Lightweight AR options

[tommyp]

Tell me what to buy if I needed a light weight rifle to carry in a shtf scenario. One I have now with a stainless steel barrel is just not practical to run with coming in at like 8.5 lbs.

I live in NYS - collapsible stocks can't exist, or have to be pinned. I'm looking for short and light - full rifle or suggestions for upper and lower. Not interested in mix and match components for building unless it's a significant weight savings.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[nutz4utwo]

All AR's are light weight. (well... all but the super heavy target models)

The biggest weight savings comes from the 5.56 ammo. It is very light. A round of 5.56 including brass and propellent weighs less than a typical 9mm round. I believe it is not uncommon to carry more than 6 magazines. (180 rounds!).

best deal you will probably find is :

http://cmmginc.secure-mall.com/shop/?cat=161

They make plastic lowers, but the weight savings is not much. The upper and a barrel are about the same for all AR's. The lightest legal to own "long gun" are 14 inch barrels with a muzzle break welded on to make is >16 inches. I assume they are legal in NY under some specific configuration, but it would be wise to check.

I don't know much about the "carbon AR's", but they are light:

http://www.proguns.com/bushmaster-r97f.asp

[mandalitten]

A typical M4 weigh in a little over 6lbs. Here is one from Bushmaster, but I am sure other AR-15 mfgs have something similar. http://www.bushmaster.com/catalog_xm...A3X_14M4IZ.asp
Here is a carbon fiber version
http://www.bushmaster.com/catalog_ca...Z-C15M4PRE.asp

If you want something smaller, you can go with something like this (if it's legal in NYS).
http://www.bushmaster.com/catalog_ca...Z9-C15P21S.asp

[buckeye .45]

Some places I can think of to save weight would be the handguards (go for some plastic like the Magpul MOE), and the sights (go with a flat top upper and a small BUIS, I'm not sure how much weight removing the front sight would save). Are you looking to put any optics on it? How about a tactical light? Both of those will be worth their weight in gold in a SHTF situation with proper training. How about a sling?

As said above, 5.56 ammo is pretty light, 6 full 30 round PMAG's was the minimum required fighting load required for us in country, a lot of us carried extra.

[peckman28]

I live in NYS - collapsible stocks can't exist, or have to be pinned. I'm looking for short and light - full rifle or suggestions for upper and lower. Not interested in mix and match components for building unless it's a significant weight savings.

As I understand NYS law, you can have all those things, as long as they were made prior to the 1994 ban. I would look for a used Colt carbine from that era.

[tommyp]

You're correct, if it's prior to 94 it's legal, but odds are it's also beat to **** and extremely over priced.

Thinking flat top, buis, free float quad rail, but again, i need something light. how do those carbon fiber bushy's hold up? Any other suggestions?

The one I got now is approx 8.5 lbs. Stainless barrel probably doesn't help that. 85 views, 4 posts. Anyone else want to chime in?

[10thmtn]

Does it have to be an AR?

How about a lever gun? Or a M1 carbine?

Or...a Kel tec Sub 2000 carbine? Sure, it shoots pistol ammo, but it is very light and folds up really small.

Does it have to be a rifle? What about a nice shotgun? A coach gun comes to mind...

[tommyp]

Yea, prefer another ar. I have a shotgun for home defense, plus the one AR. But for shtf i like the idea of another AR, light weight incase I need to hike to friends/family house, light weight of the .223, and high cap of the preban 30 round mags.