Tactical Rifle Weight

D

Doublea A

New member
I'm new to rifles and I just bought my first rifle (Daniel Defense V3 LW) and have begun accessorizing it. My goal is to add the Eotech 556, tactical flash light (including the flash mount). The rifle weight is 6 lbs 6.7 oz. After adding all these gadgets the weight is bound to increase. I want to ask the experts here about the recommended weight level for a tactical home defense rifle.

Thank you
 
It's not just weight but how the rifle balances. You can have a 7.5 lb AR with a lot of junk out front that makes it feel a pound heavier. My Daniel Defense V3 LW (build) / MOE handguard is a lot easier to maneuver than my HBAR even though both are 16" because of almost an extra pound out front.

BTW, excellent choice! Which rail do you have? I suspect with your LW barrel profile you'll be all right with the light and RDS.
 
Well, being from Minnesota I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt that you need a tactical home defense rifle to fight off the Indians on your farm, 5 miles from the next neighbor. In regards to weight, I don't think, as long as you stay away from night vision gear, you will have to worry about overall weight, but balance can get lousy with too much stuff on the rails, especially with heavy flash lights and bipods mounted up front. Same reason I recommend against more than one cup holder.
 
Home defense rifle? Doesnt matter, weight matters for a 3 day hike not for clearing your living room.
 
Agreed. You won't notice any extra weight or balance issues if SHTF. Unless you are humping the thing for miles without a sling, it won't matter.
 
My 14.5 BCM middy upper mated to a Cav Arms lower tips the scales at just under 7lbs loaded w/ a 20 round mag. It has a Magpul MBUS rear sight and MOE handguard, Nitrex 1.5-5x32 scope/primary arms deluxe mount. Without the scope/mount it is 5lbs 14oz.
 
There was a discussion on just this subject during a recent podcast.
A well known trainer was sharing his experiences about the students who attend his carbine classes.
He said it was a real hindrance to try to run, maneuver around obstacles, engage multiple targets, and shoulder a heavy rifle all day.
During a typical class, after awhile, the back of the range area looks like a used parts department, with all the stuff folks were removing from their guns.
He highly recommended keeping the rifle as light as possible and not to put anything other than what is absolutely necessary on it.
Sounds like good advice for a rifle that's meant for the real world.

But, as has been said, the balance is just as important as weight.
I have a WW2 bolt action that weighs nearly ten pounds.
But it's balanced so well, it doesn't feel anywhere near that heavy.
It will actually point well, one handed.
And the weight is much appreciated when it goes off.
 
A lot of the AR jewelry is getting a lot smaller and lighter, especially lights. The days of duct-taping huge Maglights to the barrel are thankfully gone. An EO Tech sight and Surefire light will be almost unnoticeable.
 
I just bought a SCAR17, probably not an optimum home defense weapon. However, I have to say that it is remarkably light. It is lighter than my Busmaster varminter, and my Bushmaster ACR. It really feels like a featherweight compared to the rest of my rifles.

I like this trend. A recent excursion to shoot a variety of rifles proved the SCAR 17 by far the most enjoyable rifle to shoot. I have three .308 semi's, FAL, PTR91, and the SCAR. I would rate the SCAR the best. The only downside is a total lack of available accessories, like spare magazines. It also seemed to come with the fewest extras in the box.

The PTR feels much more substantially constructed, and has never failed to feed a round.
 
I have the Daniel Defense Omega X Rail™ 9.0 which came with the rifle. When the word "balance" is use, does this also mean I should maintain a proportional distribution of gadgets on the rifle i.e flashlight, optics etc.?
 
As long as your not packing it around in steep mountians, and can shoulder it in a fluid manner, it doesn't matter. How it feels to you when you handle, and shoot it is what counts.
 
If it is just for home use, as has been said a few times weight does not matter too much. If you have the time and the means, try to get into a tactical rifle course, and bring it set up like you want it. At the end of a day of shooting, if there is anything on the rifle that you did not use, odds are you don't need it.
 
I'm new to rifles and I just bought my first rifle
Click to expand...

In that case, I'd recommend forgetting all that Gimmick crap and spend the money on rounds down range learning how to shoot the rifle.

Go to the CMP E-store,(bookstore) and spend $6.95 for the USAMU Service Rifle guide that will get you started RIGHT in shooting your AR.
 
Realiability, Balance and pointability are the most important attributes for the hardware part of the home defense equation.

Attitude, training and planning are more important than hardware. In battle the force with the winning attitude, hardest training and a good plan are victorius. Home defense is a battle. if you think differently, then you have lost.
 
A home defense situation really means contact distance out to twenty feet. A pistol would be a better choice. No sights at all are needed indoors most of the time, the target is usually that close.

