There’s some awesome stuff here, so lets dig in. As I mentioned, the Odin Works barrel was very accurate but I shaved about 7.3 oz off by changing into the Faxon pencil profile barrel which is the industry leader for ultralight builds. It has a reputation for being a solid performer despite its scant weight, so I’m excited to really stress it out.
The forend is the V Seven Weapon Systems Hyperlight 11.1″ magnesium keymod version. Coated in a plasma deposition process, given 3 integral QD sling mounting points and bolted to a 7068 super-aluminum barrel nut, this is a thoroughly engineered front end. At 5.57 ounces (with barrel nut and mounting screws), this cut more than an ounce-and-a-half from the 9.5″ rail that preceded it; longer versions are available and shorter versions are coming I’m told.
Moving from the adjustable stainless gas block to the V7 titanium block shedded a full ounce. This is designed to be a very tight fit, expect to use a bit of oil to get it on. As with every V7 product I’ve tested, fit and finish are flawless.
As I dropped the (necessary) adjustable gas feature from the gas block, I needed to add it back in elsewhere. Enter the fantastically light 2A Armament RBC. This uses a T6 torx to adjtool ust a gas gate in between the bolt carrier and the gas key. Adjustable from fully open to fully closed so it can be tuned for nearly any buffer weight/ammo combination. The torx head screw is accessible through the ejection port door, so there’s no need to break down your rifle to adjust it. The RBC has a steel bolt, titanium bolt carrier main body and an aluminum 7075-T6 rear body portion: this is incredibly high-tech compared to your standard BCG, only 6 oz complete and is adjustable so you can dial down the gas, preventing the bolt carrier group from hitting insane velocities.
After assembling the upper, I put it on the scale (without optic or suppressor, yet) and it came in at an incredible 2 lbs, 9.6 oz or 2.597 lbs. All told, the upper alone cost $1440.90, at a rate or $34.65/ounce. An expensive upper to be sure! Ultralight builds are definitely pay-to-play. Next article I’ll cover the lower receiver in detail, then it’s off to the range to see how it all performs!
Stay tuned…
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