Lightest weight possible ar-15

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Sentryau2

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Polymer lower? http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/7-GATIGLOW100

Carbon fiber handguard? http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/ARR-281

Pencil profile fluted barrel? (carbon fiber is a plus) can you point me to one?
14.5inch w fixed muzzle device

Low mass bolt carrier and buffer? http://www.jprifles.com/1.4.7_bc.php
Titanium firing pin?

Lightweight ar-15 upper? as light as possible? point me to one?

standard FSB vs a Low profile gas block w polymer front sight?
(will be using magpul buis rear sight)

Stock and lightweight buffer tube? (needs to be telescopic)
Lightweight trigger and fcg? (could be a just a basic trigger)

Is there ANYTHING else I'm forgetting? I'm trying to comeup with an ar-15 build design that is 4lbs or lighter without going to an sbr.
 
Light rifles are a gift from God but I wouldn't touch any of the operating parts except the barrel contour.
 
What's the purpose of the rifle?

A low mass bolt carrier and buffer is going to affect your dwell time, which could lead to issues like bolt bounce, affecting the reliability of the rifle. Likewise, a lightweight trigger mech could lead to light primer strikes, again impacting reliability.
 
Start with a New Frontier complete lower. They work well, are very inexpensive, and are light. The hammer and the trigger mechanism are all polymer. The mechanism seems to be durable, it's very light, and the trigger pull is very decent.

Might try a titanium firing pin. :)

M4 length barrel, very slender.

Or look at the Kel-Tec SU16. It's lighter out of the box than an M4 with polymer lower.
 
Pencil profile fluted barrel?
Click to expand...
I am not sure anyone will flute a pencil barrel for you. Not a lot of metal there. A standard pencil barrel is about as light as it gets.
 
The Christenson CA-15 weighs in at 6.2 lbs and it has a Carbon fiber barrel and handguard. Light but not exactly a feathweight. For comparison a DD M4 V7 LW weighs the same including sights, which the CA doesn't have.

Plastic CAR handguards will be lighter than any freefloat set up no matter what it's made of. There are places to save weight and there are places not to save weight. The lower receiver is not. The bolt and carrier is not. Any weight savings you have on the bolt will just be taken up in running a heavier buffer. Find a nice barrel you like and have it custom contoured. Run an aluminum gas block. You will have to replace it more often than a steel model. The VLTOR MUR upper without the forward assist is supposed to be lighter than a standard upper. A DPMS sportical upper might be lighter still. It is, with a little effort, entirely possible to have a sub 6lb gun that will be durable and reliable..
 
I never thought the AR was heavy in stock trim. Start hanging this that and the other off the front end and sure they can get heavy, but in stock trim, or even with an optic, they are not all that heavy at all.

Now if you just want to build the lightest rifle possible to build the lightest rifle possible then by all means, go for it. And be sure to post pics of it.
 
Held a carbon 15 once. Really lightweight with the polymer or whatever it is lower and upper. Pencil barrel, too. Don't recall the exact weight, but it was noticeably lighter than a standard M-4gery Bushmaster.

If you really want an ultra light AR, I start there and work off more weight, like replacing the FCG with a polymer set, lightweight BCG, minimalist stock.
 
Id like to have a build plan for the lightest weight rifle possible without getting dangerous. Can someone link a place that makes the lightest barrel possible in 14.5inch length? (will pin a flashhider to it)
A handguard set?
A stock set?
I know the bcg could cause some problem but its a risk id be willing to take for a 4lbs or less rifle. (and change somethings out if it does cause problems)
 
If I was going for a light weight AR I'd use a cav arms lower over the one you linked to. They are much more proven and I believe they are lighter when they are built out as well. I may be wrong. You wont have a telescoping stock though.

The real key to getting as light an AR as possible is to just go with an SBR. Wacking off inches of barrel shaves lots of weight. Some would suggest you'd be gambling your $200 stamp on that lower. I'd be much more confident in a cav arms one as an SBR.

When it comes to light weight builds you have to decide how much reliability and durability you are willing to sacrifice.

If you want really light weight you could start with something like this

bluegunne6.jpg


See details in this thread: http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?22784-Is-this-the-world-s-lightest-16-quot-AR15-Carbine

And then start using tactics like this:

View attachment 683462

View attachment 683463

(I'm surprised he didn't shave the front nub if he was going to go to all the effort to drill it all out.)

That gun with a car stock would be 4ish pounds.

As far as sights a fast fire iii or the like may actually come in lighter than anything else. It weighs .9 ounces. I haven't checked out mounts to see what weight would be added there.

So you could definitely get under four pounds. However, it will not be cheap and it will give up a lot in a lot of other areas. You can have a dead nuts reliable SBR without doing anything crazy that weighs 4.5 ish. And with not much effort could get it to 4lbs.

