Building lightweight AR10 - VSeven Harbinger vs 2A Xanthos Lite vs other?

LilGucci

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Oct 7, 2019
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HI. I'm going to be buying a receiver set for a lightweight AR10 build I'm doing next Spring. The only two I'm aware of is the Vseven Harbinger, and the 2A Xanthos Lite. Do any of you have any experience with either of these receiver sets? Would you recommend them? I'm going to be using a Proof Research barrel with this build. I don't care much for the aesthetics as both look very good. Do you know of any other lightweight alternatives to these two?

2A Armament is no longer in business, NEMO bought their tooling out and put them out of business. Would that be a no-go for you? There are plenty of 2A parts still around, but I don't know if I should be worried about that being an issue.

I want the rifle to be lightweight, so I might go with 6.5 Creedmoor to make it even lighter to trek the countryside with. If you were building a lightweight AR10, which caliber/cartridge would you go for?

Any recommendations would be helpful.
 
Can I ask why you want a lightweight ar10 so bad? A lightweight ar10 is a paradoxical statement, an oxymoron if you will. If you want a 6lb 6.5cm, easy..

You want a 6lb ar-15 capable of hunting use up and beyond 400lb animals.... 6arc.

Everything about a properly functioning ar10 is heavy.
 
Can I ask why you want a lightweight ar10 so bad? A lightweight ar10 is a paradoxical statement, an oxymoron if you will. If you want a 6lb 6.5cm, easy..

You want a 6lb ar-15 capable of hunting use up and beyond 400lb animals.... 6arc.

Everything about a properly functioning ar10 is heavy.


I used to think that too, and perhaps if you were going to war, you might be correct, I don’t know, I haven’t and mine will likely never see that kind of use, but baring that heavy use, I was wrong. That is my 6.5 in that post above and I have a 308 built in a similar fashion weighing right at 6# and both have given me no issues and they are properly functioning. It’s amazing the weight you can carve from an AR10 platform if you have the money to fill it with titanium parts and a carbon hand guard. I don’t have carbon hand guards on either of mine, but could make them lighter if I did. Interestingly, they are both very soft shooting; not slinging a heavy bolt carrier around makes a huge difference. You absolutely must have a good AGB and tune it properly, but after that it will run.

Oh, and the light weight makes them nice in the field for hunting.
 
I used to think that too, and perhaps if you were going to war, you might be correct, I don’t know, I haven’t and mine will likely never see that kind of use, but baring that heavy use, I was wrong. That is my 6.5 in that post above and I have a 308 built in a similar fashion weighing right at 6# and both have given me no issues and they are properly functioning. It’s amazing the weight you can carve from an AR10 platform if you have the money to fill it with titanium parts and a carbon hand guard. I don’t have carbon hand guards on either of mine, but could make them lighter if I did. Interestingly, they are both very soft shooting; not slinging a heavy bolt carrier around makes a huge difference. You absolutely must have a good AGB and tune it properly, but after that it will run.

Oh, and the light weight makes them nice in the field for hunting.
Nice rifle. What would you estimate that rifle cost you to get so light? I'm adding it up in my head and it looks like you're probably pushing $4k in parts, am I in the ballpark?
 
Here’s a few pictures of my Faxon 🫣 Gunner weight 16”barreled 6# empty AR10 on my clubs 600 yard range. Take a look at the 10 ring and x ring as I walked my shots into it on the electronic target with a bastard old Leopold illuminated 4.5-14 Mark 4 with TMR reticle and MOA turrets 🙄. I got really lucky with that Faxon barrel. Light AR10’s can perform; who knew.

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Nice rifle. What would you estimate that rifle cost you to get so light? I'm adding it up in my head and it looks like you're probably pushing $4k in parts, am I in the ballpark?

I bought parts on sale over two years before I put those together, so I have about $2400 in each one, but that was 2015-2017 time frame. So yeah, full retail in today’s money would very likely put them in the 3k to 4k range I would guess. I paid $120 for that Faxon 308 barrel on sale a Brownells for example and my most expensive titanium bolt carrier was that Cryptic Coatings one in the 6.5 and it was a blem on sale for $350. It’s not cheap to go light. I bought blem received sets from 2A for $450 instead of the $700+ range and I don’t know why they were blems.
 
