Lightweight AR Parts

BY Herschel Smith
5 years, 6 months ago

Shooting Illustrated:

Modern Sporting Rifles also have the largest volume of light components suitable for retrofitting existing guns. Most makers of steel barrels and AR bolt carriers offer lightweight options alongside their regular products. Skeletonized, extruded-aluminum or carbon-fiber freefloat fore-ends further drop weight at the front of the rifle, while trimmed-down polymer furniture shaves weight at the tail. DS Arms, V-Seven2A Armament and Brownells offer lightweight aluminum and titanium small parts that replace original AR steel. Small pins, grip screws and even muzzle devices can be had in materials that shave a tangible amount of weight after a full retrofit. A small number of titanium parts and accessories specifically designed for SCAR, M1A and FAL rifles are also available in the aftermarket.

While the author didn’t go to the trouble to give you links to actual parts rather than the company URL, I’ve tried to do better.  Here they are: 2A-Arms, VSeven, Brownells, and Daniel Defense.  Those links will get you to rails/handguards, or thereabouts.  Of course, those aren’t the only lightweight AR parts being manufactured.

I’m sure there are many others.  I welcome reader feedback in the comments.  I’m actually interested in strong, lightweight AR-15 rails and lightweight AR-10 rails (longer, about 17″).


Comments

  1. On April 23, 2019 at 10:32 pm, Jack said:

    I have the Daniel Defense M4v7LW lightweight M4 clone

    Advantages: a little over 7 lbs with the Trijicon ACOG. Pencil profile barrel still more accurate than I can shoot. The (possibly discontinued) handguard is a lightweight round aluminum tube with slots. Small section of pic rail can be mounted to each slot location for maximum flexibility, comfort, and weight reduction. I only have a pic rail in one spot to mount the sling.

    Disadvantages: pencil barrel gets hot very quickly. Never been too hot to hold, but definitely noticeable.

    Other thoughts: I acquired this rifle with for 3gun competitions (although I have yet to compete). If I was going to be in combat, I’d want a heavier profile barrel. For home defense, competition, hunting, or play, it’s great.

    I still don’t understand why folks weigh down their rifles with lights, multiple sight systems, bipods, and forward grips. I get that folks do tactical, but all that extra weight makes it harder to hold, slower to transition, and less accurate.

  2. On April 24, 2019 at 6:28 am, DAN III said:

    ALCON,

    If looking for lightweight I would stay away from piston type AR-malites. My LWRC piston weapons are substantially more heavy than DI AR-malites.

    Jack@2232: re: Forward grips. I have transitioned to the MAGPUL angled fore grip on most of my carbine platforms; couple uppers still have short vertical fore grips.Reason I started using the AFG is the angle is much more comfortable than a standard, horizontal handguard. Various skeletal issues in my arms, shoulders, etc., disrupt my ability to comfortably and thus accurately, shoot and control longarms. That is why I use a angled fore fore grip. The few ounces of extra “weight” is minimal.

  3. On April 24, 2019 at 10:19 am, Jack said:

    @DAN III

    I haven’t used an AFG but understand the body mechanics involved and will be trying one when I get back to rifle practice (along with a stock with a cheek riser).

    The comment was more regarding tacticool and having all – vertical grip, flashlight, optical sight, backup mechanical sight, and bipod attached to the rifle, all of which put weight on the far end of the lever arm, making it harder to handhold and adding inertia, slowing down transitions.

    I am all about body mechanics. The Weaver pistol stance was advocated because Weaver injured his shoulder, not because it’s the correct way to shoot. The correct way to shoot is whatever works best for your particular body to hold the firearm steady, control recoil, and transition quickly.

    I originally held a rifle the way I do a camera with a telephoto lens – support hand as a cup under the end of the barrel. The competition shooters are now moving to the thumb-over-the-top c-clamp grip which both controls recoil and guides the barrel during transition. If i recall correctly, Herschel has commented on thumb-over-the-top technique as well.

    I am attending a 5-day CAR (center axis relock) pistol course/instructors course at the beginning of May. CAR is about using body mechanics to protect the pistol, the shooter, and to present and shoot the pistol quickly and accurately. From what I have researched, CAR should work well for me due to my left eye dominance, left shoulder weakness, etc.

