Light weight mid-length ?

[og556]

I have recently consolidated down to a Noveske light recce low-pro and am looking for some advice to make this rifle handle like a light weight.

My goal is to retain reliability but cut down on weight and a little length. This is going to be my one and only rifle for quite some time so I want to either lighten it up or get rid of it at this point.

It is currently completely stock with the VLTOR MUR upper, 16" RECCE barrel, 11" SWS rails, Aimpoint T1, PWS FSC 556, SureFire G2 in a VLTOR mount, and LMT lower with a SOPMOD stock. I have not weighed it but it does not handle like the other carbines I have had which were all 14.5" with 7" rails or plastic hand guards.

What I'm thinking of doing is:

- Cut down barrel to 14.5" and have a phantom flash suppressor pinned.

- Maybe have the barrel turned down but I don't know what I'd be sacrificing by doing this.

- Install Daniel Defense Lite 10" or 12" lite rail to replace the heavier SWS rail.

- Replace surefire G2 with an X200 or something lighter.

- Replace TROY BUIS with MBUS front and rear.

- Replace SOPMOD stock with a CTR.

I am curious to know what I am sacrificing by having the barrel cut and turned down ?

My goal for this rifle is to be an all around reliable, easy to handle CQB rifle. I'll likely never take it past 100 yards.

Is this work going to make enough of a noticeable difference or am I better off going another route ?

[Al U. 5811]

BCM is supposed to be coming out with a light-weight middy sometime in the beginning of next year. Cost wise, if it were me, I'd wait for the Bravo Co. offering. I'm sure it will be of the same quality as all the other BCM products.

[strambo]

I would think the rail replacement and stock switch and possibly the barrel cut to 14.5" and esp. re-profiling would make a big difference. The aluminum Troys vs a plastic MBUIS and the plastic G2 vs the X200 would have negligible impact. Top it off w/ an Aimpoint T1 and post pics!

[og556]

I'm really curious as to what I'm sacrificing in terms of barrel life when contouring this type of barrel. I can't seem to find any options on ADCO's shop services for cutting down a barrel.

Does any one have any pics of mid-length with a 10" rail ? I understand the gas block sticks out a little but that shouldn't be a big deal because Noveske pinned the gas block.

I guess my biggest hesitation right now is the profiling of this barrel. Most of the shooting I do is pretty fast paced so a thinner barrel might warp or wear out faster right ?

[grunz]

Here you go - middy, DD lite 10 inch rail, lo-pro GB.

http://www.centurionarms.com/product...per_recce.html

I've been tossing around the same idea - I have two N4 RECCES and was thinking making one into a light build. I'll likely hold off on that idea nad pick up the BCM light middy or carbine upper in 2010.

[rob_s]

Just to make sure we're on the same page re: your starting point, this is what you have now?

[rob_s]

- Install Daniel Defense Lite 10" or 12" lite rail to replace the heavier SWS rail.

I've been trying to track down weights on the SWS. How did you find out it's heavier than the DD Lite?

[og556]

Yes that is a pic of the Noveske I own. I figured the shorter sws rail on your char is heavier then it's counterpart from Daniel defense so the same must apply to the longer rails right ? This assumption may be incorrect though let me know if I'm wrong.

[og556]

After doing a little research about light weight barrels it appears as though they tend to be less accurate as they heat up. A thicker barrel doesn't heat up as quickly but a thinner barrel cools quicker right ?

I still can't get any solid numbers on the difference between the SWS 11" rail and the DD 10". I will email SWS and try to figure it out.

Something about cutting up this Noveske just does not feel right to me though. It feels like I'm killing a unicorn or something.

[9DivDoc]

I have recently consolidated down to a Noveske light recce low-pro and am looking for some advice to make this rifle handle like a light weight.

My goal is to retain reliability but cut down on weight and a little length. This is going to be my one and only rifle for quite some time so I want to either lighten it up or get rid of it at this point.

It is currently completely stock with the VLTOR MUR upper, 16" RECCE barrel, 11" SWS rails, Aimpoint T1, PWS FSC 556, SureFire G2 in a VLTOR mount, and LMT lower with a SOPMOD stock. I have not weighed it but it does not handle like the other carbines I have had which were all 14.5" with 7" rails or plastic hand guards.

What I'm thinking of doing is:

- Cut down barrel to 14.5" and have a phantom flash suppressor pinned.

- Maybe have the barrel turned down but I don't know what I'd be sacrificing by doing this.

- Install Daniel Defense Lite 10" or 12" lite rail to replace the heavier SWS rail.

- Replace surefire G2 with an X200 or something lighter.

- Replace TROY BUIS with MBUS front and rear.

- Replace SOPMOD stock with a CTR.

I am curious to know what I am sacrificing by having the barrel cut and turned down ?

My goal for this rifle is to be an all around reliable, easy to handle CQB rifle. I'll likely never take it past 100 yards.

Is this work going to make enough of a noticeable difference or am I better off going another route ?

I'd wait for BCM to bring out a light wt or buy one of their barrels or a one from ADCO
if you want them to do the work..

Have ADCO reprofile it to .625 from the front sight base out to the flash hider threads
if you want to keep an F marked front sight base (.750 diameter under the FSB)(that way you can still use GI handguards or DD Omega etc) Not easy to find a .625 GI FSB

Have ADCO cut it off at 14.5 or 14.7 re thread for your flash hider and them have them
permanently pin hider in place (14.7 allows the use of a standard length GI FH)

Keep and shoot both rifles until you are convinced that two is on and one is none..

You might have problems convincing ADCO to work on your rifle with that SWS rail
on it..but it never hurts to ask..

I wouldn't chop the Noveske as if you really only want one rifle and the 14.5 seems
to be your favorite you can sell that Noveske and spend the profit on ammo..

Anyway thats my advice and I have had several mid length light wts done this way
currently have a 16" from ADCO I like and am sending off another tomorrow.