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Posted: 11/7/2016 6:16:50 AM EDT
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So I am fairly new to building black rifles and I have a couple questions. I built my first rifle a year ago and the upper that i ordered I opted for heavy barrel. While this hasn't been and issue at the range, the primary goal of this is for HD/SHTF so I have decided to start shaving a bit of weight. So I have two options for the most weight savings:
Bcm kmr rail which is about 5 once lighter than current. Then I am looking at a part to state armory mid length barrel, which should save me about 6-8 ounces over the hbar. I guess I am looking for guidance as to which item I should go for first (being on a budget currently I can only buy one at a time). Any input would be appreciated. |
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Quoted:
If it my rifle I would dump your red dot and light.......go to a micro like a T1/T2 and a small light......next would be dump the barrel, go with a faxon gunner or pencil barrel, they are about $160. Yeah that light is just a place holder until I find a better one. Is there any creedance to people saying pencil barrels aren't as durable or accurate? (I only ask because I don't have experience with them) the red dot itself isn't very heavy but the mount is a tad bulky so I might replace that before writing that optic off just yet. |
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Read these threads for some good information on weight:
Parts Assembled parts (builds) |
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That's an awesome resource, thanks for sharing! |
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I think the barrel and handguard are my primary area of concern when it comes to weight. The steel barrel nut on that handguard is unnecessarily heavy. And my hbar weighed in at 35 Oz so I think if I go with a mid-length government or lightweight profile barrel, based on that list most of them are coming in at around 24-26 Oz roughly which would save over half a pound off the front of my rifle. Then if I go with a bcm kmr it'll be about another 5-6 Oz off.
Should I replace the barrel first, then do handguard? |
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Quoted: Yeah that light is just a place holder until I find a better one. Is there any creedance to people saying pencil barrels aren't as durable or accurate? (I only ask because I don't have experience with them) the red dot itself isn't very heavy but the mount is a tad bulky so I might replace that before writing that optic off just yet. Quoted: Quoted: If it my rifle I would dump your red dot and light.......go to a micro like a T1/T2 and a small light......next would be dump the barrel, go with a faxon gunner or pencil barrel, they are about $160. Yeah that light is just a place holder until I find a better one. Is there any creedance to people saying pencil barrels aren't as durable or accurate? (I only ask because I don't have experience with them) the red dot itself isn't very heavy but the mount is a tad bulky so I might replace that before writing that optic off just yet. But the fact is, a thinner profile barrel heats up quicker (and it also cools down quicker) than a heavy barrel. As your barrel heats up, you are likely to experience a shift in your POI. So if the question is will a pencil barrel be as accurate over repeated 10-round strings? No, probably not. As for durability, overheating a barrel excessively and repeatedly can increase the rate of throat erosion, but unless you're using the barrel as a pry bar, it's not necessarily less durable. |
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Quoted:
First round, cold bore, pencil barrels are just as accurate as the heavier contours. If you're shooting offhand, the lighter barrel might offer more accuracy as it's easier to stabilize...but that's on you, not inherent accuracy in the barrel. But the fact is, a thinner profile barrel heats up quicker (and it also cools down quicker) than a heavy barrel. As your barrel heats up, you are likely to experience a shift in your POI. So if the question is will a pencil barrel be as accurate over repeated 10-round strings? No, probably not. As for durability, overheating a barrel excessively and repeatedly can increase the rate of throat erosion, but unless you're using the barrel as a pry bar, it's not necessarily less durable. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
If it my rifle I would dump your red dot and light.......go to a micro like a T1/T2 and a small light......next would be dump the barrel, go with a faxon gunner or pencil barrel, they are about $160. Yeah that light is just a place holder until I find a better one. Is there any creedance to people saying pencil barrels aren't as durable or accurate? (I only ask because I don't have experience with them) the red dot itself isn't very heavy but the mount is a tad bulky so I might replace that before writing that optic off just yet. But the fact is, a thinner profile barrel heats up quicker (and it also cools down quicker) than a heavy barrel. As your barrel heats up, you are likely to experience a shift in your POI. So if the question is will a pencil barrel be as accurate over repeated 10-round strings? No, probably not. As for durability, overheating a barrel excessively and repeatedly can increase the rate of throat erosion, but unless you're using the barrel as a pry bar, it's not necessarily less durable. OK that's what I wanted to know. I definitely don't plan on running full auto or anything, I also don't plan on repeated mag dumps. The barrel I am looking at is slightly beefier than a pencil barrel which I am assuming is the government profile since it lacks the notch for the m203 since it's a mid-length gas system. Just kinda uneasy about this decision since the first barrel choice I made with the hbar wasnt the best (for this rifles intended purpose) |
| For lightweight small parts hit up V7 and battle arms. I did a awesome lightweight build and used a Fortis rail with an AERO precision lightweight 14.7" rail and battle arms lightweight upper/lower. Most of the small parts came from v7 which wasn't cheap but alotta stuff came from battle arms too like the titanium ion bond take down pins and shit. It was fun doing all the research and also expensive. O almost forgot for a barrel nut buy the v7 its awesome. super lightweight too. |
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Quoted:
For lightweight small parts hit up V7 and battle arms. I did a awesome lightweight build and used a Fortis rail with an AERO precision lightweight 14.7" rail and battle arms lightweight upper/lower. Most of the small parts came from v7 which wasn't cheap but alotta stuff came from battle arms too like the titanium ion bond take down pins and shit. It was fun doing all the research and also expensive. O almost forgot for a barrel nut buy the v7 its awesome. super lightweight too. Well unfortunately, until I am done with school, expensive is not good. So I am trying to come up with the best combination of weight vs cost benefit without going broke. Maybe once I am done and not paying tuition out of pocket I will start on a higher end build. For now it comes down to a reasonable price for something of decent quality that will shave weight compared to my current setup. |
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If you were to only choose either the handguard or barrel, I would say get a Faxon Gunner barrel first.
I think it would save you lots more weight than a handguard swap, and you'll have to take stuff apart to swap either at a later date. In the future, when you have a little more $$ to throw at it, a Titanium gas block and forward assist are great places to lose a heavy chunk of steel. I did 60 rounds straight through my gunner barrel with no rest between shots, 6 targets, 10 at each with no POI shift. That's plenty for me for a lightweight barrel. The barrel was already warm when starting this session. |
| Major weights savings are accomplished with barrel (profile & length), optic (sight and mount), and rail. Your rifle should be as light as possible without compromising strength or reliability...unless of course your goal is just to build the lightest rifle possible (which some people enjoy, and more power to them). |
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Quoted:
Major weights savings are accomplished with barrel (profile & length), optic (sight and mount), and rail. Your rifle should be as light as possible without compromising strength or reliability...unless of course your goal is just to build the lightest rifle possible (which some people enjoy, and more power to them). Yeah that's what I figured. I think I'm going to start with the barrel and then swap my handguard. Then I'll go for a smaller optic and mount eventually. Thanks for the advice! I'm trying to go for lightweight that is useful for defending myself and family. So I'm not looking to nit pick about things like gas block material and stiff like that for now. My goal is to have something that is lighter than my current setup but still durable and practical for manipulating and or carrying. |
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