How heavy is your Open div. AR?

[kbear38S]

My open AR weighs close to 12 lbs. and it's a little heavier than I like. I live in PA and it's rare to have a 3 Gun rifle stage much over 100 yds and we usually have one or two shot at pistol distances because of limitations in range facilities. 16" guns are fairly popular around here and probably desirable on stages with doors, ports, etc.

I'd like to take a pound or two off the rifle but I figured I'd get an idea of what others like.

[George]

My old open AR weighed in at just under 12lbs. That's what it took to make it stable enough to get past the bolt cycling impulse, and the recoil impulse that my old compensator left behind. It was a real bear to muscle from target to target on close stuff, but it just sat there nicely during fast shooting from a bipod. The extra weight was definitely a plus with this rifle overall.

My new JP open AR is a totally different animal. With the more effective muzzle brake, and the lo-mass operating system, the rifle has very little cycling impulse, or recoil left. It weighs in at just over 7lbs with all optics, and the bipod (sans ammo).

*** BIG CORRECTION 12/11/02. I just re-checked and found I wasn't calibrated on the scale. The JP really weighs in at 8.7 Lbs. The other weights I quoted are correct***

I tried putting weight on it (took it up to a bit over 10lbs) to see if that would make any difference, but it just made the rifle real sluggish in transition, and did not noticeably improve stability.

I realized that the weight was needed in my old rifle to tame the cycling impulse from the heavy bolt more than anything else. At first it really felt funny shooting a light rifle after the old warhorse, but once I got used to it, I found that I liked the light rifle a whole lot more (I actually shoot it better too!). The old EA-15 still needs the extra weight to shoot anywhere near as stable as as the JP does.

BTW, the HBAR I shoot High Power with weighs in at just under 16lbs. I find that it works better in that venue if the rifle is a real heavy beast.

When I "weight up" a rifle, I try to make the point where my left hand supports the stock (shooting offhand) the center of balance for the rifle.

Regards,

(Edited by George at 2:22 am on Dec. 12, 2002)

[kellyn]

The rifle that I won the 2001 Open rifle championship was very heavy, probably like yours about 12 pounds. I also had by far the heaviest AR on the super squad. It  shot like a house afire. I shot the barrel out and had Derrick Martin put a much lighter barrel on it.  It still shoots like a house afire and probably weighs about 9 1/2 pounds w/ bipod.  

The heavy gun was awesome when I was shooting from position.  I have yet to decide how I feel about how the weight effected transitions on offhand shots.   When heavier, it seemed to glide to the next target.  There was no herky-jerky movements.  Now that it's lighter, it's snappier and more lively.  I'm not sure that it's "faster" though.  If you think your AR is heavy put it on a diet but don't feel like you have to.  I like a heavy gun (you ought to feel my .260 Remington DSA! It drove me to the gym) but some don't.  I've never felt that a heavy rifle with a real barrel has put me at any disadvantage to shorter lighter rifles.      

[stingerjg]

My 16" heavly modified Bushmaster weights in at 7.5 lbs with a loaded 30 round mag. I find that it transitions from target to target alot faster than a heavy barrel does. Just to list some of the the things that i have on mine: 16" bushy M4 barrel, Miculek comp, flip-up front and rear sights, Bushnell Holo-sight, JP trigger, ASA non-collapsable stock, KA Grip Tube, and the newest is the Arrondondo Magwell.

Stinger Out

[TMC]

Here's .02 from a "B" pistol shooter who finished MM3G in 21st in open, (totally screwed stage 8).

The AR I shot the MM3G weights allot, its got to be 12+ pounds, heavy barrel, JP comp and a bunch of .40's in the stock for balance. I finished stage two in 9th (I think), it was a house clearing stage with lots of targets, 2 swingers, about 5 or 6 though small ports. My point is that a heavy gun didn't seem to slow me down much and its great for the 200+ yard stuff.

It also worked great for stage 5, started in a hide and shot 5 targets from about 75 to 225 yards then got up and ran engaging about 10+ targets really close. That's the kind of rifle stage that tests you and having a narrowly focused gun can hurt.

I have a real light 16" gun with a dot, it would be great to shoot them both back to back on the same stage to see who they work, I guess that's what practice is for but its not the same as a match where it counts.

[Patrick Sweeney]

Early on, I built heavier and heavier AR's, hey, I started with a Garand, so a "heavy" AR wasn't. I maxed out one year at Second Chance with an anvil of an AR: 20" bull barrel, steel tube handguard, huge comp, the thing didn't recoil. And I couldn't hold it up by the end of the first afternoon. I'm now running a 20" Colt HBar with a McArthur comp and want to go lighter.

My experiment is to a 16" flat top with a modified gas tube for softer buffer impact. We'll see. Ideally I want something under 8 lbs.

Our club shoots fast, close hosers, and an aircraft carrier of an AR can hurt.

[benny hill]

8.75 lb. w/ scope. light, accurate, & totally flat shooting. Has 21 " barrel.