I need to put my AR on a diet

[Roadwild17]

Well I weighet the AR wih no mag and it weighed in at 9.8 lbs.

I have a frankenAR with a RRA lower with Magpul CTR stock and a model 1 sales upper with a 16" heavy (or extra heavy) barrel with fluting. Its also got YHM short rails with a grip and a streamlight TR-1 and EoTech 512.

I suspect the barrel is where the problem is being it is fatter than a standard flash hider.

So the questions are:

1. What is the profile barrel that is equal to an M4 with m203 cuts but doesnt have the cuts? Is that a lightweight or government profile barrel ?

2. What is the difference between the lightweights and government profile?

3. Anyone know where one of these would be in stock right now?

4. Is a barrel change a do it yourself fix?

 

[Conqueror]

If your barrel is fluted, I'm not convinced that swapping to a gov't profile will really save you any significant weight. The flashlight and optic are probably worth a pound or so.

 

[Roadwild17]

Its more of cosmetic fluting, not practical fluting. Eather way, Im trying to shave 1-2 lbs and keep the optic/rails & light

 

[Zach S]

A government bbl will help (yes, M4, with no M203 cuts). I don't know about the actual weight, but its weight up front, so it'll seem way lighter.

You may be able to have yours turned. I think adco charges $65 for turning a partial bbl (fore or aft of the FSB), and $95 for profiling both. I dont know if he'll turn a fluted bbl though.

Also, all you need is a torque wrench and a bbl nut tool/armorer's wrench to get the bbl off an back on. Well, dont use the torque wrench to take it off..

 

[rino451]

Get a 16" pencil barrel. You will also need another front sight base. Good for about 1/2# over a heavy barrel. Gov't profile probably won't gain you much. M16 carrier will cut another oz. or two. I'd be shocked if you can get it under 8#'s w/o dumping the foregrip, light, and optic.

Or,

WORKOUT!

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

Why are you opposed to the M203 "cut"? I would go with an M4 govt profile barrel. A superlight if you do not do much rapid fire.

A superlight is almost a pound lighter than the HBAR. Govt profile is about a 1/2 lb less.

 

[rob_s]

Something is wrong there.

This gun is over two pounds less than yours.



This gun is nearly two pounds less than yours.

 

[Eightball]

rob, what's the profile of your barrel under the handguard?

I know that in my RRA Middy, it's pretty freakin thick under the handguard, as it's a "heavy profile;" I too have been thinking of shaving some weight, but my debate is if I should have ADCO lathe down my chrome-moly barrel to a lighter profile under the barrel, or buy a chrome-plated "lightweight" middy barrel, low-profile gas block, and a crazy-lightweight rail system. My issue isn't that my rifle weighs as much as yours, I just want it to be even lighter.

Anyone have any specs on different manufacturer's barrel weights in their different configurations, or a link to the same? I think that that in itself could be an aid to both me and the OP.

 

[Hostile Amish]

There is no way your AR can weigh that much with a 16'' barrel, no matter how heavy it is.

 

[H2O MAN]

Are you using a nice digital scale something like the one Rob is using?
I picked up a nice one a few years ago that has a 50 lb. max. and it's very accurate.


At 9.8 pounds... your AR is only a pound less than my MK14 pictured below.

 

[rob_s]

rob, what's the profile of your barrel under the handguard?

The top one is a BCM upper so the barrel is a GI profile. The bottom one is a Colt 6520 with a flattop upper so the whole barrel is "pencil" or .725".

Anyone have any specs on different manufacturer's barrel weights in their different configurations, or a link to the same? I think that that in itself could be an aid to both me and the OP.

From Bushmaster

Barrel Weight In Pounds ( for milled front sight subtract 0.2 pounds )

Barrel length_________Heavy Barrels________ Fluted Barrels

10"__________________2.0_________________1.9
11.5"________________2.2_________________2.0
11.5/5.5"_____________2.6_________________2.5
14.5"________________2.5_________________2.2
14.5"AK_____________2.7_________________2.4
14.5"MY_____________2.7_________________2.4
14.5"AM (phantom)____2.7_________________2.4
14.5"IZ______________2.7_________________2.4
16"_________________2.7_________________2.3
16" Dissipator________3.0_________________2.6
20"_________________3.5_________________3.0
20" DCM____________3.7
20" Predator_____________________________3.2
24"_________________3.9_________________3.1
24" Varminter____________________________3.5
26"_________________4.0_________________3.2

Military Style Barrels

14.5"M4_____________2.0
14.5"M4AK___________2.2
14.5"M4MY___________2.2
14.5"M4AM (phantom)__2.2
14.5"M4IZ____________2.2
16"M4 Dissipator______2.3
16" Superlight_________1.9
16"M4_______________2.2
20"A2 (govt profile)_____2.5

 

[Eightball]

So, in the above chart, the "fluted" and "heavy" barrel (etc), the "Military style" are the ones with the milled areas under the handguard?

Geez, that's a weight difference.

 

[Roadwild17]

Actually I do work out a enough to handle the gun no problem, I just would prefer it to be a little lighter. I still kick myself in the rear every time I handle the thing. I should have held out for a lighter barrel.

I dont like the 203 cut based on cosmetic issues.