    I hope to be able to instruct others in CAR (and the body mechanics in shooting) in the near future.

  4. On April 24, 2019 at 10:28 am, Jack said:

    Not necessarily longer, but Springfield Armory’s Saint Victor AR10 with a 16″ lightweight profile barrel weighs only 7.8lbs with BCM furniture and flip-up sights.

  5. On April 24, 2019 at 11:43 am, moe mensale said:

    I don’t understand the fascination with “lightweight” AR15-type weapons and/or components. Yeah, maybe it’s the thrill of seeing what you can come up with. I can understand that. But there’s a cost – sometimes not unsubstantial – involved with knocking off those “excess” 2-3 lbs. And realistically these aren’t heavy weapons to begin with.

    Colt M4 Carbine – 6.9 lbs unloaded
    DD M4V7LW Carbine – 6.1 lbs unloaded

    Colt AR15A4 Rifle – 7.7 lbs unloaded
    FN FN15 Military Rifle – 8.2 lbs unloaded

    Colt CM762 Carbine – 8.8 lbs unloaded
    SA Saint Victor AR10 – 7.8 lbs unloaded

    Maybe spend some more time with the kettlebells?

  6. On April 24, 2019 at 2:12 pm, DAN III said:

    MOE@1143,

    I am not so sure there is a “fascination” with lightweight AR type components/weapons. Myself, I am at that age of physical issues compromising physical abilities. Thus, heavier is a concern. Several of my 5.56mm weapons are heavier than I care for. I have a 10.5″ heavy barrel, Noveske 5.56mm that is substantially heavier than my 16″ Bravo Company AR. Then, depending on what optic with mount one may use, there is even more weight. Ultimately, unnecessary weight can be a PITA. However, most shooters are not traveling any further with their “heavy” AR-malite than from their vehicle to the shooting bench. In that regard a “heavy” AR is of little consequence.

    The detriment of a lighter weight long arm is increased recoil. The “fascination” of lighter weight ARs appears to me to be more a marketing ploy than anything of substantial value to the shooter. For me, just as a weapon can be too heavy it can also be too light.

    I suppose it boils down to whatever an individual wants and chooses to pay for.

  7. On April 25, 2019 at 2:25 pm, moe mensale said:

    Far be it from me to tell anyone what to spend their money on. That said, this “lightweight” fad could very well be a marketing ploy, especially with the increased costs in acquiring those special parts. Somebody came up with a great moneymaker!

    But there also seems to be a rather sizeable bunch of shooters – particularly on that primary AR15 site – who really complain about the weight of these firearms. These appear to be adult males in their 20s, 30s & 40s. What are they gonna do when they turn 71 like me? I’m not “Ahhnold” by any stretch of the imagination but I lift weights 4-5 days a week and do quite a bit of outdoor manual labor. That’s who my kettlebell comment was directed at. I should have been clearer about that.

  8. On April 26, 2019 at 9:47 am, Jack said:

    @moe mensale

    Like everything else, it’s a tradeoff.

    Less mass means more recoil. And also quicker, more accurate, and easier transitions between targets, which can be critical in competition shooting.

    For those humping their rifles long distances, less mass in the rifle means they can carry more ammo – note that this was and remains to this day a key justification of 5.56 over .308 in the military.

    The internet commando may want a LW rifle so they can continue to hang additional pounds of tacticool on the front without having to go to the gym.

    Me, I have shoulder problems – I do weight lifting 2-3 times a week, but having a LW rifle means less wear and tear on my body overall.

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment


You are currently reading "Lightweight AR Parts", entry #21063 on The Captain's Journal.

This article is filed under the category(s) AR-15s,Firearms,Guns and was published April 23rd, 2019 by Herschel Smith.

If you're interested in what else the The Captain's Journal has to say, you might try thumbing through the archives and visiting the main index, or; perhaps you would like to learn more about TCJ.

