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Posted: 10/5/2009 6:17:23 PM EDT
| Wow, DPMS states the weight is over 11 pounds! the AP4 is only 8.75 pounds and the remington R25 (almost same rifle, made by DPMS) is supposed to be only 9 pounds and it has an aluminum FF tube vs. plastic hand guards on the Classic. Is DPMS wrong on the weight? Typo? I cant see the 4 inches of barrel weighing 2 pounds AP4 vs. Classic. Is an empty Classic a 11+ pound rifle? |
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http://www.dpmsinc.com/firearms/firearm.aspx?id=48
The classic is not a bull barrel. The 20" RRA LAR8 .308 weighs 9.3 pounds with carry handle, The classic just cant be 2 pounds heavier. The 24" varmint LR308 weighs 11 pounds with bull barrel. No way the classic weighs the same. Something is amiss. |
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I built one with the 20 inch classic upper and Magpul PRS stock. With empty magazine, carry handle it weights 11 pounds 2 oz. Not a light weight but balanced about perfect. It's within an ounce of the DPMS specified weight.
For the best information just call DPMS. |
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the Lr-308c is indeed HEAVY. no need to doubt dpms' specs. if anything, they might be minimizing.
the entire section of barrel that is beneath the handguard is large diameter. i have the railed handguards. with the irons, it's heavy, but shootable offhand. with an optic and mount, i found mine to be too heavy for offhand shooting, and had my barrel turned down by ADCO. got 3 lbs or so off. it's still a handful, but much more managable. great rifle btw. |
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just depends what you're wanting.....
here's a pic after ADCO turned mine down. you can't see much, but you can see how thick it was all the way, and what kind of metal they took off. 
if you want lighter weight, the Remington R-25, or LR-308L are probably good choices. |
| I'm 55 with a bad back and some old hernia scars. Every time I used to reach over a gun-show table to lift up that 11 pound 308 TAC20, I swear that I felt like I was going to pop a nut into orbit. The classic is pretty much the same weight according to specs. I ended up buying a 24" LR thinking I could always have ADCO lighten it. Well, I'm glad the accuracy of the particular barrel I got wasn't so great.....because I have since ultimately decided "Screw all this oversized rifle and heavy barrel bullshit!" I decided to put an 18.5" Fulton 2.5 lb carbine barrel on a Sopmod stock. Yes, it will kick a lot more, but at least I feel like it will be a very accurate rifle that is utility enough to be carried anywhere. I figure if guys can fire their 300 Winchester magnum on a hunt or in the event of a Red Army Zombie attack, then I can manage a 308 or two, or three, out of a shorty. |
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Copy that Van. I am a 39 year old with 3 fused verts in my neck, 2 herniated discs in my lower back, a bum knee and fibromyalgia everywhere. I think the AP4 is cool and all, but .308 is down some 300fps by the time you get that short.
CptSpau1ding, what does it cost to turn the barrel down? what does your rifle weigh empty now? That is indeed a huge barrel under the handguard. Forrest_F150, That is a nice looking stick. |
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Quoted:
http://www.dpmsinc.com/firearms/firearm.aspx?id=48 The classic is not a bull barrel. The 20" RRA LAR8 .308 weighs 9.3 pounds with carry handle, The classic just cant be 2 pounds heavier. The 24" varmint LR308 weighs 11 pounds with bull barrel. No way the classic weighs the same. Something is amiss. whoops, meant HBAR |
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Quoted:
Copy that Van. I am a 39 year old with 3 fused verts in my neck, 2 herniated discs in my lower back, a bum knee and fibromyalgia everywhere. I think the AP4 is cool and all, but .308 is down some 300fps by the time you get that short. CptSpau1ding, what does it cost to turn the barrel down? what does your rifle weigh empty now? That is indeed a huge barrel under the handguard. Forrest_F150, That is a nice looking stick. here's a link to my thread in the ADCO section with my review/experience. i had to skim it to find where i put info about weights. crappy bathroom scale said under 12 ilbs with optic, mount, sling, & buis....unloaded. optic, and mount are maybe 2 lbs or more. i doubt the rifle alone is under 9lbs. that's with the railed handguard. with plastic, or the aluminum tube, it'd probably be under 9. here's a link to ADCO's shop sevices page. $65 for contouring under the handguard. if you have questions for them, i'd recommend posting them in their section here on arfcom. seems to be the easiest line of communication with them, in my experience. and yes, forrest - i'm envious of that troy handguard. i've been trying to stop putting money into my TAC20, but the hanguard keeps hounding me about wanting replaced. other projects have kept me sidetracked for a while now. |
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thanks, I've been going back and forth about when I'm going yo get a Larue/Harris bi-pod combo.
spent alot of dough this past year on guns, gear and ammo. alas the Tulsa gun show is a month away and it's the largest one in the US. so I doubt I'll get away from that without breaking the bank. ugh. |
here's a pic of mine in it's finished state. see how i'm trying to convince myself? 2 years, and 3 optics later, i finally settled on glass. it's the new burris xtr 1.5-6x with 7.62 bdc reticle. i've swapped trigger for a cmmg, and replaced the flash suppressor with a yhm. ergo grip, ADCO diet....i don't reall need anything else. there's always an item or 2 that i'd like though. i think i have a problem. i usually back out before any other mods, and buy ammo instead. definately my favorite rifle in the safe. 