Another lightweight manufacturer is Roam Rifles. They re magnesium alloy, so look into the downside of that. The lowers have also been OOS for quite a few months. Receiver sets are around 15.4oz . Complete rifles with 16" 308 steel barrels are around 6.1 lbs, that's with a FMOS and not a lot of exotic parts.
Also, a 6.5 Creedmoor barrel is not lighter in weight than an identical length/profile barrel in .308, but the difference in weight would be insignificant, IMO.
 
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Can I ask why you want a lightweight ar10 so bad? A lightweight ar10 is a paradoxical statement, an oxymoron if you will. If you want a 6lb 6.5cm, easy..

You want a 6lb ar-15 capable of hunting use up and beyond 400lb animals.... 6arc.

Everything about a properly functioning ar10 is heavy.
I have two AR10's and I'd like to try something different. I thought about straight up buying a Harbinger but I'd rather build something with the parts that I want, namely a BCG from JP and a Proof barrel.
 
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Another lightweight manufacturer is Roam Rifles. They re magnesium alloy, so look into the downside of that. The lowers have also been OOS for quite a few months. Receiver sets are around 15.4oz . Complete rifles with 16" 308 steel barrels are around 6.1 lbs, that's with a FMOS and not a lot of exotic parts.
Also, a 6.5 Creedmoor barrel is not lighter in weight than an identical length/profile barrel in .308, but the difference in weight would be insignificant, IMO.
I think I saw Honest Outlaw do a review on it. I'll check it out, that is incredible weight. I'm targeting sub-7lbs.
 
I'm a big fan of cutting weight where possible, but not performance. I don't care for compromises resulting from things like ultra-light buttplates, skeletonized pistol grips, and lightweight buffer systems.

2A Armament and V Seven build absolutely beautiful lightweight yet fully functional receiver sets and forends. Battle Arms Development used to make a solid lightweight big block receiver set and rail, as well. I'm sorry to see 2A and BAD designs go. Between the three, from my perspective, V Seven gets the nod due to a more robust barrel nut design.

The heaviest component in most rifles, not just gas guns, is the barrel. In big block gas guns, going with a Proof carbon fiber barrel is a proven way to reduce weight, but not performance - with added cost, of course. You can get excellent performance out of a 16" .308 barrel, but I think 20" is a more appropriate minimum length for the 6.5 CM. In Proof CF barrels, this is an immediate 11 ounce advantage going with caliber .308.

A second gas gun component with considerable mass is the bolt carrier group. While you can go lightweight or reduced mass here with .308, it's not a good idea to do other than full mass with the 6.5 CM. In JP bolt carrier groups, this is another 4.5 ounce advantage going with caliber .308.

In recoil buffers, I've found that with an adjustable gas block, an H2 is ideal with the above combo. In .6.5 CM, the H3 works better. There's another 1.5 ounce advantage going with .308.

The net result is a 16" .308 with Proof CF barrel and low mass bolt carrier group will weigh about a pound less than an otherwise identical 20" 6.5 CM with Proof CF barrel and full mass bolt carrier group. This works out to 7 pounds for a 16" .308, and 8 pounds for a 6.5 CM.

That's just the rifle. A 16" .308 is well served by a low power variable optic, while most of us would opt for a high power variable optic for 6.5 CM. More weight.

To sum up, a 16" .308 with top shelf high dollar components and optic is going to end up 1.5 pounds lighter than its 6.5 CM cousin.

Some photos of past projects:

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That's just the rifle. A 16" .308 is well served by a low power variable optic, while most of us would opt for a high power variable optic for 6.5 CM. More weight.

To sum up, a 16" .308 with top shelf high dollar components and optic is going to end up 1.5 pounds lighter than its 6.5 CM cousin.
First, I love looking at your builds. Second, you actually replied to the post with a well thought our argument for .308. Last, my 16" LMT in 6 ARC weighs less. cost less and shoots flatter and longer (probably).
 