Set up the gun to hunt, leave the light for the bedstand pistol, and enjoy carrying it in the field. Bumping around in narrow hallways, around door openings, and grappling with intruders is really specialty work, and training in bare hand CQB is a lot of what will really happen. Suddenly waking up to discover an intruder in the room is a huge statement about clueless home security.

Intruders NOT getting into homes is the correct response to actual insecurity problems, and the #1 cure for that is moving out of that neighborhood. When that can't happen, locking the doors, putting in lights, keeping shrubbery down around the entrances, having open views instead of being hidden from the road, even a dog is first - and training in what to do, not what last resort firearm might be needed.

Goes back to the pistol - anything the AR can do, the pistol can and will do better in the home. That's why it's the first choice of professionals. The AR is the long distance solution to use before they even get in - and that is by keeping it out of sight of casual visitors, who are the #1 source of who steals firearms while you are away.
 
kraigwy said:
Go to the CMP E-store,(bookstore) and spend $6.95 for the USAMU Service Rifle guide that will get you started RIGHT in shooting your AR.
Click to expand...

I agree with kraigwy about getting training as the first priority; but shooting CMP or Service Rifle is a whole different ballgame than using an AR inside a house at household distances. If you are interested in home defense, you'd be better off taking a carbine course geared that way.

tirod said:
Goes back to the pistol - anything the AR can do, the pistol can and will do better in the home. That's why it's the first choice of professionals.
Click to expand...

Could you clarify that statement for me? I am not aware of any professional home-defenders and all the LE and military guys I know use long guns for their first choice when clearing a structure.

There are a lot of reasons why an AR may be a better choice than a pistol for home defense. First of all, people are going to find it much easier to make hits with an AR than a pistol in a stressful situation. Second, the AR is going to have a lot more power behind it than a typical pistol caliber. And those are just two reasons, I can come up with a few more.

However, since the OP didn't ask questions regarding whether the AR was appropriate for home defense, I'll assume he is a grown-up and has made that decision already. Going back to kraigwy's point - you need training. How heavy a rifle can be or what balance works best for you is something you only figure out by using it and it depends on the individual, their health, etc. Training will give you a chance to learn how to use it and learn what works for you.
 
To answer some of questions above!

The handgun is primarily my home defense weapon due to its maneuverability around the house (to many corners). Maybe my question was not thoroughly clear. Even though I have shot rifles a couple of times at the range, this is my first owned rifle and I have been educating myself about it. The weight question was asked because I have shot a Sig 556 at my range and found it to be a little bit heavy after sometime of shooting it. It becomes uncomfortable to hold and aim. (Arms get tired)...

Anyway I decided that when I buy an AR I will keep the weight to a minimum as much as possible. I also read online that ideally AR's shoot best at weight level of 6.5-8.5lbs. Whether this is true or not I’m not in a position to dispute it due to again my limited experience. Anyway I have gone ahead and scheduled to partake in an AR class in two weeks and have purchase lots of ammo as suggested by some of you. I plan to buy USAMU guide to Marksmanship etc. If there is anything that I should know please don't hesitate to comment on it.

Thanks for all the inputs
 
The weight question was asked because I have shot a Sig 556 at my range and found it to be a little bit heavy after sometime of shooting it. It becomes uncomfortable to hold and aim. (Arms get tired)...
Click to expand...

This goes back to training. If you are shooting in good Service Rifle style, you shouldn't get fatigued because you shouldn't be using your arms to support the weight. Using more a fighting/CQB/subgun/IPSC stance, you'll have to rely on muscles a little more; but you should be using the big muscles in your shoulders and back to support your rifle. They can stay oxygenated longer and won't get tired as fast.

Having someone teach you a good stance where you use skeletal support (Service Rifle) to support the rifle, or how to use position and stance to let your back muscles do most of the work is a good investment. If you can't afford a class, take a look at the Service Rifle manual or Pat Roger's The Fighting Stance and Length of Pull from the December 2001 issue of SWAT Magazine.

The SIG556 is actually lighter than my own AR. What you probably noticed is the bad balance. A lot of the SIG556 weight is more forward and so it feels more nose-heavy than the same rifle with more weight in the back end.

Anyway I have gone ahead and scheduled to partake in an AR class in two weeks and have purchase lots of ammo as suggested by some of you.
Click to expand...

Great idea! I think taking a class with an AR between 6.5-8.5lbs will give you a good idea of what you want and need.
 
keep it light

For home defense I recomend a VPG that incorperates a laser and a flashlight adjusted to the same POI as the iron sights.This is about as light and versitile rig as you can get. Even at 7.5 pounds a rifle gets heavy after an adrenelin surge.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top