Another lightweight build

GymB

Picking it up slowly.
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2A Bourbon Hound OG
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Want a light AR for fun. Have a complete spikes lower sitting here, so thinking I’ll focus on the upper first, but plan to do upper and lower anyway and could do both at once. Actually probably better to buy both receivers at once, so lets assume that.

let’s stay with 5.56 and a 16” barrel with flash hider.
Assume that I’ll add a can eventually.

I don’t know enough to set a budget, but hitting $2,500 doesn’t bother me, just got a good bonus at work!

So, what ideas do you have for me?
 
I built a light weight a couple years back. I believe I was in at about 6.5 lbs dry. Pencil barrel, alg floating hand guard.

I won't mag dump more than 1 mag before letting it cool down burn in probably too various. I can get I pick if needed.
 
Do you have a weight goal in mind? I know @NKD built at least one that is a dream to shoot.
 
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I built one a couple years ago. I wanted affordable, simple, reliable, and light. I was also able to utilize some parts I already had and got a great deal on the barrel from a forum member.

Standard lower and lower parts with CMC trigger and I think H1 buffer
MFT minimalist stock.
Slick side upper
Toolcraft standard BCG
MI G3 hand guard 13”
16” Faxon pencil
Apex skinny brake
Faxon fixed gas block
Romeo 5 red dot

Weighs in at 5.75lbs unloaded, shoots great, reliable with everything, and well under a grand even if you had to buy all the parts. You could certainly go lighter but it’s going to cost quite a bit more. Definitely diminishing returns.

Screenshot_20201017-191246.png
 
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359E8A63-4377-4F7A-A5C4-A7F398E93E20.jpeg If you got baller money check out the VSeven stuff. They make cool lightweight Gucci parts.
I have a couple lightweight ones. Ideally, you want super light but super flat shooting as well.
Frakncylons above looks to have a handle on the recipe. Mostly, the barrel is where you cut the most weight. You can also use low mass recoil system, but only if you use adjustable gas.

This one above is like 6 1/2 lbs with the Steiner and mount. I also have a carry handle upper and that comes in at 5.5lb. But it’s a 12.5” gvt profile so could easily be lighter. This is very pleasant to shoot.
 
Just checked, sig rattler comes in at 6.4 with an optic and sling. S&W M&P 15x comes in over 8 with an optic. My built AR9 comes in at 6.5 with optic and sling.

So rifle at 5.5 would be awesome.

SBR, maybe, but I’d rather not, and not less than 10”

Will review above ideas and start listing parts tomorrow. Thanks!
 
My lightest 16".
DSC-8855.jpg


New Frontier Armory Carbon lower
MOE+ grip
Rogers Superstock
Spikes 308 buffer tube (A5)
VLTOR A5H0 buffer
Tubb Flatwire buffer spring
Anderson Sport lightweight upper
16" Faxon pencil barrel
13.5" V Seven handguard
SLR Sentry 6 titanium adj gas block
Aero gas tube
V Seven titanium muzzle break
DSA sand cut lightweight bcg
Raptor LT ch
Bushnell Lil P 1X prism scope

Edit: I have this for sale if anyone is interested.
https://www.carolinafirearmsforum.com/index.php?threads/wts-lead-star-arms-16-grunt-556.68187/
 
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My lightest 16".
DSC-8855.jpg



MOE+ grip
Rogers Superstock
Spikes 308 buffer tube (A5)
VLTOR A5H0 buffer
Tubb Flatwire buffer spring
Anderson Sport lightweight upper
16" Faxon pencil barrel
13.5" V Seven handguard
SLR Sentry 6 titanium adj gas block
Aero gas tube
V Seven titanium muzzle break
DSA sand cut lightweight bcg
Raptor LT ch
Bushnell Lil P 1X prism scope

Wow!
 
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