I'm a big fan of cutting weight where possible, but not performance. I don't care for compromises resulting from things like ultra-light buttplates, skeletonized pistol grips, and lightweight buffer systems.

2A Armament and V Seven build absolutely beautiful lightweight yet fully functional receiver sets and forends. Battle Arms Development used to make a solid lightweight big block receiver set and rail, as well. I'm sorry to see 2A and BAD designs go. Between the three, from my perspective, V Seven gets the nod due to a more robust barrel nut design.

The heaviest component in most rifles, not just gas guns, is the barrel. In big block gas guns, going with a Proof carbon fiber barrel is a proven way to reduce weight, but not performance - with added cost, of course. You can get excellent performance out of a 16" .308 barrel, but I think 20" is a more appropriate minimum length for the 6.5 CM. In Proof CF barrels, this is an immediate 11 ounce advantage going with caliber .308.

A second gas gun component with considerable mass is the bolt carrier group. While you can go lightweight or reduced mass here with .308, it's not a good idea to do other than full mass with the 6.5 CM. In JP bolt carrier groups, this is another 4.5 ounce advantage going with caliber .308.

In recoil buffers, I've found that with an adjustable gas block, an H2 is ideal with the above combo. In .6.5 CM, the H3 works better. There's another 1.5 ounce advantage going with .308.

The net result is a 16" .308 with Proof CF barrel and low mass bolt carrier group will weigh about a pound less than an otherwise identical 20" 6.5 CM with Proof CF barrel and full mass bolt carrier group. This works out to 7 pounds for a 16" .308, and 8 pounds for a 6.5 CM.

That's just the rifle. A 16" .308 is well served by a low power variable optic, while most of us would opt for a high power variable optic for 6.5 CM. More weight.

To sum up, a 16" .308 with top shelf high dollar components and optic is going to end up 1.5 pounds lighter than its 6.5 CM cousin.

Some photos of past projects:

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IMG_9811.jpeg


IMG_8062.jpeg


IMG_2070.jpeg


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Thank you so much for this review. I think I'll go with 308 then in the 16-inch Proof CF barrel. I also think I'll go with the VSeven, the reviews I've watched and read also mentioned the handguard/barrel nut design. I can't thank you enough. Beautiful rifles too!
 
If you're looking for the best performance related return on investment (i.e., "weight"), just skip the big block game and build a 6 ARC with a Proof CF barrel.
I have a 6 ARC build that I'll be doing next year. I can't decide between a 14.5 build and a 16 or 18 inch build considering that they both shoot well out to great distances, although the longere barrels will have more velocity and hitting power at farther distances. I'm using the UIC receiver set and handguard from ADM.
 
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Thank you so much for this review. I think I'll go with 308 then in the 16-inch Proof CF barrel. I also think I'll go with the VSeven, the reviews I've watched and read also mentioned the handguard/barrel nut design. I can't thank you enough. Beautiful rifles too!

Proof CF barrels aren't light weight, they are just lighter weight than the equivalent profile all steel barrel. There are plenty of lower weight steel options that aren't pencil barrels too. For example (ignoring button vs cut rifling) a Criterion Hybrid 16" with rifle gas is 2.5lb. The all steel barrel is more rigid, will have significantly less mirage, costs much less, and is available in rifle gas instead of intermediate. If you go rifle gas with an AGB you can run a low mass carrier and a 2oz buffer. You end up lighter weight, same/better performance, and a lot less cost.
 
Proof CF barrels aren't light weight, they are just lighter weight than the equivalent profile all steel barrel. There are plenty of lower weight steel options that aren't pencil barrels too. For example (ignoring button vs cut rifling) a Criterion Hybrid 16" with rifle gas is 2.5lb. The all steel barrel is more rigid, will have significantly less mirage, costs much less, and is available in rifle gas instead of intermediate. If you go rifle gas with an AGB you can run a low mass carrier and a 2oz buffer. You end up lighter weight, same/better performance, and a lot less cost.
Sure, but they don't look as cool, so..... yeah..
 