26th MEU (10)
Abu Muqawama (12)
ACOG (2)
ACOGs (1)
Afghan National Army (36)
Afghan National Police (17)
Afghanistan (704)
Afghanistan SOFA (4)
Agriculture in COIN (3)
AGW (1)
Air Force (40)
Air Power (10)
al Qaeda (83)
Ali al-Sistani (1)
America (22)
Ammunition (284)
Animals (297)
Ansar al Sunna (15)
Anthropology (3)
Antonin Scalia (1)
AR-15s (378)
Arghandab River Valley (1)
Arlington Cemetery (2)
Army (87)
Assassinations (2)
Assault Weapon Ban (29)
Australian Army (7)
Azerbaijan (4)
Backpacking (3)
Badr Organization (8)
Baitullah Mehsud (21)
Basra (17)
BATFE (229)
Battle of Bari Alai (2)
Battle of Wanat (18)
Battle Space Weight (3)
Bin Laden (7)
Blogroll (3)
Blogs (24)
Body Armor (23)
Books (3)
Border War (18)
Brady Campaign (1)
Britain (38)
British Army (35)
Camping (5)
Canada (17)
Castle Doctrine (1)
Caucasus (6)
CENTCOM (7)
Center For a New American Security (8)
Charity (3)
China (16)
Christmas (16)
CIA (30)
Civilian National Security Force (3)
Col. Gian Gentile (9)
Combat Outposts (3)
Combat Video (2)
Concerned Citizens (6)
Constabulary Actions (3)
Coolness Factor (3)
COP Keating (4)
Corruption in COIN (4)
Council on Foreign Relations (1)
Counterinsurgency (218)
DADT (2)
David Rohde (1)
Defense Contractors (2)
Department of Defense (210)
Department of Homeland Security (26)
Disaster Preparedness (5)
Distributed Operations (5)
Dogs (15)
Donald Trump (27)
Drone Campaign (4)
EFV (3)
Egypt (12)
El Salvador (1)
Embassy Security (1)
Enemy Spotters (1)
Expeditionary Warfare (17)
F-22 (2)
F-35 (1)
Fallujah (17)
Far East (3)
Fathers and Sons (2)
Favorite (1)
Fazlullah (3)
FBI (39)
Featured (190)
Federal Firearms Laws (18)
Financing the Taliban (2)
Firearms (1,798)
Football (1)
Force Projection (35)
Force Protection (4)
Force Transformation (1)
Foreign Policy (27)
Fukushima Reactor Accident (6)
Ganjgal (1)
Garmsir (1)
general (15)
General Amos (1)
General James Mattis (1)
General McChrystal (44)
General McKiernan (6)
General Rodriguez (3)
General Suleimani (9)
Georgia (19)
GITMO (2)
Google (1)
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (1)
Gun Control (1,672)
Guns (2,338)
Guns In National Parks (3)
Haditha Roundup (10)
Haiti (2)
HAMAS (7)
Haqqani Network (9)
Hate Mail (8)
Hekmatyar (1)
Heroism (5)
Hezbollah (12)
High Capacity Magazines (16)
High Value Targets (9)
Homecoming (1)
Homeland Security (3)
Horses (2)
Humor (72)
Hunting (38)
ICOS (1)
IEDs (7)
Immigration (114)
India (10)
Infantry (4)
Information Warfare (4)
Infrastructure (4)
Intelligence (23)
Intelligence Bulletin (6)
Iran (171)
Iraq (379)
Iraq SOFA (23)
Islamic Facism (64)
Islamists (98)
Israel (19)
Jaish al Mahdi (21)
Jalalabad (1)
Japan (3)
Jihadists (81)
John Nagl (5)
Joint Intelligence Centers (1)
JRTN (1)
Kabul (1)
Kajaki Dam (1)
Kamdesh (9)
Kandahar (12)
Karachi (7)
Kashmir (2)
Khost Province (1)
Khyber (11)
Knife Blogging (7)
Korea (4)
Korengal Valley (3)
Kunar Province (20)
Kurdistan (3)
Language in COIN (5)
Language in Statecraft (1)
Language Interpreters (2)
Lashkar-e-Taiba (2)
Law Enforcement (6)
Lawfare (14)
Leadership (6)
Lebanon (6)
Leon Panetta (2)
Let Them Fight (2)
Libya (14)
Lines of Effort (3)
Littoral Combat (8)
Logistics (50)
