I had read a lot recently about how it's not just the overall weight of a rifle that matters, but how well the rifle balances. "Balance" meaning the center of gravity in reference to the overall length of the rifle. So it got me to thinking about my Colt 6920 setup, and how I hated the way it felt so front-heavy.
I had this rifle configured with a Surefire 6P with Malkoff M60 in a DD mount, and a LaRue FUG attached to my rail. Although the 6P with Malkoff is a great light, it's a serious chunk. Also built like a tank is the FUG, making it one of if not the heaviest quality VFGs I've handled. With all this weight up front, I was running a Magpul CTR stock in the back, which is relatively light-weight, not much heavier than the standard M4 stock. This configuration brought the overall weight of the rifle to almost exactly 10lbs when loaded with a 30rd pmag.
Here is that rifle in it's front-heavy configuration:
So, I replaced the 6P in the DD mount with a Surefire X300, and ditched the FUG. I also removed the front side sling swivel mount (the entire assembly, not just the swivel) and replaced it with a QD swivel attached to the rail's built-in swivel socket. Lastly, I replaced the CTR with an LMT SOPMOD (which I immediately fell in love with btw). The X300 weighs less than half of what my previous light and mount did, and by also losing the FUG and side sling swivel assembly, the front-end of the rifle is considerably lighter. However, the SOPMOD is noticeably heavier than the CTR, especially with a couple 123 batteries and a few bottles of machine gunners lube stowed in the storage compartments. All other components remain unchanged.
When I first picked up the rifle with it's new configuration, I was sure it was at least a pound if not lighter than previously. It's not front-heavy and feels down right handy. However, with a loaded 30rd pmag, the rifle weighs almost exactly the same as it did before the transformation, 10lbs. The difference is that the rifle's center of gravity has shifted rearward by taking weight away from the front and adding it to the rear. The rifle is just as equipped, it still has a quality light, quality stock, front sling attachment, and storage. So the bottom line is, balance is just as important as overall weight, as it can make two
equally equipped rifles of the same overall weight handle and feel VERY different.
Here's the rifle now in it's better-balanced configuration: