic tape for the snow camo/ultra tactical look. Like the tube idea.

 

[dznnf7]

One more option: Neoprene dirt bike shock protection

Got me thinkin now.

 

[Witt]

Here's the 3m heat shrink link where you can choose product lines & sizes to get a part number to google-fu. I think all their stuff is adhesive lined. I use 3m for battery cables but nothing scope sized.

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/All-3M-Products/Energy/Electrical-Construction-and-Maintenance/Wire-Cable/Insulation/Heat-Shrink-Tubing/?N=5002385+8709319+8710679+8710817+8711017+8730567+8743879+3291756777+3294857497&rt=r3

 

[Chesapeake]

I looked for the flocked x-wrap I use on rod handles but could only find 50mm (1.7”).
This is just standard black heat shrink, 60mm (2.36”) and larger. Never bought myself. https://www.amazon.com/Welldoit-Internal-Diameter-Sleeving-Shrinkable/dp/B0732RBWSH?th=1&psc=1

 

[Armed Ferret]

This'n ain't lightweight, but it's as close as I'll get to a real Mk12, and it shoots like a motherfucker so I'll take it.


20200729_101218 by Professor Horseyhead, on Flickr

 

[bgold]

This is my MK12... Waiting on the can, but brought it in the LGS to check how many rotations to mount. It's a heavy bitch though.

 

[Armed Ferret]

This is my MK12... Waiting on the can, but brought it in the LGS to check how many rotations to mount. It's a heavy bitch though.View attachment 336

Hell yeah!

I have a Holland and a NSW Recce as well (15.1" w/KAC FF RAS). Next sale PRI does, their sale/mil discount codes tend to stack so I may snag a Mod 0 upper from them at that time.

They aren't light by any stretch. Though I honestly think at this point I'm not gonna worry about "clone correct" optics for the H or NSW (or mod 0 if i get one); the amount I'd have to spend on a MK4 at this point will net me something far *FAR* nicer with much better glass and better turrets/reticle.

 

[bgold]

NSW Recce is next on my list. Tough to spend that coin right now, but may just start collecting bits and pieces in a bit. That one I'm not worried about glass in the least. Only thing that would stop that happening is a 416...
Did a Block 1.5 for my oldest boy last year, and that got me headed down this road.

 

[bgold]

The Holland would be sweet as long as you aren't running the Ace stock. I thought that's what I was gonna do until I saw how good a deal I can get on KAC stuff.

 

[Armed Ferret]

Re-did the .300 blackout. Wilson Combat 11.3, KAC mid-length RAS. Mini-recce.


blackout mini recce by Professor Horseyhead, on Flickr

The strike eagle's just the "spare" that goes on a new build for function checks and shit while I hem and haw about what to actually top it with.

 

[Big Stick]

"Clones" ain't my jam,but nomenclature gets Whiners to Whining.(grin)




Dupes even funnier yet.



Thought I had a picture of both "versions" together?!?



I'm not into swapping barrels or extra uppers either,as I'm into extra COMPLETE Rifles...because dat makes the most sense to me.

You boys are gonna talk me into a 223 yet!....................(grin)