tacticool weight increase

[Sam .223]

i decided to add the tacticool goodies to my carbon 15, i did a before and after weight comparison, the rifle out of the box was almost 6lbs, after the quad rail, flash light, laser, aimpoint red dot w/ 3 x mag and 1 inch spacer, and a grip pod, the weight was 11.5 lbs. kinda supriseing how much everything adds up and most the weight is on the front of the rifle.

[studiojon]

the only thing I added to increase weight was my Eotech Im trying to keep the weight down the chances of needing a flash light mounted to a rifle are slim and same can be said for all the other Tac goodies out there really depends on what you need for the situation, I guess you can always remove and store the Tac goodies in a bag/pouch

did you weigh the rifle with a loaded mag?

[Sam .223]

no, it was unloaded for both before and after

[bobfried]

That may be true a year ago but not anymore. My last few "tacticool" builds were heavy, my builds from now on will be as light as possible. The reality is that my current rifle is only slightly heavier than a standard carbine.

Here's my rifle:



Now let's dissect the difference between it and a normal carbine:

Let's compare the sighting system -
Stock carry handle = 9.1 oz.
Larue BUIS + Larue T1 mount + T1 with battery and cover = 9.2 oz.
Difference is 0.1 oz.

The rail system -
Stock double heat shield M4 HG = 8.9 oz.
DD Omega + 2 ladder panels = 9.2 oz.
Difference is 0.3 oz

The Stock -
Regular M4 stock = 17 oz.
LMT SOPMOD stock = 20.5 oz
Difference is 3.5 oz.

The PG -
Stock A2 PG = 2.8 oz
Magpul MIAD = 3.8 oz.
Difference = 1 oz.

Sling -
GI 2 point = 4 oz.
IDF SLing = 4 oz.
Difference = 0

Other -
Surefire X300 with battery = 3.7 oz.
KAC VFG = 2.7 oz.

So the difference between my tacticool carbine and say a stock setup with a CH and M4 HG is 11 ounces. Which is a little more than 2/3 of a lbs over the normal carbine. I can honestly say that 2/3 of a lbs is paltry for the comfort and ability that I gain with this setup. If I ditched the SOPMOD and went with a CTR or M4 stock that would drop well below 1/2 lbs in weight increase. I could drop it even further by going with a normal DD rail setup which would shave off a few additional ounces. Actually, if I remove the T1, KAC VFG, X300 I would have a rifle that's LIGHTER than the stock setup while retaining iron sights and adding a free-floated rail system.

Note that a single loaded magazine is over 1lbs in weight.

Some of previous builds were well into the 12lbs+ territory and I was scratching my head why I should be using something that weights as much as a HUGE Para-FAL. So I basically sold off all of my AR's and all of my equipment and started from scratch with the goal to build the strongest, most effective carbine I can while keeping weight to a minimum. What you see is my latest build which is far from perfect.

My next build will be at least 6 oz.+ less than this current build, but that's coming in a year or so time and not at this moment.

It is now definitely very easy to build a tacticool carbine without having any real weight penalty. That is if your willing to do your research and spend some money.