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Yeah, the LR308 is not lightweight, but it's not that bad, either. I don't really "get it" when people talk about them like they weigh a ton. Do those people realize that the LR308C weighs roughly the same as an M1 Garand? Our boys did pretty well in WW2 with that "heavy" rifle. As a matter of fact, the rate of fire gave them a huge advantage over their enemies who were using a lighter and slower bolt action. Have our younger generations gotten soft?
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I guess you are right, but at my age every pound counts. I have had a few heavy rifles, varmint style and it is hard for me to imagine a semi-auto fighting rifle weighing as much as they did.
Ok, I want to pose this question while I have everyone's attention. If you were going to consolidate and have one platform and rifle cartridge for general use and possible TEOTWAWKI, .308 AR? I have been beating myself up and going back and forth between 5.56 ARs (have now) and boltgun for longer range use VS. .308AR for all. consolidate, or diversify. I live in a fairly rural area although in a subdivision. .308AR for everything seems doable to me, I prolly will not be clearing houses and double tapping large groups of people LOL although I realize people in urban settings might really be better off with 5.56. You guys with LR308s, you satisfied they could do it all for you? Quoted:
Yeah, the LR308 is not lightweight, but it's not that bad, either. I don't really "get it" when people talk about them like they weigh a ton. Do those people realize that the LR308C weighs roughly the same as an M1 Garand? Our boys did pretty well in WW2 with that "heavy" rifle. As a matter of fact, the rate of fire gave them a huge advantage over their enemies who were using a lighter and slower bolt action. Have our younger generations gotten soft? |
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Quoted:
Yeah, the LR308 is not lightweight, but it's not that bad, either. I don't really "get it" when people talk about them like they weigh a ton. Do those people realize that the LR308C weighs roughly the same as an M1 Garand? Our boys did pretty well in WW2 with that "heavy" rifle. As a matter of fact, the rate of fire gave them a huge advantage over their enemies who were using a lighter and slower bolt action. Have our younger generations gotten soft? in every "heavy as hell LR-308c" thread, this comes up. soft....maybe. I'm not in bad shape. better than an average 38 y/o i can probably safely say. not ready for ironman competition, but i excercise regularly. shooting an M1 offhand is no problem for me. shooting a factory stock LR-308C with CH offhand is also do-able (11.2 ilbs or so). add the railed handguard, and you're over 12 lbs easily, i'm still hangin. add optic, and mount to make it over 14, or even close to 15 lbs....it's more than i can hold in a shooting position for any amount of time. cramping and shaking occur in short order. if that makes me a pussy, so be it. 
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Quoted:
Ok, I want to pose this question while I have everyone's attention. If you were going to consolidate and have one platform and rifle cartridge for general use and possible TEOTWAWKI, .308 AR? I have been beating myself up and going back and forth between 5.56 ARs (have now) and boltgun for longer range use VS. .308AR for all. consolidate, or diversify. I live in a fairly rural area although in a subdivision. .308AR for everything seems doable to me, I prolly will not be clearing houses and double tapping large groups of people LOL although I realize people in urban settings might really be better off with 5.56. Quoted:
This is an age old debate. Lighter less effective ammo, but more of it... or heavier more effective ammo but less of it. It really comes down to personal preference and what fits you and your situation the best. Personally I have an AR & bolt action so I can work off the same supply of 223 ammo. I can't see how you could go wrong with either setup. They both have their pros and cons. |
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If I had to decide on a "go-to" rifle entailing considerable carry time, I'd rely on my Colt 6920 with its 68 grainers. With an Eotech, BUIS, and redi-mag holder, it still weighs a hell of a lot less then my bare 308 DPMS. The reliability, and the 30 rounds of 68 Hornadys with little recoil is nothing to scoff at. And NO, I haven't given up on owning a 308 DPMS that fires the brute 308 cartridge. I'm in the middle of changing my 24" Panther to an 18.5 carbine and trying to transform it to something that I desire and consider practical. (I want a sought of SASS rifle)
As far as our brave WW2 soldiers that carried those 30-06 battle axes everywhere..... they also carried heavy canvas ammo belts, wool blankets, and radios the size of your mamas old Kelvenator ice-box.. Technology has changed in the last 65 years. Some things, like the Colt 1911 are still very useful. But, a 12-13lb wood stocked rifle? To each his own. |
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