I too am a big fan of Criterion barrels.

The Criterion Hybrid 16" does weigh just 5 ounces more than the Proof CF 16". That's a fair trade off for a $660 price delta. I'm confident that with match grade ammo the Criterion would not disappoint in the accuracy department. So, that's one excellent way to do such a build a tad cheaper.

I had no idea there was even such a thing as a 2 ounce buffer. But, I'm going for sub-MOA at 100, not the world's lightest gun that will cycle.

So, H2 for me, with LMOS JP BCG and SLR adjustable gas block. I've got eight years of use with my own combo, shown in photo #4, above. It now wears a different stock (BCM SOPMOD Mod 2), different scope (K18i), and HUXWRX Flow 762 Ti. Has yet to disappoint.

Who developed the very first intermediate length gas system? None other than Eugene Stoner, working for Knight's Armament, for the prototype SR-25K (16") .308.
 
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I too am a big fan of Criterion barrels.

The Criterion Hybrid 16" does weigh just 5 ounces more than the Proof CF 16". That's a fair trade off for a $660 price delta. I'm confident that with match grade ammo the Criterion would not disappoint in the accuracy department. So, that's one excellent way to do such a build a tad cheaper.

I have no idea there was even such a thing as a 2 ounce buffer. But, I'm going for sub-MOA at 100, not the world's lightest gun that will cycle.

So, H2 for me, with LMOS JP BCG and SLR adjustable gas block. I've got eight years of use with my own combo, shown in photo #4, above. It now wears a different stock (BCM SOPMOD Mod 2), different scope (K18i), and HUXWRX Flow 762 Ti. Has yet to disappoint.

Who developed the very first intermediate length gas system? None other than Eugene Stoner, working for Knight's Armament, for the prototype SR-25K (16") .308.

An AR-15 carbine buffer with aluminum weights weighs 1.7oz. Lower reciprocating mass feels pretty good, even at 100 yards.

I've spent quite a bit of time behind Proof barrels, they shoot nice but they have serious trade offs. I'd rather have an all steel barrel, all things being equal. And I would rather have less dwell, not more. Some 16" barrels do fine with mid length gas, and some eat your brass.
 
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I have 5 of the 7 lightweight AR-10 s existence to my knowledge.
Traditional size
1. 2A Xanthos Lite
2. Roam R-10
3. Vseven Harbinger
Small frame
4. F4 defense SF-10
5. POF Rogue

I do not have the

6. Ruger SFAR
7. Zev small frame ( only a very small quantity were manufactured prior to discontinuation).

Personally the Roam, VSEVEN and F4 defense are far and away the best of the bunch. All three are amazing firearms and amongst my favorite semi-autos. I also have a Vseven Enlightened 6.5 Grendel which is amazing as well.
 
Thank you so much for this review. I think I'll go with 308 then in the 16-inch Proof CF barrel. I also think I'll go with the VSeven, the reviews I've watched and read also mentioned the handguard/barrel nut design. I can't thank you enough. Beautiful rifles too!
Honestly,
Thank you so much for this review. I think I'll go with 308 then in the 16-inch Proof CF barrel. I also think I'll go with the VSeven, the reviews I've watched and read also mentioned the handguard/barrel nut design. I can't thank you enough. Beautiful rifles too!
Seven makes a damn nice fluted lightweight barrel that is still quite rigid. I have used Criterion, Proof, Seven, etc. All are great, and not pencil profiles. The VSeven is a great barrel and lighter then the same length Proof barrel.
 
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I have 5 of the 7 lightweight AR-10 s existence to my knowledge.
Traditional size
1. 2A Xanthos Lite
2. Roam R-10
3. Vseven Harbinger
Small frame
4. F4 defense SF-10
5. POF Rogue

I do not have the

6. Ruger SFAR
7. Zev small frame ( only a very small quantity were manufactured prior to discontinuation).

Personally the Roam, VSEVEN and F4 defense are far and away the best of the bunch. All three are amazing firearms and amongst my favorite semi-autos. I also have a Vseven Enlightened 6.5 Grendel which is amazing as well.

