The original AR-15/M-16 weighed 6.55 lbs. Looks like a lot of the weight came from going to A1.

If I were to get another one, I'd leave the A1 extras off like the Air Force did.

 

I find it hard to believe that the trapdoor stock and forward assist would account for an additional 3/4 pounds, unless there's more bits and pieces that I wasn't thinking of (like a heavier buffer). The problem with comparing weights is that nobody's published numbers ever seem to agree. Of course my A1 lacks the go-fast parts inside it, but that wouldn't add up to more than an ounce or two.

 

I find it hard to believe that the trapdoor stock and forward assist would account for an additional 3/4 pounds. The problem with comparing weights is that nobody's published numbers ever seem to agree. Of course my A1 lacks the go-fast parts inside it, but that wouldn't add up to more than an ounce or two.

I don't know, but I do know a lot of little parts can up the weight pretty fast. How much did the 3 prong flash hider weigh compared to the A1? Was there a barrel contour change prior to the A2? Buffer weight? Mag release guard? Shell deflector? Forearm heat shield?

 

If it's 12 ounces, you just need to find 12 items of 1 ounce each.

Heck, even different plastic could make a small difference that adds up eventually.

But, we also know manufacturers and governments lie about all sorts of measurements so no reason to take them as gospel either.

 

It just goes to show that the distribution of weight can really trick your brain, since most of the extra wight on an A2 is up front where the barrel is thicker.

Very true. The weight is at the very end of the barrel, which because of leverage seems much heavier then it really is.

That why I've been thinking about reducing the weight of my AR9 build by backboring or cutting the barrel and having a fake can fitted.

If I can reduce the weight at the end of the barrel by 3-4 ounces it will FEEL much lighter and be much quicker from target to target.

 

A 1.5" diameter sheet metal tube can is going to be heavier than a 9mm barrel.

 

On the question of rifle weight, I recently put my SAR3 (HK91) on a diet. With some parts and furniture changes I shaved half a pound.

The lightest furniture was the original wood.

 

For a time I had my 6920 accessorized with a EOTech 512 optic, rail, vertical foregrip, Maglite flashlight, and Magpul furniture. I don't know how much it weighed afterwards, but I soon decided it was no fun with all that crap on it weighing it down so I took all of that stuff off and went back to stock. Now my other 6920 just has a rail, small flashlight, micro optic, and Magpul stock which keeps the total weight under 7.5 pounds.

 

It's probably the barrels. I remember last year looking at two identical Windham uppers, well identical except for barrels. They were both 16", but one was the M4 profile while the other was an Hbar. The Hbar was about 9 ounces heavier than the other. They both has M16 carriers, both chrome lined, and both had removable carry handles.

I know where was some playing around with barrel profiles through the M16 span. Some people think of the Hbar as being A2, while there seems to be a barrel profile known as something like the A2 Government profile. It looks like a Hbar, but tapers under the forend.

 

I know where was some playing around with barrel profiles through the M16 span. Some people think of the Hbar as being A2, while there seems to be a barrel profile known as something like the A2 Government profile. It looks like a Hbar, but tapers under the forend.

A real MilSpec A2 profile is just like you describe, thin under the handguards and thicker from right before the gas block out to the muzzle. Milspec M4 profile is the same, except the thinner section is of course shorter, and the M203 notch in visible in front of the front sight.

 

My gun is 9.8lb loaded, however it is spread well and doesn't feel as heavy as it is.

It's a LWRC M6-IC SPR with an Aimpoint Comp M4s and streamlight TLR1-HL, only other changes are a silencerco brake and I also switched the stock to a magpul ACS since the one it comes with is garbage for use without armor.

 

In their base forms, there's a very negligible weight differnce between an A1 and A2. A base M4 shaves a few extra ounces....

This CQBR wasn't built to be a "lightweight" by any standard. It comes in at 9lb/2oz as it sits- 31 rounds of M855, plus 6x spare AA batteries in the stock. Yet, despite its weight, its quick and easy handling. The (relatively) heavy stock serves as a good counterbalance, so its comfortably and well balanced...

 

My competition 3 gun turns out to be 12-13 pounds, but that was only designed to be run a few minutes at a time. After I had an incident where I had to hold my HD SBR for more than 20 minutes, I found out it weighed in at 11 freaking pounds! even short, it was way too heavy.

Time for a diet. sold that whole upper (bull barrel and DD quad rail) and I'm building a thinner profile, thin tube, non railed upper to replace it. just need the gas tube and I'll be all set!

 

My competition 3 gun turns out to be 12-13 pounds, but that was only designed to be run a few minutes at a time. After I had an incident where I had to hold my HD SBR for more than 20 minutes, I found out it weighed in at 11 freaking pounds! even short, it was way too heavy.

What are you running that gets an HD SBR or game gun AR into the 11-13 pound range? Even with a heavier than average stock, heavy optic, and heavy SOCOM barrel, full length quad rail, and spare batteries, I'm under 10 pounds. Even if I add a 4x magnifier, its still < 10#s... the only concession to weight is perhaps the M3X weaponlight and I simply prefer its compactness.

I do agree that balance is just as, perhaps (to a point) moreso, important as weight.

 

For those scratching their heads, the weights being discussed are alternating between loaded and unloaded rifles. Subtract 1.14 pounds for loaded weight to compare to unloaded for a 30 round AR magazine.

 

I weighed my rifles empty and without a magazine.

