Lightweight upper options?

[Markbo]

Collaterals' thread got me to thinking (uh oh).... all my AR's in every caliber are heavy barreled. They were all purchased with the idea that accuracy is the Alpha and Omega of why I like the AR platform.

BUT... I have been tossing the idea around of a true shorty to throw over my shoulder in the woods. That thread has me thinking... Why can't I accomplish that with a minimum of weight, i.e. a flat top with red dot sight and a light weight barrel?

What options are there for a lightweight M4gery type upper that I can use on an existing lower, already set up with a collapsible stock that is very accurate?

I guess 16"-18" length - what barrel profile I don't know, but light weight, but that still have really good accuracy with heavier bullets, i.e. 62-69gr range. Whatever experience and advice you have is welcomed.

Thanks
Mark

 

[Lonestar.45]

I bought a Bushmaster Suplerlite upper from PkFirearms.com and am highly satisfied. Check out their complete uppers, and look at the superlite. It's just as accurate as any HBar, except after the barrel heats up the POI will shift somewhat. Not a lot though, and it takes going through a mag at a high rate of speed to get it to do it. I think a well made lightweight barrel is just as accurate as any HBar or varmint barrel for the first few shots, which for a "walk around woods gun" is all you need. If you're going to do mag dumps and want pinpoint accuracy after the barrel heats, then you'd want a heavier profile. One thing about the lightweight barrel is that although it heats faster, it also cools faster too.

I have a 1/9 twist, and I've only shot 55 and 62 gr through it. It would probably be okay for 69gr but haven't tried it. CMMG makes a great lightweight upper in 1/7 twist, if you want to go with heavier bullets. I'll never own an HBar to be honest, I don't think I'd ever go any heavier than a gov't profile.

 

[Zak Smith]

A light weight profile barrel does not mean inaccurate. My 3Gun rifle is about 0.70" under the handguards and shot 1/3 MOA when new (still sub-MOA 7000+ rounds and 3 years later). Accuracy is more a function of barrel quality and build quality.

-z

 

[rino451]

Bout the lightest that you can get w/o smith work is a 16" superlight (I like the bushmaster barrels) with stock CAR handguards. Adding a metal CAR length free float tube IMO undoes the benefit of going light. Might as well have the 16" hbar or gov't profile. I'm not sure about the carbon fiber or fiber glass or whatever they are FF tubes, but I'd guess that they'd be lighter and I bet handle heat better.

FYI my 14.5 gov't profile CAR upper is the same weight as my 16" superlight with JP FF tube. Kept the 14.5" upper in the end... and converted one 14.5" CAR to a 16" superlight.

The cat's ass IMO is a 14.5" CAR length superlight and maybe a CF FF tube if it's lighter than the round CAR hand guards. Get a slab side A1 carry handle upper for maximum lite.

 

[MMcfpd]

Lightweight AR-15s appeal to me, so I got a Bushmaster 1:9 Superlight 16":



I liked it so much I decided to put together another lightweight, this one a Colt 1:7 6520 that I converted to a flattop:



They compete for being my favorites. While the skinny barrel does heat up faster than a heavier barrel, it also cools a lot quicker.

Since the photos were taken the Aimpoint has migrated to the Colt and the Bushie now wears a very light, and nice, Burris FastFire red dot. There's also an Ace Ultra Lite stock coming and I'm not sure who's going to be wearing that.

The 1:9 Bushmaster is fine with 62 grain, and I suspect it'll do fine with 68 grain, although I haven't yet tried that.

 

[HOLY DIVER]

i want a 20inch topend for my AR/this lightwieght topic caught my eye...
who do i get a standard a2 20 inch chrome light wieght top end from?

 

[taliv]

my match rifle with a 17" barrel and a 3" compensator on the end of it, is about 4.5 lbs including aimpoint and pmag. it's pretty quick

 

[HOLY DIVER]

taliv what brand upper are you running?

 

[taliv]

stripped carbon fiber upper and lower from bushmaster, ABS carbon fiber barrel with titanium comp, JP LMOS fire control system (an aluminum carrier), carbon fiber handguard and aluminum barrel nut from clark custom that i cut down. I assembled it myself. i put an ace socom stock on it, but could get to 4.1 lb or so with a LMT M4 carbine stock. (the standard collapsible one)

 

[MMcfpd]

who do i get a standard a2 20 inch chrome light wieght top end from?

CMMG:

CMMG 20" Lightweight Rifle Upper w/625" FSB (A2, Full-Auto Carrier, 
No Bolt Group Upgrade, No Charging Handle Upgrade, 
Anodized Ramps, A2 Post, Standard Front Sight Base, 
Round Forward Assist, Standard Mil-Spec Handguards, 
No Rear Sight, A2 Hider, 1/7 Twist) 	$575.95
Sub Total: 			$575.95
Shipping & Handling: 			 $12.00
Total: 				$587.95

Coincidentally, my CMMG 20" 1:7 lightweight barrel should be arriving tomorrow and the plan right now is to put it in the A2 receiver leftover from changing the 6520 to a flattop.

 

[jerkface11]

Dangit I still have a whole month to wait for my upper to get here. But it's gonna be chambered in .30 hrt (aka .30 Herret Rimless) and should be pretty light.

 

[Markbo]

taliv, do you have any pics?

 

[Soybomb]

CMMG is the only place i know of making lightweight midlength gas system barrels.

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

I hate HBAR's. They are useless in a defensive carbine and better suited for sniper rifles and machine guns.



I would take a look at CMMG for a lightweight middy.

 

[taliv]

i really suck at taking pictures, but here are a couple.