Long Guns (1)
Lt. Col. Allen West (2)
Marine Corps (280)
Marines in Bakwa (1)
Marines in Helmand (67)
Marjah (4)
MEDEVAC (2)
Media (68)
Medical (146)
Memorial Day (6)
Mexican Cartels (41)
Mexico (61)
Michael Yon (6)
Micromanaging the Military (7)
Middle East (1)
Military Blogging (26)
Military Contractors (5)
Military Equipment (25)
Militia (9)
Mitt Romney (3)
Monetary Policy (1)
Moqtada al Sadr (2)
Mosul (4)
Mountains (25)
MRAPs (1)
Mullah Baradar (1)
Mullah Fazlullah (1)
Mullah Omar (3)
Musa Qala (4)
Music (25)
Muslim Brotherhood (6)
Nation Building (2)
National Internet IDs (1)
National Rifle Association (97)
NATO (15)
Navy (30)
Navy Corpsman (1)
NCOs (3)
News (1)
NGOs (3)
Nicholas Schmidle (2)
Now Zad (19)
NSA (3)
NSA James L. Jones (6)
Nuclear (62)
Nuristan (8)
Obama Administration (221)
Offshore Balancing (1)
Operation Alljah (7)
Operation Khanjar (14)
Ossetia (7)
Pakistan (165)
Paktya Province (1)
Palestine (5)
Patriotism (7)
Patrolling (1)
Pech River Valley (11)
Personal (73)
Petraeus (14)
Pictures (1)
Piracy (13)
Pistol (4)
Pizzagate (21)
Police (656)
Police in COIN (3)
Policy (15)
Politics (980)
Poppy (2)
PPEs (1)
Prisons in Counterinsurgency (12)
Project Gunrunner (20)
PRTs (1)
Qatar (1)
Quadrennial Defense Review (2)
Quds Force (13)
Quetta Shura (1)
RAND (3)
Recommended Reading (14)
Refueling Tanker (1)
Religion (495)
Religion and Insurgency (19)
Reuters (1)
Rick Perry (4)
Rifles (1)
Roads (4)
Rolling Stone (1)
Ron Paul (1)
ROTC (1)
Rules of Engagement (75)
Rumsfeld (1)
Russia (37)
Sabbatical (1)
Sangin (1)
Saqlawiyah (1)
Satellite Patrols (2)
Saudi Arabia (4)
Scenes from Iraq (1)
Second Amendment (685)
Second Amendment Quick Hits (2)
Secretary Gates (9)
Sharia Law (3)
Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahiden (1)
SIIC (2)
Sirajuddin Haqqani (1)
Small Wars (72)
Snipers (9)
Sniveling Lackeys (2)
Soft Power (4)
Somalia (8)
Sons of Afghanistan (1)
Sons of Iraq (2)
Special Forces (28)
Squad Rushes (1)
State Department (23)
Statistics (1)
Sunni Insurgency (10)
Support to Infantry Ratio (1)
Supreme Court (62)
Survival (201)
SWAT Raids (57)
Syria (38)
Tactical Drills (38)
Tactical Gear (15)
Taliban (168)
Taliban Massing of Forces (4)
Tarmiyah (1)
TBI (1)
Technology (21)
Tehrik-i-Taliban (78)
Terrain in Combat (1)
Terrorism (96)
Thanksgiving (13)
The Anbar Narrative (23)
The Art of War (5)
The Fallen (1)
The Long War (20)
The Surge (3)
The Wounded (13)
Thomas Barnett (1)
Transnational Insurgencies (5)
Tribes (5)
TSA (25)
TSA Ineptitude (14)
TTPs (4)
U.S. Border Patrol (6)
U.S. Border Security (19)
U.S. Sovereignty (24)
UAVs (2)
UBL (4)
Ukraine (10)
Uncategorized (99)
Universal Background Check (3)
Unrestricted Warfare (4)
USS Iwo Jima (2)
USS San Antonio (1)
Uzbekistan (1)
V-22 Osprey (4)
Veterans (3)
Vietnam (1)
War & Warfare (419)
War & Warfare (41)
War Movies (4)
War Reporting (21)
Wardak Province (1)
Warriors (6)
Waziristan (1)
Weapons and Tactics (79)
West Point (1)
Winter Operations (1)
Women in Combat (21)
WTF? (1)
Yemen (1)

November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006

about · archives · contact · register

Copyright © 2006-2024 Captain's Journal. All rights reserved.