,...house rifle for an old guy that has leared to appreciate the "light" things in life.

Nothing exotic at all,...Bushmaster short gas system, pencil barrel QRC. Battlelink minimalist stock, Lancer System 30 round poly mag with hardened steel feed lips stacked up with green tips, Vortex 1X scope on Monstrum slim profile mount.

Some enthusiasts refer to these variants of ARs as "starter" ARs. My first AR was a A2HB that I built. It would shoot bug holes with open sights. But it weighed 9 pounds. For me, a starter AR is one that has so many geegaws that you can't swing it from "A" to "B". An enthusiast's AR is one that has absolutely nothing extra on it.

Light weight is one of the main features that that the first AR-15/M16 had to offer. If you're going to select a 9 pound rifle, an AR has a lot of competition. But below 7 pounds including the optic, there's not a lot to match one up with.

It's easy to move around,...about 6.7 pounds.

That'll work.

Should be one in every household in this country.

Oh oh! Is Bristoe starting to take a shine to those contraptions?

Bristoe, I didn't think you'd ever put away something like an M1 Carbine.

Just what I was looking for.

KISS, I like it, a platform that works.

Yep that will work. I like um light myself.

Fine rifle.

I would add a white light if you are using for home defense simply because it's dark 1/2 the time.

I would add a good 2 point sling.

I would use PMAGs but the Lancers probably won't get you killed.

But those are just suggestions.

I've got a hodgepodge of magazines around here including some PMAGs. I like the PMAGs okay, but it's recommended that you don't keep them loaded for long periods of time because the poly feed lips will eventually flex out of shape. The Lancer mags have steel feed lips and will handle being loaded for a long time,..supposedly.

As for light, it's never completely dark in my house. The thermostat has a lighted face that keeps a slight glow in the hall. The kitchen has a clock with a lighted dial and the porch lights cast enough light through the windows to allow me to see.

Besides, a light on a firearm shows everyone where it and the person holding it is.

A sling wouldn't be a bad idea. If I ever need to carry it around, I'll hook one up.

Just for fun you might compare slow feeding Lancers vs PMAGs.

Much less spring pressure required to feed a round from a PMAG vs any other mag.

It looks like your rifle is well setup and it probably wont matter.

As to a light just remember it's only on when you want it on and positive target ID is an important thing.

Just some food for thought.

This is what it replaced.

I passed this one along to a fellow 10 years younger than I am.

He hasn't recognized the need for light rifles yet. I put it together way back when weight didn't matter to me, either.

Plus a surefire light in I had guys eyes helps disorienting . Often can stop a gunfight before it starts.
Very nice setup by the way. I'd take it!

My light weight is an older model,it was built back in the early 70's.

It is a XM177 type carbine,used to take it out on the 4 wheeler while spraying weeds.

Wish I still had my Bushmaster Carbon 15. Lightest “cheap” AR ever built. Mine was plenty reliable with over 5K rounds through it without a bobble and shot 1” 5 shot 100 yard groups with my good handloads.
Traded it for a nice Preban Colt M-4 Carbine. Nice gun, but not near as light. 🤠

Have 2 PSA pencil barrel carbine.
Love how they feel and handle.

My RRA carbine is just as you described.
Heavy barrel,quad rail. Portly little bastids.
Thought it was exactly what I wanted.
Thought wrong!

Nice rifle.

If the other guy has a light and you don't, you're gonna lose.

PMAG lips do not deform over time.

FALS suck.

Anybody know of an available equivalent to this carbine?

Brownells

XBRN177E2

For lightweight and home defense, why not a pistol brace and a shorter barrel?

Except for the stock, pick a manufacturer you like................nothing unusual about the configuration & most have a similar model.

MM

Yeah, sure, if that spins yer prop..................or a 14.5" with a welded muzzle device.

I really wouldn't go shorter, but that's just my view.

A 14.5" is a very versatile & flexible platform...............just know that pretty much any gun fired inside a house in going to be a little hard on the eardrums.

MM

Bud's had pallets of various ARs in the $500 price range the day I bought the rifle in the OP.

I chose it because it was the only variant he had with the pencil barrel and no front sight on the gas block.

It's just a very basic, fairly light AR and I've made it a bit lighter except for the optic, of course. I've got some fairly skeletal aluminum handguards ordered for it that will remove a couple of ounces from it and that will be the extent of my modifications.

Tennessee Arms makes a polymer lower that will take a couple more ounces off the total weight.

kwg

Yeah. But there's no end to chasing lightness with an AR. I would have left it as it came but the buttstock was looser then I liked and the polymer handguards have been known to get too hot on pencil barrel ARs. The Battlelink minimalist stock fits tight and is lighter, and the aluminum handguards are lighter and will dissipate heat quicker,..so I talked myself into those two basic modifications.

