AR Lightweight Budget Build Challenge: See my results!

[TEXAS "All or nothing"]

Love it! How are you liking the poly receiver? That’s gotta be under 5-6 ounces right? Any issues?

My next goal is to do a 6 and under build, rifle + optic. I’ll definitely have to spend a bit more.

Several thousand rounds with no issues. I can't remember the weight its been 6 years or so. I could shave off another 3-7 ozs then add a lpvo that adds about 8-12ozs back on. There's metal inserts in the higher stress areas (buffer tube threads, takedowns and trigger pins). I been wanting to do a poly in ar10/lar308/sr25 type, but 2A (12-13oz set) at the time had beat the lower weight against the poly.

 

[TEXAS "All or nothing"]

Love it! How are you liking the poly receiver? That’s gotta be under 5-6 ounces right? Any issues?

My next goal is to do a 6 and under build, rifle + optic. I’ll definitely have to spend a bit more.

Optic is going to be the biggest weight add, unless it's just a red dot (no power).

 

[TEXAS "All or nothing"]

Ultralights are a whole different game from just lightweight rifles. With those, I think it's mainly just a game to see how light you can make the gun and it still work. That's not a game I'm too interested in, but to each their own. One factory AR comes in at 4.6lb with a 16" barrel. Yes, it's stupidly expensive.

BATTLEARMS™ OIP® 003 Ultra Lightweight Rifle Gen 3

MODEL OIP, BILLET 7075-T6, SEMI-AUTO, 16" .223 WYLDE, 4150CM BLACK NITRIDE BARREL , 1:8T, FIXED STOCK, TI & CARBON FIBER COMPONENTS, OPTICS READY, ULTRALIGHT , COMBAT GRAY (1) 30rd MAGAZINE

www.battlearmsdevelopment.com

With lightweight AR's, there's a practicality there, and it's not that hard to keep the gun light. Mainly, just don't pile a bunch of chit on it. The KISS rule is king there. Sasquatch picked out parts for one for less than $1k earlier in this thread. 7 lb with an optic is pretty good target to shoot for.

What I spent wasn't even near that price.

 

[TEXAS "All or nothing"]

my AR weighs a hair over 6 lb and I'm happy with it

Still a good weight at 6#!

 

[Sam7sf]

Heh…tell all this to the ww2 generation.

I understand the positive effects of reducing weight on guns and gear.

On the other hand we are comparing a ultra light ar to a standard 7lb ar…anything is better than running and gunning with a garand or bar…lol. But those boys did it and they still could be the toughest in history. Just saying…

 

[Sam7sf]

I mean…that generation got bread, water, cheese, no armor, and 10-13 lb guns. Lol

 

[Sam7sf]

Now I’m in the mood to buy a garand. I think the garand and bar actually came with instructions reading: if you have pink shoes or drive a pink Jeep, to turn your service weapon in and go home.

 

[CaliGunner]

I don’t know what to say. Never been in military but pick up a m1 or BAR from WW2. You want weight they provide it
If I was gonna take a tactical rifle training class I want the rifle I go out for defending me. But to each his own

I think you should try an intermediate rifle course with a BAR.

 

[CaliGunner]

You might want to look into the WWSD 2020 rifle project and see what they did to make the gun light then. It comes in at 4.97lbs without a mag or sights. Put a lighter weight sight on it, and it should be under that 6lb mark, and will be a very practical gun. The purpose of the gun was to make a fully modernized/improved version of the AR based on what Stoner originally wanted out of the gun. It's purpose wasn't just to be light, though that was a very important part of the design.

A complete one is not cheap ($1500), but you can get all the individual parts and build one cheaper with some alternatives.

Semi-Auto | Rifles at Brownells

Brownells is your source for Semi-Auto,Rifles at Brownells parts and accessories. Shop our vast selection and save!

www.brownells.com

They do make a budget version of it. I don't know anything about it. $1250, 5.11 lb

CIVIL DEFENSE RIFLE (CDR) RIFLE | Brownells

The Civil Defense Rifle (CDR) is a joint development between KE Arms & InRangeTV. With a similar thought process to the fully featured WWSD2020, the CDR is a lightweight, modern carbine, ready out of the box for hard use. The heart of the CDR is t...

www.brownells.com

Here's how you make it cheaper, though these changes takes away what makes it a WWSD, and turns it into just a lightweight rifle. I'm assuming that's all you care about. It'll be a good rifle regardless.

Replace the KE Arms SLT-1 trigger with either a standard milspec trigger, or a LaRue MBT (highly recommended)

Replace the JP Silent Capture Spring System with a standard buffer and spring.

Switch the ambi controls for standard controls.

Switch the Geissele Super Charging Handle for a standard on, or an improved one like the BCM Gunfighter.

Use a standard BCG instead of the fancy chromed one.

Here's the build.

