So I have been pursuing the idea of a LW AR15 with DD pencil barrel, and trying to figure out optimal configuration. As others here mentioned, use of a CAVARMS Calvary Arms lower helps to further reduce weight. However, I have not handled one in person. What are they like? Nice quality? Odd feel? Rough? Better than a McDonald’s Happy Meal Toy? Input requested. 
(No, yellow is not my preferred color.)
I owned one until a co worker shot it and had to have it. I set it up with a BM superlight barrel. It was a nice little carbine. Very lightweight. I had no problems with the lower and put about 1000rounds through it.
i just threw up.
W. T. F. ?
So a Colt 6520/6720 or a DD LW build is too heavy?
MkII lower is about .5 lbs lighter than an M4 + M4 stock lower and has A1 stock length. The building is a little different than a typical lower, youll have to do some shaving and filing in some areas, mainly the magwell. Build quality isnt perfect but it will hold up. Some reviewers have been using them in 3gun with no problems
The Colt 6520 that I looked at had some quality / workmanship problems, so sadly I crossed it off my list.
For uppers I am considering the DD LW factory upper build versus a variation of the nice builds offered by GR Tactical in the DD pencil barrel thread of this forum. But both require a lower. So I am trying to figure out if it makes sense to go with a CAVARMS to more weight reduction, or whether a regular lower is best.
Keep in mind that this will be shot by kids age 6-13 and a woman who does not bench press a whole lot. One thing that gives me pause about CAVARMS, in addition to the funky look and the somewhat rough quality mentioned above, is the A1 stock length. That is too long for a 6 y.o. kid, but a CAR butt when fully retracted is not. But the lighter the gun is, the sooner kids can start to shoot offhand with it.
Qualifier, I’ve never had one. I have considered building one for my daughter to play with. I was under the impression the pivot and take down pins were different length and sometimes hard to find. Is there any truth to that?
build your own with rra entry short stock.
It doesn’t look like he said that. He is looking for the lighter options available, and this is certainly one of them. While it may be hard for some people to understand, novice shooters, especially smaller framed ones often have issue with the weight of weapons.
Copy. Sorry if I upset anybody.
I’m a smaller framed person, so I, too, am always looking for ways to lighten things up. Just not a fan of polymer lowers, much less yellow ones.
Have you considered M&P15-22s? They have collapsible stocks and are .22 so they’re perfect for kids. When I was a Boy Scout, the .22 was our preferred rifle.
they’re different than standard AR pins. you could probably make standard AR pins work in a pinch though. the cav pins have a little detent ball in them and they just push in.
Hasn’t cavarms bit the dust? 
They have as a weapon manufacturer. there are still many receivers out there. I was looking into one but the dealer did not have the pins.
DSG arms has some in stock:
http://dsgarms.com/Category/26_1/Lower_Receivers.aspx
Yup, but Brownells still has them in O.D. for $120 wholesale. But DSG has the yellow ones and the Robin’s egg blue for $150! Yeah! 
Took delivery of one today and it will go out to the desert to shoot in the a.m. But the kids like to shoot full power too.
That is another option I will look into.
Seriously considering the Robin’s egg blue one just to be able to intimidate my opponents with my manliness. 
if yall want to get the color that matches the industry FDE the best, its Cav Arms coyote brown. Says on their website that Coyote Brown actually matches everyone else’s FDE the best.