Tips for black rifle weight loss?

[CASEYPM]

I used my PSA PA-10 for hunting for the first time last year and it tipped the scales at almost 13 lbs. I was hoping to make a sub 10 lb rifle and it didn't happen. I know what you're thinking... Don't be a wuss and just deal with it... But hiking 5+ miles to my hunting lease with 60+ lbs of camping supplies not including the rifle is a bit cumbersome. I'm going to put the tapco stock back on replacing the MFT that weighs about 1 lb, replace the pmag 20 with a 10 with only 5-7 rounds in it, and possibly replace the Miculek muzzle brake with  flash suppressor and get rid of the front sight. The 16X center point scope has to stay until I can afford something way better. It has a tubular aluminum mid length handguard and I'm skeptical whether a railed handguard would be any lighter, but then I could get a low profile gas block. I have a 3 point sling that improves weight distribution while carrying.  Any other tips or tricks to make it lighter? 

[MikedaddyH]

Move to Las Vegas and change your name, then buy into every half bake idea whether it makes sense or not . And use exotic lightweight materials.

Or...

You could get a SBR w/ a lightweight barrel use plastic parts and sound lightweight components.

[EngrBob]

Build a 6.5 Grendel on a 5.56 receiver set with a polymer lower.  Even with an 18" HBAR, scope and 5 round magazine mine only weighs about 7 lbs., about a pound more than my 30.06.

[shepp]

What about scope mounts? Any idea one what your hand gaurd weighs? I just about went carbon fiber till I got to talking to Pete at Midwest Industries and he talked me into this 

https://www.midwestindustriesinc.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=1345

i did a 15" looks like you'd be using a 12". I think I shaved right around a pound off mine. I also went to 10 round mags, really no need for 20 and its just somthing to get hooked on somthing else. 

[Magwa]

Ok get rid of the following the stock, scope,mags,front sight,,hand guard, and get a stock M4 stock, a 4 to 10 scope, 16 power on a hunting gun is way overboard a 3x9 is even better,front sight and gas block combo like a A2 sight  or a low profile get a carbon hand guard they weigh 6 oz at most, the rifle in the pictures below weights 8 lbs 8 oz with no ammo I only load 5 rds at a time in a 10 rounder....I hump it all day and it is dead nuts accurate at 450 and that is a long hunting shot...the proof is in the pudding...

 

[planeflyer21]

Great advice magwa!

I would've thought you to be a 2-7x32 guy though. 

[Magwa]

great choice , 2-7 but i have old eyes need a bit more power both those 2 elk were shot at just a tad over 300 yards both one shot kills barnes 168ttsx simply devastating

on game....

[Robocop1051]

MFT Minimalist Stock

APEX handguard

Low profile has block

Magpul M3 LR10 PMAG

Ditch the scope mount and get scope rings.

I own countless 3-9x scopes, and never killed anything at higher than 4x... but I also live in California and our "long shots" are only 150 yards.

[washguy]

Casey    8lbs2 oz with mag and Nikon M308...  nexgen 12......DPMS lower ARP billett upper with matching bcg and barrel....Bravo Co kmr rail  ...Wash

[unforgiven]

^^^ The weight of this rifle blew me away. As light as a AR15.

I put a 5 rd. limiter in my 10 rd. Pmags to be hunting legal here in Indiana.

[edgecrusher]

Start working out.

[planeflyer21]

12 minutes ago, edgecrusher said:

Start working out.

That's the same argument I've seen when people complain about the weight of Garands or M14/M1As.  "Your grand daddy did it all over Europe and the Pacific Ocean."

[survivalshop]

On July 30, 2016 at 11:01 AM, planeflyer21 said:

That's the same argument I've seen when people complain about the weight of Garands or M14/M1As.  "Your grand daddy did it all over Europe and the Pacific Ocean."

  & they used them for CQB also !