How light do you really need for a "home defense weapon"?

It ain't like yer carryin' it fer 10 miles...............................

MM

This.

Also, the Aero Precision Thunder Ranch lower has the side panels milled out of the mag well, and that saves ounces without any negative impact on strength.

True. But I've just developed a fondness for light rifles. Another of my favorites is a Kel-Tec SU-16 that weighs 5 lbs.,..and it even has a piston action.

The original AR-15/M16 weighed 6.4 lbs. and that was with a 20" barrel. I can't see any good reason to own a heavy AR platform for home defense. If you're going to use it for long distance chores you're probably better off with a 20" HB. But I'd be happy if mine weighed 5 lbs. I'm not going to spend a fortune on titanium and carbon fiber to get it there, however,

I think 6.5 lbs including the optic is a good weight for an AR to be,..and the Bushmaster QRC can be configured to be that with just a couple of minor tweaks.

Will this work?

MM

That should do it. If my eyes weren't too messed up to use a red dot I could take about a half pound off of my rifle.

MM, nice rifle! I see a lot of high end parts in critical places.

Bristoe, there's a lot to be said for keeping it light and simple, but I tend to get caught up in the "constant upgrade" thing.

I wish I could stop that.

I can see how it would be easy to do.

Thanks................not an upgrade project there, though.

Built that way from the ground up; cry once, buy once..........................

That's a Sig Romeo 5 red dot & though it's been perfect so far, & I really like it (3 of 'em around here") I was tempted to put an Eotech or a Meprolight RDS off another rifle on it...................might still.

MM

I have a 5 and a 4. The 5 was used on a .458 Socom for "pass shooting" deer in the thickets when adjoining properties had lots of activity.

I had found a spot where I could ambush them, they wouldn't stop moving for a bleat, so I adapted to them moving. Great sight for that type of thing.

MM,

I may have to do a couple of rail upgrades.

Who made the rail on your? I like the flat bottom.

AS,

That's a Geiselle MK-14 rail; you need to be careful with the upper that you put it on as the rail has anti-rotational tabs that extend back a bit on each side of the receiver. Has to be more or less mil-spec or a billet that will allow the tabs to go into place.

If you look closely in the lower pic, you can see what I mean.

Great solid, rail attachment system with a long bearing surface barrel nut.

MM

TA polys are junk... IMO. bought two last year, was pretty stoked initially but they are out of spec, pivot to takedown pin dim is off, not a huge deal as it makes for tight lock up when you slam the upper on the lower to get it to ride up on the raised portion of the lower. The pin holes are tapered and too big, when you force the TD pin out, the detent comes out with it......

Not something I want when opening up the action. These were 80's and I could have sent them back after I cut them in 1/2...., they never could or would answer my question if the FFL and the 80's come out of the same mold..... I ended up making brass bushings for the takedown pin and pressing them in, it works now. But never again will I invest this much time in a inferior part. Kaiser makes some light receiver sets that I think are quality. So far so good, but I have not put it together yet. about 1/2 the weight of AL.

Recommend a carbine for the old guy who may carry it 10 miles. The Brownells XM177 that Deflave mentioned is out of stock. And I'd prefer a 16" barrel, although that might be hard to find...

I didn't know anything about the QRC that Bristoe bought before he posted it. And I didn't realize it was anything like available recently. I had actually thought Bushmaster was a thing of the past after acquisition by FG.

What's yer max budget, old timer?

What kind of optic do you want?

MM

I see what you mean. Any lowers this would go would be milspec.

Overall, I have to say, pretty sweet looking, top shelf rig.

Who's barrel is it wearing?

I don't know that I have a budget, per se.
And I have no experience with optics on an AR

I'd kinda like Bristoe's rig with a good aperture sight to begin with.

And experiment with optics as I go.

There really wasn't too much wrong with the M16a1

Gonna say that for me it's all gonna boil down to a pencil barreled 16 or 20" carbine, to kick things off.

What Is out there for sale today?

Tried a couple of times to call PSA and they don't answer.

