Show me your lightest M1A / M305 build
- Thread starter Spcamno
- Start date
I don't have an example to show, but I'd guess the lightest possible would probably have a full-length barrel cut down and re-crowned at 18.5" but with no muzzle device, a gas lock front sight, factory op-rod spring guide, and a chu-wood stock with a rubber butt pad instead of the metal one.
I saw some carbon fiber stocks out there.
perhaps some plastic mags would shave a few ounces.
that would likely help but i think there like 700-800$ or so for the stock.
Unless you found a way to mill your own lighter barrels and receivers with titanium or lighter alloyed steel,really what else is their that can really be done to lighten it much more, other than removing the flash suppressor and/or using a lighter rear sight perhaps replace the rear sight with The M14/M1A CASM® "RD" mount and a light weight reflex sight.
removing the need for the front flash suppressor/front sight in the process.
perhaps some plastic mags would shave a few ounces.
that would likely help but i think there like 700-800$ or so for the stock.
Unless you found a way to mill your own lighter barrels and receivers with titanium or lighter alloyed steel,really what else is their that can really be done to lighten it much more, other than removing the flash suppressor and/or using a lighter rear sight perhaps replace the rear sight with The M14/M1A CASM® "RD" mount and a light weight reflex sight.
removing the need for the front flash suppressor/front sight in the process.
For a couple years I designed and manufactured carbon fiber composite stocks that are some of the lightest out there. (They didn't cost 700 to 800 either hehehe)
There was a group of guys on one of the US forums who took the milling machines to their rifles to shave weight in many places. Weight reductions were quite significant but I don't have any details for ya.
Next time I make a stock for myself I'll weigh my shorty, she's bare bones.
There was a group of guys on one of the US forums who took the milling machines to their rifles to shave weight in many places. Weight reductions were quite significant but I don't have any details for ya.
Next time I make a stock for myself I'll weigh my shorty, she's bare bones.
Yes I did.
I made the M14SA2 hunter, M14SE2 and M14S-CQB out of carbon fiber/fiberglass in my own molds , google those.
I also made a pile of modstocks in all three configs using usgi stocks.
I may get back to it one day but I've been pulled away from such things and am running the engineering/steel fabricating side of my friends business for the forseeable future.
Maybe one day I can make one for you.
I made the M14SA2 hunter, M14SE2 and M14S-CQB out of carbon fiber/fiberglass in my own molds , google those.
I also made a pile of modstocks in all three configs using usgi stocks.
I may get back to it one day but I've been pulled away from such things and am running the engineering/steel fabricating side of my friends business for the forseeable future.
Maybe one day I can make one for you.
On the topic of lightness, I performed a small experiment tonight that might be of interest to those trying to shave off ounces.
I have twin M305 shorties in Italian wood stocks. They have identical upgraded parts and when I weighed them one was 9.58lbs and the other was 9.66lbs - a difference I chalked up to different cuts of wood for the stocks. I had a set of USGI stock hardware put away, and decided tonight to install it on one of them (the 9.58lb one). When I re-weighed them they came out at 9.37lbs and 9.66lbs, respectively. The one with the USGI stock hardware transplant lost over 3 ounces! I'm assuming much of that difference came from changing the metal butt plates, but the other parts all seemed just a touch more gracile than their Norc equivalents too. Now to order a second set of USGI stock hardware for the twin
edit - all weigh-ins were done with sling and an empty 5/20 mag inserted.
I have twin M305 shorties in Italian wood stocks. They have identical upgraded parts and when I weighed them one was 9.58lbs and the other was 9.66lbs - a difference I chalked up to different cuts of wood for the stocks. I had a set of USGI stock hardware put away, and decided tonight to install it on one of them (the 9.58lb one). When I re-weighed them they came out at 9.37lbs and 9.66lbs, respectively. The one with the USGI stock hardware transplant lost over 3 ounces! I'm assuming much of that difference came from changing the metal butt plates, but the other parts all seemed just a touch more gracile than their Norc equivalents too. Now to order a second set of USGI stock hardware for the twin
edit - all weigh-ins were done with sling and an empty 5/20 mag inserted.