Hey thanks a lot. I think I'm going to go with the VSeven Match set, I'll be ordering it in January or this December. I found one at a local gun dealer that is used for $650 but I want a brand new one for the full warranty.

I'm thinking of doing a 14.5 or 16-inch 6.5 Creedmoor build to further lower weight. I had my mind on a 308 build but I had a change of heart recently. I would love to try VSeven barrels but in order to keep the budget of this build at $3000, I'm targeting a barrel under $500. That is why I'm thinking of going with the Criterion barrel.

I'm not chasing 1000 yards, I'd just like to have a super lightweight AR10 that can effectively take down an elk at 600 yards for this specific build. I do intend to buy a Harbinger in 3 years with a 22-inch 6.5 Creedmoor barrel, but in the meantime, I think this will be a fun little toy to mess around with. Plus my local gun range maxes out at 600 yards unfortunately.

I'm going to get a Xanthos Lite receiver set just to mess around with and add to my collection next summer. I'm sad that NEMO shut them down.
 
If you're going to go with a short barrel, you'd be much better off with a .308 than a 6.5CM. The .308 will generate higher velocities with the same weight bullet in the same length short barrel. Granted, the BC of the .308 bullets will not be as high, but you're not planning to use this in a long range capacity.

Example: My 16" Proof CF barrel pushes out the MK 319 130 grain TSX at 2859 FPS. Granted, this ammo is tough to find currently, but the commercially available Barnes 130 grain TSX load should not be too far behind in velocity.
 
If you're going to go with a short barrel, you'd be much better off with a .308 than a 6.5CM. The .308 will generate higher velocities with the same weight bullet in the same length short barrel. Granted, the BC of the .308 bullets will not be as high, but you're not planning to use this in a long range capacity.

Example: My 16" Proof CF barrel pushes out the MK 319 130 grain TSX at 2859 FPS. Granted, this ammo is tough to find currently, but the commercially available Barnes 130 grain TSX load should not be too far behind in velocity.
I was going to same virtually the same thing. A 14.5 or 16 inch 6.5CM barrel is a bit of a waste unless going with 6.5CM is primarily due to a desire for lower recoil. I’d go with a minimum 18 inch 6.5CM barrel, but ideally 20inches or longer.
 
+1 on the 308 for a 16 inch barrel for a short/medium range rifle.

Also if you don't want to sink $$$ into a Proof barrel the Criterion 16" hybrid with rifle gas a are really quite a nice option. I recently screwed one together to replace a heavier/longer barrel and I couldn't believe how much handier and lighter the rifle was. It also shot very well right out of the box and did not require anything fancy for reliability... I used a non adjustable gas block without issues.
 
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If you're going to go with a short barrel, you'd be much better off with a .308 than a 6.5CM. The .308 will generate higher velocities with the same weight bullet in the same length short barrel. Granted, the BC of the .308 bullets will not be as high, but you're not planning to use this in a long range capacity.

Example: My 16" Proof CF barrel pushes out the MK 319 130 grain TSX at 2859 FPS. Granted, this ammo is tough to find currently, but the commercially available Barnes 130 grain TSX load should not be too far behind in velocity.

This is so good to know. I'm just primarily going off of youtube videos I watch which are the primary drivers of the projects I pursue. But a 308 sounds like a better option than.
 
+1 on the 308 for a 16 inch barrel for a short/medium range rifle.

Also if you don't want to sink $$$ into a Proof barrel the Criterion 16" hybrid with rifle gas a are really quite a nice option. I recently screwed one together to replace a heavier/longer barrel and I couldn't believe how much handier and lighter the rifle was. It also shot very well right out of the box and did not require anything fancy for reliability... I used a non adjustable gas block without issues.
Thank you so much. That makes my choice to go with Criterion for my barrel a lot more solid. The hybrid sounds really interesting.
 
