Need advice on lightweight AR upper

[fortdick]

I am going to attempt my first AR build over the next year and have several questions. I am sure they have been answered a hundred times each, but I really have not found specific answers that fit my questions, so I will try them all in one spot.

I want to build a really light AR for the wife. It won't be pink, but it has to have a light upper. I was going to start working around the YHM 14.5 inch lightweight, fluted barrel with the flash supressor pre pinned. I want to go this route because there are no reputable gunsmiths to do the pinning for me inside a hundred miles of me. I want to use Magpul MBUS sights and avoid the AR sight tower to cut down weight. This mean a two piece gas block since the barrel is pinned already.

Now to handguards, rails, etc. I was thinking of using the FF YHM lightweight but I don't know if this would work without a traditional gas block assembly. I also am not sure I would be able to use an end cap with the pre pinned barrel.

Can anyone give me an idea of a really light fore end configuration that would have at least upper and lowers rails, two piece gas block and, if necessary, and end cap that will fit over the pre pinned barrel?

Any other advice on saving weight is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

Ok, rather than stressing about the barrel length, get the parts you want, and put it all together first. If you find that the extra ounce that the 1.5 inches of light weight barrel gets you is too much, have it cut down then. Don't try to hodge-podge together something while trying to work around a welded-on FH. And if you are going for light weight, ditch the metal rails all together. They weight several times as much as a regular plastic set AND that extra 1.5 inches of barrel combined. Go with the basic plastic hand guards. Or better yet, go with the magpul ones, as they make light weight rails that you can mount on them directly. And finally, look at exactly what your concept for this rifle is, and stick to it. If you are going lightweight to the point that you are using the MBUS sights to save weight, don't slap a ton of extra crap on there just to be tacti-cool. Does your wife really need all the bells and whistles? Or can she just get by with a bare-bones gun, and maybe a small light attached? Think about it before you drive yourself nuts shaving off ounces, and attach another 5 pounds of gizmos.

As for the barrels, go hit brownells. They have several flavors of lightweight AR barrels, and all of them seem to be good. I used one of the chrome-lined Double star brand ones on my lightweight build, and it came in at just over 6 pounds, with the front a frame sight.

-Mb

p.s. it doesn't matter where the gunsmiths are. You can mail an upper anyplace you want to have it worked on. Look at AR15barrels.com, they do good work. Or any of the half dozen or so places on here that offer similar services.

[uxo2]

I built one using the following.
DD 14.5 "mainly for OAL" midlength with a pinned vortex.

http://www.riflegear.com/p-1313-daniel-defense-145-midlength-lw-chf-barrel-assembly.aspx

magpug HGs,PG,BS.

Standered FSP for KISS and a Troy Fixed rear BS.

Light enough for her and KISS simple

The FH was pinned by RifleGear...

[Bolillo]

I did a lightweight AR for the Mrs. based on one of these:

Model 1 Sales

Adjust options accordingly for A2 or A4 upper / FSB / gas block / sights etc...