After reading the NRAAM 18 thread, I'm glad to see Bushmaster showing some real interest in the ACR again!

@BushmasterFirearms

Any plans to put her on a diet?  I popped over on another forum, and saw people getting their ACRs down to 6.5 lbs...  I think the ACR could get FAR more popular if the weight got cut down to 7.0 lbs or so.  I have one, but the main reason I don't shoot it much is the weight.  I'm not the only one, honest reviewers comment about the weight, and anyone I let shoot my rifle commented too.  It's just heavy for a 16.5" barreled 5.56 rifle.  The worst is that it feels front heavy.  Look at the SCAR 16s, it's 7.25 lbs.  FN raised prices and they still fly off the shelves.

Get the ACR to 7.0-7.25 lbs and you'll have a solid winner... could be an enhanced version for a few dollars more.  That, the pistol and a folding pistol brace would really pick up interest in the ACR again.

MAGA - Make ACRs Great Again!

Yeah... maybe... 15 years from now.

They actually have been doing some small upgrades throughout the rifle to reduce weight.  It’s not a whole pound but it is a decent amount.

I’m working on some weight reduction on the rifle now.  I’m at about 5.75 pounds with a lightweight setup.

I'm listening!  What upgrades have you made to cut down on the weight?  Thanks

@bigdog200399

I’ve honestly swapped or modified every single part on my rifle.  The biggest upgrades in this order are the rail, bolt, barrel with gas system, and trunnion.  Anything beyond that is basically chasing ounces.

I will say, a 300blk Acr is a little lighter than a 5.56 and the pistol length feels awesome since it pushes the weight more rearward.

^^^THIS! I've always felt that the ACR's weight problem is less its total weight, and more how front-heavy it is. I really think that if it actually were a little heavier, but it was balanced to the rear, that it would be an improvement over a more front-heavy ACR even if it were actually lighter overall.

A lot of weight could be cut from the gas system and barrel nut.  The "tool-less" barrel change really just means you have to permanently bolt the tool to the barrel.  Dump that, use a regular torx bolt like the XCR and MCX.  The gas regulator has excess metal that at least one aftermarket company, Nafarious Arms, has managed to cut.  The handguard has no need to be so beefy.  That's at least half a pound of weight right there.  Go with an A2 birdcage and you can shave 2 more ounces off the muzzle device.

a 10.5 barrel does a lot of weight shift in my opinion and that's with "fatties" like the 762-SDN-6 hanging off the front end.

10.5" conversion I thought about but want to handle one first. Honestly leaning on the 6.8 barrel conversion idea also. On a side not is the safeties on all the acr's so easy to flip or just mine? Its way to easy in my opinion to flip. Is there a fix for that?

I too thought the original safety was not very positive. I have heard the new ones are better, though I haven't handled one myself. I have the Franklin Binary trigger on mine now, and that safety feels much better.

Mine is a NY made one serial acrcooo3** and is fde. I know has updated deflector not sure what else yet. Still has 1/9 twist barrel. I bought it used. I guess not new enough as my safety lever is not very positive at all to mushy lol. What ever the upgrade is if it makes it more positive feel and not accidental flip it bumping it then that's what I like to do to it. Options? Like to fix that before I jump on barrel conversions. Anything else needs fixed or upgraded. I guess I need to check with bushmaster if it needs any recall type upgrades done.

Highly unlikely you still need to send it in for the recall; that happened well before the ACR was made in New York and the updated brass deflector was introduced. Just check your firing pin with a magnet; if your firing pin is not magnetic, then you have the post-recall titanium firing pin, and are good to go.