We don't need no stinking short Barrels !     I had to use an M1 Garand for boarding party on ships , I got along with it , but I also carried a 1911 , for close stuff .

Edited August 2, 2016 by survivalshop

[unforgiven]

I don't think the M1 Garand is a heavy rifle at all.

[planeflyer21]

3 hours ago, unforgiven said:

I don't think the M1 Garand is a heavy rifle at all.

Manly man doing manly things!  Right on brother Rene!

[joao01]

On ‎7‎/‎29‎/‎2016 at 5:05 PM, washguy said:

Casey    8lbs2 oz with mag and Nikon M308...  nexgen 12......DPMS lower ARP billett upper with matching bcg and barrel....Bravo Co kmr rail  ...Wash

I'm new, so pardon my question if it is basic.  How do you get a KMR on a 308AR?  Is your upper receiver DPMS high or low?  Does the BCM barrel nut work on the upper without modification?

[washguy]

JOA   Nope your question is far from basic.. The upper is a machined billett with an ar15 receiver thread  so it can use any AR15 handguard...but it does have a machined bcg that fits in there..the bcg looks almost like a lengthened AR15 bcg.....the height is that of an AR15 not a DPMS...so yes the BCM  barrel nut works perfect  without modification 

Wash

[shepp]

35 minutes ago, joao01 said:

I'm new, so pardon my question if it is basic.  How do you get a KMR on a 308AR?  Is your upper receiver DPMS high or low?  Does the BCM barrel nut work on the upper without modification?

No question is a bad question!

[joao01]

34 minutes ago, washguy said:

JOA   Nope your question is far from basic.. The upper is a machined billett with an ar15 receiver thread  so it can use any AR15 handguard...but it does have a machined bcg that fits in there..the bcg looks almost like a lengthened AR15 bcg.....the height is that of an AR15 not a DPMS...so yes the BCM  barrel nut works perfect  without modification 

Wash

Interesting.  Could you provide a link to the upper manufacturer?  I'll have to look into this more.  I could not find ARP online.  I had assumed it was Aero Precision, but I don't see any billet options on their website.

[washguy]

JOA      heres the link but i must tell you if you havnt any experience assembling various AR's he might not sell you one because this one is not plugnplay

        http://ar15performance.com/308___260_nextgen_uppers    

Wash

[survivalshop]

  That 308 Barrel would have to be smaller in diameter then a std. 308AR Barrel at the Chamber end also, to accommodate the smaller Barrel nut , No ? 

[washguy]

8 minutes ago, survivalshop said:

  That 308 Barrel would have to be smaller in diameter then a std. 308AR Barrel at the Chamber end also, to accommodate the smaller Barrel nut , No ? 

Yeppers Survival....different barrel extension for sure    . Wash

[survivalshop]

 Also appears to have a lightened BC , are you using an adj. Gas Block ?  The Barrel is probably the most weight on the rifle , so lightening up the Barrel with out sacrificing the Barrels contour is a good way to do it . We all know a heavy stiff one , is going to be a good shooter or should .

 The thing I'm not into, is the altering of the Mag's , it may be OK if you own one 308AR rifle , but I would not like to have the potential of feeding issues mixing up mags with my three 308AR's .

[washguy]

Survival  yep im using an adj gas block.the Lancer mags work fine in this rifle and of course in my other rifles too. Pmag plastic mags dont work  in this one very well.... all the metal mags I have work in this rifle after tweaking...and still work in my other rifles too..so its just the pmag plastics that are out of the equation

had to go take a look at the barrels....the smaller diameter 0.6110 is my lite hunter barrel from ARP... the larger diameter is from the ARP  hybrid nexgen       could have fooled me   lol         Wash

 

Edited August 2, 2016 by washguy

[survivalshop]

  Damn Lancers are great Mag's.

That rifle sounds like my CMMG before Magpul came out with the Gen3' which sits just a few thou. higher in the Mag well & its all it took , they work with out issue .