what does your battle rifle weigh?

[Buck Kramer]

If were going for heaviest, I'd grab this ol gal. 12.2lbs UNLOADED!

 

[sansone]

This weighs 8.2lbs unloaded. May be a little heavy for others, but I love it.

I'm fine with 8 pounds, its those last two pounds that piss me off.
I really like my 10 pound tackdriving battle rifle but I could grab a lightweight bolt rifle of suitable caliber for meat harvesting. Starting to think one tool won't cut the mustard

 

[303tom]

She weighs 4.7 kg (10 lb 6 oz) !

 

[k soze]

My "lightened up" Stag M4 variant is 7.1 lbs unloaded

 

[sansone]

very nice 303tom

 

[essayons21]

thanks fellas..
the only reason I didn't mention the rifle in the OP is because I really wanted your opinions on the weight of the rifle, not the model or brand.
It seems like the lightweight issue depends upon compromise of caliber. The 5.56 platforms are nice & light, the larger caliber choice has a downside of weight.
The above posted exception seems to be the 30-30 that only weighs 7 pounds.
Thanks also to 6x6pinz for the 28 pound "snatch & stay" ..enjoyed that post
The rifle causing me to rethink choice is a AR10 20"heavy barrel. Shoots sub moa with 20rds available, good meat harvester if need be, but weighs 10 pounds with scope, magazine & sling

IMHO it seems like weight distribution and overall "handiness" is more important in this regard than simple weight.

I have a DPMS LR-260, basically an AR-10 in .260 Rem with a ss bull barrel. All that weight of the barrel way out front with a relatively lightweight rearend makes that rifle unbearable to carry all day and unpleasant to shoot offhand.

My M1 Garand however, while weighing approximately the same, is much better balanced with the weight in the center and rear of the rifle, and I am fine toting it all day and shooting it accurately offhand is no problem.

Personally I prefer CARRYING the AK platform over the AR platform because the weight balance feels better to me.

EDIT: .303tom, is that 7.5 or .308? I have a Century conversion which miraculously runs flawlessly. If I ever build up a stock of magazines it will be my "go to" instead of my AK.

 

[RatherNotSay]

Arsenal SGL-21



8lbs Unloaded



9.5lbs W/ Loaded 30-Round Magazine



Weighs 10.28 with bipod. Weighs ~11.8lbs with 2 loaded magazines and magazine clamp + bipod.

 

[sansone]

thanks for the pics

 

[ThePlato]

M1 Garand, 10 pounds loaded.

 

[tp1l]

0 pounds (I don't own any rifles yet)

...but I've been looking at a SIG 556 Patrol or Classic and trying to get a feel for where it would fall in the spectrum. This thread has been quite useful in that regard. Especially the reminder that just hefting it empty in the store isn't going to be an accurate picture of weight once I stuff in a full magazine and add optics.

 

[sansone]

many scopes will add a pound, add loaded 30rd mag and oh boy!

NICE GARAND PLATO !
weighs the same as what I'm worried about totin'

 

[henschman]

My M1A, with TA55A ACOG and cheek rest, weighs 10.6 lbs. Without the ACOG and cheek rest, she's 8.4 lbs. Yeah that ACOG adds some weight, but it's worth its weight in gold out in the field for spotting, ranging, and putting rounds on unknown distance targets.

 

[tx_pistolero]

Stock M4 style carbine (S&W), with the exception of tritium night sights. Somewhere around 7.5-8lbs.

 

[Cryogaijin]

I love rifles. Handguns are lots of fun, but what you can do at 25 yards with a handgun you can do at 250 or 400 yards with a good rifle.

There are really 3 classes of semi-auto rifles in my mind.

You have your lightened survival/bug-out/hiking rifles (like say http://world.guns.ru/civil/usa/kel-tec-su-16-e.html or http://www.redjacketfirearms.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=42&category_id=8&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=6 The su16 is under 5lbs, the Katana under 6.)

The accurate range gun/marksman rifle/varminter which would usually be fairly heavy compared to the above, and extremely accurate, a bit fussy/touchy. Most AR-15s fit this category.

The final one would be the battlerifles we're talking about in this thread. Most of the above use 5.56nato/.223 rounds. There are a variety of rounds for the larger platforms. As I stated earlier, I have a saiga .308, and love it. The Garand, Dragunov/PSL, M1a, FAL and the like fit this category.

I have little interest in the middle category myself. The lightened rifles are useful for backpacking and hunting, and the battle rifles make excellent hunting rifles.

 

[BrocLuno]

I think the Garand i have weighs 9.5 lbs. Plus 8 rds loaded, it should be around 10 lbs. Not light by any standard but thats the way it is.

Same as Nathan, add M1917 that must be 11 lbs all up. The Arisaka Type 99 is considerably lighter at like 7.9 lbs. Have a sporter Enfield, but none in battle config, so can't say on that?

 

[MachIVshooter]

With surefire, full 25 round mag and scope, my AR10A2C curbs at about 11 pounds.

 

[morcey2]

1903,vz-24,M91/30's are all in the 9+ lb range. My 17 shot marlin model 60 is apparently an assault rifle, at least in New Jersey. I'd guess about 6 lbs, but only in NJ.

 

[nra-for-life]

28lbs empty and 37 pounds loaded but I am planning on "snatch and stay"

YES!!!!

 

[ShawnC]

My Garand is upwards of 11 or 12 pounds, but my stock is full of lead.

 

[303tom]

Same as Nathan, add M1917 that must be 11 lbs all up. The Arisaka Type 99 is considerably lighter at like 7.9 lbs. Have a sporter Enfield, but none in battle config, so can't say on that?

Rifle, No5 MkI

General Specifications

Weight 7 lbs. 2 ½ oz.

Weight w/Bayonet 7 lbs. 15 oz.

Length 39.5 inches

Length w/Bayonet 46.5 inches

Length of Barrel 18 ½ inches

Caliber .303 British

Chamber Length 2.222 inches

Rifling Five grooves

Rifling Twist Left hand, one turn in 10 inches

Type of Operating mechanism Lee action, hand operated, rear locking lugs

Loading Device 10 round, detachable box magazine

Sights: Front Fixed blade, multiple heights (8 sizes -0.030 to +0.075” in 0.015” increments)

Sights: Rear Aperture: Mk1 Vertical Leaf, screw adjustable for ranges from 200 yd to 800 yd with battle sight,

Mk 2 Vertical Leaf, slide adjustable for ranges from 200 yd to 800 yd with battle sight,

Sight Radius 23.14”

Trigger pull: First Stage 3 to 4 lbs.

Trigger Pull: Second Stage 5 to 6 lbs.

Ammunition MkVII Ball

Muzzle Velocity (MkVII Ball) 2440 fps

Maximum Chamber Pressure 48,000 CUP

Maximum Range 3,000 yards

Maximum Effective Range 550 yards. (Maximum effective range is the greatest distance at which a weapon may be expected to fire accurately to inflict casualties or damage)

 

[sansone]

I guess if thousands of our boys had to tote 10 pound garands, I gotta stop whining about my 10 pound AR10.. Time doesn't change things all that much

 

[USAF_Vet]

My M44 weighs about 10 pounds unloaded with optics and sling.

any lighter and the brutal recoil would be unbearable, even with rubber butt pad.

 

[sansone]

^^ yet another battle rifle from days gone by, most seem kinda heavy by today's standards. In some cases heavy is good?

 

[ThePlato]

Heavy is definitely good when dealing with larger calibers. Follow up shots become that much quicker.

 

[Phantom Captain]

7.5 lbs unloaded.

Poly furniture AK-74.