One could also just buy a kel tec SU-16C for so much less (with many of the same trade offs) and it would come it at around 4.7 lbs.
 
Four pounds for an original Professional Ordinance Carbon-15.... I've enjoyed mine for years, and although others sometimes disagree my feeling is that it's a pretty decent rifle.


Willie

.
 
Doesn't cutting holes in the buffer tube result in powder/lead work/primer residue blowing back in your face?

The other holes I understand.
 
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Also I have a New Frontier lower I bought complete.

Commercial spec buffer tube can feel a little 'tighter' when you cock it. Trigger is pretty gritty, fine for short range but NOT good for a precise ranged shot. All plastic internals, I wasn't convinced at first but it works. Runs JUST fine with a mil-spec upper, fit is TIGHT.
 
I wanted the lightest AR too. I built a slick sided flattop carbine with a M4 barrel, free float hand guard, 6 point stock. I built it for humping from Coyote blind to blind. I love it. Accurate, handy, light. IMO don't reduce weight on functioning components, concentrate on stock, receiver, and barrel. Good luck, and steer away from polymer upper/ lowers. ;)
 
Titanium Muzzle

Yes, you forgot the Micor Titanium Muzzle Break/Flash Suppressor. Not only do they promote accuracy with twist-matched slots but they do everything else as well or better than the standard issue and weigh half as much.
 
Held a M4 that was 4 lbs. once. It had a lot of titanium parts. It even had a titanium can AND it was full auto. It was a LEO weapon of course. The barrel was like 8" on it and it was a pencil tube. I never got to shoot it but it sure was sweet. I could rip through a whole pack of coyotes with that thing in short order.
 
The misconception with titanium is that it is exceptionally light. It is lighter than steel but almost two times heavier than aluminum for the same volume. Most of an AR15 is aluminum with the exception of the fire control group, BCG, barrel, and some minor parts like springs and buffer. Using titanium could actually increase weight (but increases bragging rights, which has no practical benefits)

A standard FSB is heavy steel. Shave it down or use an aluminum unit. Use an upper with no brass deflector and delete the dust cover. Delete the muzzle device. Use a minimalist stock like the Ace ultralight entry. http://riflestocks.com/store/product96.html

If this is a thought experiment with no regard for ergonomics or reliability, delete the handguard completely and use a shaved aluminum barrel nut. Use 20 round magazines and use the magwell for your support hand grip. Prepare for increased felt recoil due to lower mass.
 
Its a thought experiment. I would love to have virtually weightless guns, or atleast ones that weigh as much as their airsoft counter parts (dont flame me I dont even play airsoft) Think about it a highly accurate 5.56 with a 20 inch barrel you could shoot one handed without breaking a sweat, not that you should. A light gun means easy transportation cuts down on fatigue and makes it more user friendly for thoes who have trouble getting a handle on heavy guns. I took my younger sibling to shoot earlier today and they had difficulty holding up my ar, its not really heavy I mean it is 8-9lbs but it feels nice (to me) but not so much to smaller people
 
The lightest lower would be a MAG Tactical magnesium alloy lower. They are a bit lighter even than the plastic ones: http://magtacticalsystems.com/index.../product/35-flat-dark-earth-lower#description

That Aero Precision no forward assist upper

4 position CAR-15 stock, OR something like the Ace Ultralight

14.5" pencil barrel with carbine length gas, cut down gas block, and something like the MI-SS free float rail in 7" (as short as possible)

Aimpoint T1/H1 with no iron sights

OR Magpul MBUS front and rear, though if you go with irons you might go with the 9" handguard to keep the sight radius the same as an M4.
 
Plastic CAR handguards will be lighter than any freefloat set up no matter what it's made of.
Click to expand...
Actually, the 7" MI SS gen 2 with its proprietary bbl nut weighs 7.1 ounces. A single heat shield CAR handguard set with the requisite stock bbl nut, delta ring, weld spring, and front cap weighs 8.2 ounces.
 
Isn't trying to "go lite" the problem with the classic Mini14 versus the typical AR accuracy wise, especially as the barrel heats up?

Or look at the Kel-Tec SU16. It's lighter out of the box than an M4 with polymer lower.
Click to expand...
My thoughts when they had the TV episode where the guy proposes the "Katana" AR to Red Jacket. For the individual, an SU16 is a good light rifle/carbine. Maybe a military/police unit with AR rifles would also want AR carbines for ease of maintenance and supply.

Doesn't cutting holes in the buffer tube result in powder/lead work/primer residue blowing back in your face?
Click to expand...
I believes the holes are in the collapsible stock tube, not the actual buffer tube.
 
looks like holes in the buffer tube to me. i sure wouldn't do it. you'll have all sorts of opportunity for foreign objects getting in there and impeding the movement of the buffer and exposed spring
 
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