I have a couple that are either on a rifle now or have been. I had to do a little shaping to fit the rear of the upper but nothing drastic. A round file and a couple of minutes. I had one rifle I used an A1 upper with a 14.5 inch skinny barrel, an extended A2 flash hider I had weigh in at 5 lbs and 8 ounces empty. The ones not currently on a rifle are just waiting for my next build. I'm thinking a 300 blackout with a skinny 16" barrel and an aluminum blast can. I doubt I can get it down to 5 lbs and 8 ounces again but with a light weight bolt carrier and a slick sided upper anything is possible. I never had an issue with a take down pin detent coming out. That's a new one on me. I did tap the rear detent hole with a 4x40 allen screw to hold the detent in when I changed the buffer tube. The only thing I wish TA would do is change away from that big ugly logo on the side. Less is more.

kwg

Most places are sold out of pretty much everything. If you do find something in stock the price is going to be jacked.

It's probably best to wait a few months until there's enough out there to choose from.

Yeah... No real hurry...

FN chrome lined.

MM

For a house gun I'd want. KelTec RDB. In fact I do want one to launch varmint bullets fast enough to come apart in a couple layers of drywall. Suppress it.

PSA is not answering any phones right now & are in crisis mode.

Bristoe is right in that most of the run-of-the-mill basic stuff that has seen rock bottom pricing recently until the panic set in, is now scarce & prices are up.

I don't know what your intended use is, but if it's for home defense, then I'd not go with a low-end base gun anyway. Also, off hand, I really can't think of any factory low or mid priced guns with a pencil barrel either.

Don't know your interest level in doing anything yourself, but you are likely to get more of what you want if you buy an upper & put it on a lower of your choosing. But that requires some level of interest past just walking into a store & walking out with a ready to go rifle.

As for sights, for a short(er) range use plinking gun, a red dot of some sort, a prism sight, or a low powered variable scope are all good choices.

Just remember, taken on the whole, you generally get what you pay for. Personally, i'm not into cheap crap; that doesn't mean you have to go exotic, just good stuff from reliable companies.

Good Luck with whatever direction you go.

MM

J&T Distributing has a good reputation for quality and they have lightweight barreled uppers including the bolt and charging handle in stock for $468.

https://jtdistributing.com/index.ph...complete-upper-front-sight-base-arbu306c

Palmetto State has a good reputation for quality and they have complete lowers in stock for $149.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/complete-psa-ar-15-lower-classic-edition.html

It's just a matter of inserting the bolt and charging handle into the upper, then connecting the upper to the lower. There's no assembly required other than what one would do after field stripping the rifle for cleaning.

Allow $25 for the FFL fee on the lower and you'd be into it for about $650 and have a rifle made from reputable sources.

If I wanted a light weight AR in today's market, this is how I'd go.

'Of course, J&T Distributing has several barreled uppers to choose from at various prices and you may see one on their page that you prefer other than the light weight model I linked.

I just checked Aero Precision. They use Ballistic Advantage barrels who does have some light weight barrels in 14.5 and 16 ". They are currently sold out of all rifles. They were advertising some blemished stuff a few days ago so my guess is everything that is good is sold out and only the blems are left.
kwg

Aero uses BA barrels because they own them; nothing wrong with blems if it's just cosmetic & from a reputable company. Reputable companies will not knowingly sell defectives or blems that impact function of safety, IMO.

Aero is a mid-level producer; I really like their lowers, uppers are just OK, IMO but serviceable, their BCG's come from Toolcraft, so those are OK, & I don't have much use for BA barrels............maybe a good one, maybe a not so good one.

Just depends on what your objectives & acceptance threshold is.

MM

Mine were 80's.. maybe different than the FFL ones, maybe their mold is worn out? If they drilled them after they came out of the mold they would be sized and true, I think they are tapered so they come out of the mold easier.... I did some filing to make them mate up better, no big deal there..... they would never address these issues....but, what the hell do I know... from my experience I cant recommend.

"Basic, Budget" AR's in stock:

https://palmettostatearmory.com/ar-15/pa-15-rifles.html

Basic AR

https://palmettostatearmory.com/smi...-case-and-vertical-grip-light-13060.html

John,

Black Rifle companies tend to be very patriotic. It's common to see good to very good sales on the holidays, especially the 4th of July and Black Friday. We might see some deals this weekend for Memorial Day, but then again with some companies a month behind on shipping....maybe not.

It will be interesting to see how the next few Holidays play out sale wise.

Overall MM's given you some real sound advise. I really like the light weight build he shared, but it's a top shelf gun. The only thing that could of made his build any better is if he'd given it to me ,<grin>

Been working on a property deal and put this on the back burner.

But I bought a RR lower privately and ordered an upper this morning.

This upper from J&T
Upper

Have some Winchester 55 gr 5.56 on hand, as I got it cheap. Ordered 400 more m193 from AbleAmmo

Question; The front sight on this upper is an "F" marked unit. What are my choices for a rear sight?
I do not dislike a carry handle sight.