KE Arms KP-15 Lower. This is your lower, stock, grip, trigger guard, and buffer tube all in one. It uses a carbine buffer and spring. $81.99, 27.2 oz

AR-15 KP-15 STRIPPED LOWER RECEIVERS POLYMER | Brownells

What makes this stripped lower different? The answer is simple… the KE Arms KP-15 stripped lower receiver is a monolithic polymer AR-15 style lower receiver made from injection molded, 30% glass-filled nylon. Its unique design incorporates the buf...

www.brownells.com

Buffer spring and carbine buffer. Take your pick, around $15 and around 5 oz

LPK, again take your pick. About $65 and about 4 oz

Aero assembled upper $79.99, 8.3 oz Their slick sided upper is 6.5oz.

https://www.primaryarms.com/aero-precision-assembled-ar-15-upper-receiver-with-port-door-and-forward-assist-ap501603-asmbly?quantity=1&custcol_pco=Orphan

Strike Industries ARCH charging handle. (You can go cheaper). $39.95, 1.12 oz

Strike Industries ARCH AR-15 Charging Handle - Extended Latch - Black

DetailsThe Strike Industries Charging Handle is machined from a 7075-T6 aluminum forging then hardcoat anodized black for long term wear and corrosion resistance. This AR-15 charging handle features an enlarged latch that allows you to more easily manipulate your rifle from the side. Even when...

www.primaryarms.com

Flash hider, take your pick. $7 and about 1.9 oz

Ballistic Advantage barrel, 16" pencil with a pinned gas block, BCG, and gas tube. $354.99, 23 oz for the barrel, about 15.5oz for the rest. The Faxon version is about 4 oz lighter.

16

Our 5.56 NATO barrels are made by experts with extreme attention to detail. You can trust this 16 inch pencil profile AR 15 to exceed your expectations.

www.ballisticadvantage.com

Faxon 13" carbon fiber handguard. $339.00, 7.99 oz. (there's also a 15" version)

Faxon Streamline Carbon Fiber 13" M-LOK Handguard

Faxon Streamline Carbon Fiber 13" M-LOK Handguard | Rifles, Pistols, Rifle barrels, AR-15 parts, Pistol Parts | faxonfirearms.com

faxonfirearms.com

Total cost - $982.92

Total weight - 94.01 oz or 5.87 lb. Switch to a Faxon barrel and an Aero slick sided upper receiver, and that weight will be closer to 5.51lb

Keep in mind, there's some educated guessing going on here with the weights, and I'm not sure I fully trust what the manufacturer says. I don't know if they're rounding their number up or down.

Thanks for the template. I'll check it out.

 

[CaliGunner]

I don't think he knows what Big Green does. Not that his user name is a clue, or somethin'. View attachment 348570 View attachment 348571

I don't care what he does. Nothing I've said is wrong or would be proven wrong even if he was DEVGRU.

Who do you think teaches the carbine courses and tells people not to be stupid and bring a 10 pound rifle to the location?

90% of these instructors are from the teams or are former CAG. If you want to pull "rank", do it with them, I have many of their e-mails and they would be happy to talk to anyone here about their thoughts on "light vs heavy" rifles. Just let me know.

 

[Tnhawk]

I don’t know what to say. Never been in military but pick up a m1 or BAR from WW2. You want weight they provide it
If I was gonna take a tactical rifle training class I want the rifle I go out for defending me. But to each his own

An M14 with bayonet is capable of doing serious damage even when empty.

 

[CaliGunner]

An M14 with bayonet is capable of doing serious damage even when empty.

Mostly to your shoulder, biceps, and wrists at 12-13 pounds especially if you carry it around for an hour or two.

 

[CaliGunner]

Several thousand rounds with no issues. I can't remember the weight its been 6 years or so. I could shave off another 3-7 ozs then add a lpvo that adds about 8-12ozs back on. There's metal inserts in the higher stress areas (buffer tube threads, takedowns and trigger pins). I been wanting to do a poly in ar10/lar308/sr25 type, but 2A (12-13oz set) at the time had beat the lower weight against the poly.

I actually have a poly lower (AR15), but I've been too afraid to actually build it out. I only bought it as a novelty.

 

[toddnjoyce]

…90% of these instructors are from the teams or are former CAG...

No, they aren’t. Unless you’re speaking about the specific company you bought a slot from.

 

[CaliGunner]

No, they aren’t. Unless you’re speaking about the specific company you bought a slot from.

How much money you want to put on this? Let’s say a small gents wager of $500?

I will show you a receipt to the course I took and the name of the instructor (23 years army, 16 years 1st SFOD-D, aka “Delta Force”).

You game, Todd?

 

[toddnjoyce]

How much money you want to put on this? Let’s say a small gents wager of $500?

I will show you a receipt to the course I took and the name of the instructor (23 years army, 16 years 1st SFOD-D, aka “Delta Force”).

You game, Todd?

I’ll say it again: the company you bought a slot from or the all the 2-day weekend carbine courses available across America. And no, I’m not going to take some random dude’s word on it, whether I know him or not.

You to run the list of names of every instructor employed by every company that runs a 2-day course against DMDC’s and NPRC’s files and bring the evidence. If 90% are SEAL or Special Forces, I’ll hand you five hundred US dollars face to face.

You’ve got 72 hours, the clock is running.

 

[CaliGunner]

To make it more interesting, once I take Todd’s money, I’ll post a picture of the money next to my pink crocs.

 

[studenygreg]

For me inside structures I want light and short. Bench shooting I like longer barrels and more weight. For a patrol rifle where I need to carry it all day somewhere in between. I'm really liking the 13.7 PNW so far.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[Tnhawk]

Mostly to your shoulder, biceps, and wrists at 12-13 pounds especially if you carry it around for an hour or two.

A short time at Fort Polk on the bayonet course would demonstrate the damage a trained soldier could inflict with an empty M14.
BTW -weight was only 9.2 lbs empty but we carried them quite a few hours a day.

 

[Tblack89]

To make it more interesting, once I take Todd’s money, I’ll post a picture of the money next to my pink crocs.

If you don’t prove it you owe Todd $500, don’t forget that part.