Ultralight Ultralight Rifles

[Taudisio]

I had a Kimber Arondak I built 5 lb 9 oz loaded with a 4.5 x 14 x 40 Vx3 in only cal I have hunted with since the 70s as it was what I shot in service I gave it to sheep guide after killing sheep

What caliber was it?

 

[C Bow]

308

 

[Trackselk]

How cool would it be to have a ULUL lever action 223

This is how this forum is going to bankrupt me!

 

[BREAKCONTACT]

An ultralight gasser is actually super easy. Follow the first two builds in this thread. Use an Aero or other lightweight upper, aluminum bolt carrier (I like the DSA), adjustable gas block, the same stock as build #2 and pull the weights out of the buffer. Mine is 3# 10oz. Could pretty easily hit about 3# 7oz or less with a Smoke Composites stock. So that puts it about 13-16oz heavier than my lightest Solo.

The Solo can get away with a lighter handguard and stock as neither need to function around a gas system, and ultimately a lighter barrel all else being equal, as they don't require a gas journal or gas block.

I haven't shot it a ton, but it has been totally reliable. The gas does need to be tuned to the load to minimize it beating itself up from being over-gassed, but once that's done it has been 100% reliable.

A friend used it a couple of years ago on Kodiak to take a couple of deer, I used it on a black bear, but other than maybe a couple of coyotes and miscellaneous stuff, I think that's about it, and it actually pre-dates any of my Solos.

is the empty buffer lighter than the taccom plastic buffer? Did you need to use a reduced power buffer spring?

 

[goalie]

My adapter to us my Gemtech Tracker on my ULUL build rifle arrives today, so I will literally have everything sitting on my shop bench other than the Solo 300 upper.

My buddy was just laughing at the weight of the portless Shaw barrel the other night. I really need some patience. It's windy and snowy out, not exactly load testing weather even if I had the upper.

Once again, it is amazing at how inexpensive it is to make a rifle this light.

 

[goalie]

Just realized I was wrong, I decided I "needed" the Hogue UL 15* grip that isn't arriving until Saturday........

 

[Dukhtr3]

My adapter to us my Gemtech Tracker on my ULUL build rifle arrives today, so I will literally have everything sitting on my shop bench other than the Solo 300 upper.

My buddy was just laughing at the weight of the portless Shaw barrel the other night. I really need some patience. It's windy and snowy out, not exactly load testing weather even if I had the upper.

Once again, it is amazing at how inexpensive it is to make a rifle this light.

What lower are you using? I have everything but my tn arms lower. I ordered Oct 6 and they won't answer the phone or email me. I am starting to lose patience.

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[goalie]

What lower are you using? I have everything but my tn arms lower. I ordered Oct 6 and they won't answer the phone or email me. I am starting to lose patience.

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

I had several Poverty Pony lowers in the safe, so I just threaded the rear takedown detent hole on one and am using that. I don't have anything against the polymer lowers, just had heard about wait times etc, and already had one to use, so I'll eat a few ounces there.

This build is mainly because I already had a lower, parts kit, and optic (Primary Arms 3x micro prism) to use. I'm the guy that can decide he "needs" to build a rifle because I found a part in my parts bin.........

 

[Thegman]

is the empty buffer lighter than the taccom plastic buffer? Did you need to use a reduced power buffer spring?

I think they both weigh 1 oz. I didn't see an advantage to going with the Taccom because I already had buffers on hand. I didn't use a reduced power spring but that would be interesting to try. As it is though, it requires very little gas to function so I'm not sure what would happen with a lower strength spring.