How Much Does an AR-15 Weigh?
In short, the average unloaded carbine AR-15 with a 16″ barrel with iron sights, stock and handguard weigh around 6.5 lb (3 kg) give or take a pound. Once you add a loaded 30 round magazine of .223/5.56 you will be adding roughly 1 additional pound (0.5 kg).
The longer answer is that this is actually a difficult question to answer since AR-15’s are the most customizable rifles on the planet. There are so many options and configurations available that you can build an ultralight AR-15 that weighs under 4 pounds or build an AR-15 configured for long range shooting that comes in over 10 pounds.
AR-15 Example Weights
The following examples all have 16″ barrels and are weighed unloaded. They are pretty bare bones without Red Dot Sights or any other common accessories.
Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Sport II – 6.7 pounds (3.1 kg)
Bushmaster 90827 – 6.5 Pounds (3 kg)
COLT Expanse CE2000 M4 – 6.4 pounds (2.9 kg)
SIG M400 VTAC – 6.5 pounds (3 kg)
Daniel Defense DDM4V9 – 6.5 Pounds (3 kg)
Other AR-15 Examples with Weight
Here are some examples of AR-15’s with more common accessories like optics, lights and foregrips. These might be helpful if you plan to add a few items to your AR-15.
Custom Builds by Peter95 From Top to Bottom: 10.5 Pounds (4.8 kg), 9.6 pounds (4.4 kg), 7.25 pounds (3.3 kg), 7.6 pounds (3.5 kg)
Typical Weights of AR-15 Accessories
If you want to download a handy database containing the weights of all kinds of AR-15 parts and accessories on the market, Click here. This is a handy database for those looking to build a rifle with lower weight components.
Otherwise, below is a short list of common AR-15 accessories with a rough estimate of the weight for each item. Obviously, there is a wide range of products available that vary greatly in weight. The short list below is meant to provide a ballpark number for those wondering how much additional weight they can expect to add with the following items:
- Red Dot: 0.3 pounds ( 0.14 kg)
- Scope (3-9X): 0.9 pounds (0.41 kg)
- Magnifier: 0.8 pounds (0.34 kg)
- Foregrip: 0.2 pounds (0.1 kg)
- Tactical Light: 0.3 pounds ( 0.14 kg)
- Bipods: 0.5 pounds (0.22 kg)
AR-15 Weight Saving Tips
One of the reasons you may have found this article is that you are looking for ways to reduce the weight of your AR-15. It is only logical that the best places to start trimming weight are the heaviest. Let’s take a look at a few ideas.
Change Your Barrel
The most efficient place to shed weight on an AR-15 is at the barrel. There are three main ways to reduce weight at the barrel: shortening, fluting or a reduced profile.
One of the best ways to reduce the weight of your AR-15 is to shorten the barrel. Of course, you will want to make sure you are following your local laws when it comes to reducing your barrel length, however switching to a slimmer profile barrel or having it turned down is a great AR-15 weight loss tip.
I really like Faxon barrels, their pencil profile barrels are accurate and light! This 16″ barrel comes in at 1.2 pounds. Check them out over at Brownells.
Fluting is another option that in addition to saving you weight looks awesome! There are so many unique profiles out there now and you not limited to straight fluting.
Lightweight Bolt Carrier Group (BCG)
Another part of your rifle that carries a bit of weight is your bolt carrier group. The BCG is often considered the heart of the AR-15 and its performance is crucial to the proper function of your AR-15. With that said you can shave off several ounces without reducing the reliability of your rifle.
Change Your Buttstock
A lot of guys that shoot 3 Gun competitions rely on a light gun for faster transitions from target to target, it is easier to carry and move between shooting spots.
Here are some lightweight options to consider:
Go with a Lighter Rail
Right now there many different lightweight rail options out there and you will only be limited by your budget.
Big quadrails have their place when you want to mount every accessory you can think of on your rifle, however, if you grow out of that phase and want something lightweight take a look at a carbon fiber handguard.
Use Lighter Optics
You should always select the optics that suits the task your rifle will be used for, however you can always find low weight options.
Light Lights!
There are some big bulky lights mounted to AR-15’s that are completely unnecessary. Now more than ever there are bright low weight options!
Conclusion
One thing that you should be considering is that a heavier rifle manages recoil better, so depending on the shooter and what your goal is a really light AR-15 might not be ideal. The lighter the rifle the more difficult it can be to control rapid fire shots. Nevertheless, building a lightweight AR-15 is a fun project and can be done relatively inexpensively.
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