Hey guys,
I see it plastered all over the internet, Facebook, guys my own age (just turned 26) -that lightweight builds are better.
Do you find this to be true? Should this be a goal for every build? Just SBRs?
I’ve never been bothered by “normal” weight or slightly heavy. M1As come to mind.
Better for carrying all day…sure.
Better for every situation…nope.
I have one lightweight AR, but it’s hardly an extreme example.
I also have two SPRs (a 5.56 and a 6.8) that are far from lightweight, but they serve the role very well.
I also have a few midweight ARs when neither of the above are ideal.
Only the pinnacle if weight savings is the intended purpose. AR’s are light enough as is. And there are to many configurations to consider to call it the pinnacle. But it sure as hell has it’s place
In my opinion…
I think there is a premium point in weight, and balance.
Something like 6-8lbs, with good balance ( really nose heavy guns don’t balance well ), I think is ideal.
It depends on the gun, and it’s intended purpose. You could have a 6lb gun with just irons, but you want to add a suppressor and optic, then it will be a bit heavier. So I don’t think lighter is always better, actually, I think balance is more important than weight alone, but the overall package and it’s capabilities is what I look at.
I have an 9lb Bullpup, but it is balanced so much better than one of my nose heavy 7.9 lb carbine, that it is actually much easier to handle, more efficient, and just a better setup overall. In fact, it handles so much better, that that bullpup always goes to the range with me, and that carbine now just collects dust. Balance is very important for me.
Lightweight AR’s cost more money to build and I don’t see the advantages, in fact there are disadvantages most of the builds require lightweight barrels and most of these barrels heat up quickly and when they do out goes the accuracy. I think my 18" AR at 6.8 lbs is good enough and balances well. I use my AR’s at to range, I don’t run around in the woods with them…
I like having choices running around the ranch. A lightweight build isn’t the pinnacle for me, but it clearly has its place in the quiver, for me. Light, fast n short is great getting in and outta the truck…
No. They are not necessarily better. In fact, the ar15s that people are trying to build super light are probably significantly worse. I saw one the other day that was like 4 lbs. I want to see that thing put through a torture test. Throw it around, throw it in the mud, sand, water, etc., and then see how great it is. Light weight is good, but not at the expense of reliability.
Light weight ARs are kind of interesting, but I wouldn’t assemble or buy one personally. The light weight handguards look flimsy, and the pencil barrels heat up too quickly for my tastes.
If you want a lightweight carbine it’s pretty easy.
Buy a 6920. Do nothing. The end.
Bwahahaha!
Ok guys, discussion over. Time to close the thread.
Silly statement without further identifying at what, for what, for whom.
Huh?
most of the builds require lightweight barrels and most of these barrels heat up quickly and when they do out goes the accuracy.
Needs to be quantified. Needs a capable shooter to quantify it.
What about the guns weight affected it’s functional reliability?
I like you. Shoot my ammo. 
You say this but for some reason I doubt you follow your own advice.
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Bear in mind, this is an FNG take, but… depends on intended role, but a big +1 on balance being more important–I personally like things slightly muzzle heavy but not excessively so, which on a free-float 16" means needing a heavy stock plus additional ballast and thus higher overall weight. (Unloaded, my 16" FF actually weighs as much as two mil-issue M4s straight from FN including bayo, cleaning kit and shipping case. Maybe a little excessive, but… the only things on it that’re cosmetic rather than functional are the Keymod covers, the Rustoleum OD paint on them and the dash of trans-red paint on the lower’s engraving.)
Even if you don’t want an ultra-light, you should be glad that us ultralight builders are “out there”. A lot of high end / cutting edge development (Ti parts, crazy light handguards etc.) has been the result of demand from 3 gunners and the ultralight crowd. I just finished a DMR build that is pretty ‘normal’ in the receiver / stock area, but has several lightweight parts up front that help make the gun easier to low-ready / aim longer without as much fatigue and with faster transitions…so it’s not like light parts are only beneficial for the guys building sub-4lb guns.
If you care about weight specs at all, the best resource around for selecting parts is the AR 15 Parts Weights Database (PWD). Link…
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1I6Qb6kAJjChEJ56qhznv2291c5UHRDyNXuSXGObumqM/edit?usp=sharing
For me, lightweight would mean BCM Kino upper with auto BCG on a regular good brand forged lower assembly. CAR stock and magpul handguard. Fixed irons. If I were rolling my own instead, I might consider a BA Hanson 13.7 with a Mega hanguard and a no forward assist forged upper. Any lighter than those just doesn’t appeal to me.
Outlander is onto something about the plain 6920. Its amazing how light a plain M4 gets when you remove the Elcan, LA-5, rail covers, and flashlight. And eff a suppressor on a 14.5 in barrel.
I think you just won the internet for the day.
IMHO the Pinnacle is an intelligently designed functional rifle that meets the users actual requirements. Meaning the builder thinks through what they want and need and don’t just fling parts at it because they look cool or their internet friends tell them to. For example, Lets say you had a requirement for a long rang bench gun. You don’t put a 11.5" pencil barrel upper with an aim point micro on it and expect to win matches. You work through the different barrel types and build for max accuracy. Flipping the coin, you don’t see many 20" HBARs with 3-15 or 5-20 scopes on entry teams.
I will see your 6920 and raise you a 6720.
There is no free lunch.
There we go.
I really, really wish I had purchased a rifle with a LW-profile barrel when I was first starting out. I still have yet to make the leap, but it’s high on my priority list. The 6720s I’ve handled are very nice to wield.