 

From left to right,
9mm Colt 16", the Vltor is a bit big so will probably change it.
6lb 5.4 oz

AR15A2 16" lw, old stock.
5lb 15.5 oz

AR15A4 6720 current model
5lb 14oz

5.56 put togethor, 18" barrel, faxon gunner profile.
6lb 3.4oz

Beretta ARX, all plastic, yet still...
7lb .4oz

And the SBR 9mm a1 upper.
5lb 7.5oz

So many variables, and really the entire range of rifles is only from 5 & 1/2 to 6 & 1/3

And like magpul mags being heavier than aluminum, the plastic rifle is the heaviest of the bunch.

 

Amazing how light the two RAS guns are, even with an 18" barrel. Are they both pencils?

 

One is a 9mm, the 18" is a "gunner" profile which is mostly government, then pencil (and .635 gas block).

The rails are midwest gen3's, so they're pretty lightweight too. I rarely get out to the distance range, so haven't shot the 18" at 100 yards yet.

I do like the light barrels. I never really rapid fire, certainly don't full auto dump, and while they do heat up faster they also cool down faster, so all's good for me.

Also for the heck of it:
M1 Garand weighed in at 9lb 7oz
Mini14 300blk weighed in at 6lb 12oz

So the mini is heavier than the AR, which is to be expected with so much steel, but not that much really.

 

Early prototype AR rifles had barrels so ridiculously thin they bent easily. I'm not talking about the ones that first went to 'Nam, but the very early ones that were developed at Armalite before Colt bought the rights.

 

A1 Upper

I you could still find them at a reasonable price all my ARs would have A1 uppers on them. My first four all are built on A1 uppers. I like to "keep it simple". Now it is hard to find and costs more to get the same upper that use to be what the manufactures on their cheap models. They almost give you the flat top receivers now that I really don't want. But it is simpler just to go with a flat top and a removable carry handle. I really don't like them either they come with a A2 sight that I don't want and seem a lot heavier than a simple A1 to me. But that "keeps it simple".

 

I you could still find them at a reasonable price all my ARs would have A1 uppers on them. My first four all are built on A1 uppers. I like to "keep it simple". Now it is hard to find and costs more to get the same upper that use to be what the manufactures on their cheap models. They almost give you the flat top receivers now that I really don't want. But it is simpler just to go with a flat top and a removable carry handle. I really don't like them either they come with a A2 sight that I don't want and seem a lot heavier than a simple A1 to me. But that "keeps it simple".

I hate the removable carry handle because my hand doesn't fit in it, so it fails in that regard. That's why I went with the Daniel Defense rear sight on the gray 9mm. The carry handle serves no purpose but is heavier.

The SBR 9mm has an A1 upper I got from Fulton Armory, now they use NDS uppers. I'm sure the quality is still there, NDS does good work. You are right though, it cost me like $150-200.

 

Thunder Ranch Rifles Billet Machined Lower
Thunder Ranch Rifles Lite Upper
14.5″ 5.56 .625 Midlength Barrel w/ Lo Pro gas block
Phantom 5C1 Flash Hider, Pinned and Welded to Barrel
13″ “PicMod” Handguard
Ballistic Advantage Phosphate BCG
Gas Buster Charging Handle
ALG Defense ACT Combat Trigger AR-15
Magpul MOE K Grip
Magpul CTR Stock
Magpul MBUS PRO Backup Sights
Weight 5.9 lbs.


Clint likes light rifles.

 

Carry handles are nice when range shooting, makes it convenient to carry from place to place.

I don't see the point in them though from a practical use standpoint, aimpoints are leagues faster and with good BUIS just as fail safe. Accuracy is in favor of the iron sights with a 20 inch NM setup but otherwise the aimpoint wins there too.

 

Ill take my Compass Lake NM sights any day of the week over any sort of Aimpoint stuff when trying to aim 'small' at distance. Even on a carbine length gun the accuracy can be much better once the fat front sight post is dealt with (replaced).

 

I find optics better for fast shooting. For slow aimed fire I personally can't tell a difference... unless of course the optic is magnified, but then again that hasn't been news in a long time.

 

Ugh, I dislike carry handles. I have slings for carrying and they get in the way of the optic.

 

Keeping in mind that I do not carry the gun long distances for hunting or military or whatnot, so I never use slings. Thus, the carry handle was born.

 

M16A4 20" at Brownells for $920.

 

dsk- the postal scale can be an eye opener for the guns you have. I still can't get over how my 320 loaded is 6oz lighter than my Vbob loaded.
My last project was a lightweight. It was very eye opening, tracking the various weights of parts from different manufacturers to make sure I was getting the lightest possible parts without breaking the bank. Granted, I could've gotten it lighter, but the cost for the parts I passed on are rediculous! At the end, it's 7.0 lbs. with 1-5 scope, unloaded.

 

4lbs 7oz with the optic but no magazine.

 

Just did a build with MagTech lower, faxon 16" gunner match pencil, light stock & front guard ... with vortex AMB HEUY optic and vortex 3X magnifier ==> came in just under 6lbs.

I'm pretty happy with that, gonna test it in 3 Gun

 

My heaviest AR is my LMT MRP Piston w/ 16" barrel with Aimpoint T1 on Larue 1/3 co-witness mount, Surefire X300-U on Thorntail offset mount and 5.5oz Anti-tilt Heavy Buffer at 8lbs 6.5oz. Honestly it not bad, but I've never had to lug it around all day either. My other AR's are featherweight in comparison though.