I'm in the process of assembling a very basic lightweight AR and I'm wondering if anyone has used these uppers before. They have no FA or dust cover and are a few oz lighter than a standard receiver. This lightweight is being assembled for the sole purpose of backpacking/hiking and won't see any serious use. To be honest, I've never used the FA on any of my other builds and 99% of the time I leave my dust covers open anyways. Is it worth the few extra oz to stick with a standard upper or is it safe to try the Sportical for something different?

They are great for a no frills rifle...but they are not in the "light weight" department. Actually, they are pretty robust and thicker than standard forged receivers. I believe they are extruded aluminum, not forged or milled from billet stock.

Oh really? I didn't know that, good info. Thank you! If they're no lighter than a standard upper I may just stick with parts I've used before... That was the main idea behind trying one.

I've got a Sportical in 16" and there is nothing lightweight about it.  It is a fairly robust rifle and not something I would want to carry all day in addition to a full back pack.  I doubt that the 2 or 3 oz difference in the FA is going to make any perceived differance at all.

MLG

Uh. 2 or 3 oz is nothing when that's all it is. But add that to all the other "oh it's just 2 or 3 oz more" items and you quickly have turned a lightweight rifle into a hog.

Exactly. Ounces = pounds.

Thanks for the input everyone.