If you're going to go with a short barrel, you'd be much better off with a .308 than a 6.5CM. The .308 will generate higher velocities with the same weight bullet in the same length short barrel. Granted, the BC of the .308 bullets will not be as high, but you're not planning to use this in a long range capacity.

Example: My 16" Proof CF barrel pushes out the MK 319 130 grain TSX at 2859 FPS. Granted, this ammo is tough to find currently, but the commercially available Barnes 130 grain TSX load should not be too far behind in velocity.

This is dead on. I have a 16" 6mm AR10 barrel on my shelf and it is almost a pound heavier than the same exact 308 barrel. You can push the 30 cal harder than the 6.5 too, the 308 will just have less energy past 500 yards.

I'm not sure I'd describe the 2A Xanthos as "spectacular". 2A used Faxon pencil barrels which are still available from Faxon. It's pretty representative of 2A in general; the Xanthos, and all of it's parts, was mid at best. V7 is significantly higher quality than 2A.
 
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This is dead on. I have a 16" 6mm AR10 barrel on my shelf and it is almost a pound heavier than the same exact 308 barrel. You can push the 30 cal harder than the 6.5 too, the 308 will just have less energy past 500 yards.

I'm not sure I'd describe the 2A Xanthos as "spectacular". 2A used Faxon pencil barrels which are still available from Faxon. It's pretty representative of 2A in general; the Xanthos, and all of it's parts, was mid at best. V7 is significantly higher quality than 2A.
Agreed. While the Xanthos is extremely lightweight, the VSeven and Roam setups are much higher quality.

If you desire is for a lightweight hunting rifle for large game out to 300-400 yards, 338 Federal or 7mm-08 is another more obscure option for the AR-10. You will need to play with the gas and buffer though. Brownells has a titanium BCG that is fairly inexpensive, but the JP LMOS is always nice.
 
Absolutely beautiful. Is the second one a Xanthos too? I could have sworn I saw it on 2A's site for around $2800, I think it was a steal at the time for lightweight AR10's.

Yes Sir. First rifle is their AR15 Balios-lite platform followed by a .308, in factory KUIU Verde Cerakote, and the third is a 6.5 Creedmoor.
 
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Agreed. While the Xanthos is extremely lightweight, the VSeven and Roam setups are much higher quality.

If you desire is for a lightweight hunting rifle for large game out to 300-400 yards, 338 Federal or 7mm-08 is another more obscure option for the AR-10. You will need to play with the gas and buffer though. Brownells has a titanium BCG that is fairly inexpensive, but the JP LMOS is always nice.

What were the production, machining, tolerance and/or finish differences in the VSeven and Roam that set them at a "much higher quality" option than the 2A Xanthos?
 
Just chiming in regarding V7. I have some of their barrels and a few stripped uppers and rails. But to the question about "what sets them apart?" I recall when a friend ordered a stripped upper and then placed an order of a stripped lower and they called him and said something to the effect of "if you return your upper, we will match an upper to the lower you just ordered."

Would it have been fine or good enough otherwise? Im betting yes. But the set he got was really nice.
 
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A pic of the not quite so lightweight carbine, but you get the idea of how compact a 16" 308 is... PS the TR24 is also quite lightweight and is a great choice for a short/medium range carbine
 

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Just chiming in regarding V7. I have some of their barrels and a few stripped uppers and rails. But to the question about "what sets them apart?" I recall when a friend ordered a stripped upper and then placed an order of a stripped lower and they called him and said something to the effect of "if you return your upper, we will match an upper to the lower you just ordered."

Would it have been fine or good enough otherwise? Im betting yes. But the set he got was really nice.

Ok, so no difinitive, fact based, comparisons. We're trying to educate the OP so he can make an informed decision...not guess. Thanks.
 
So here ya go, here’s a few of the ones I mentioned. As you can see I have nothing but good things to say about 2A, as that’s my Balios Lite Gen2. However the V7 6.5 with a 20 inch proof barrel and not the Faxon pencil profile barrel is an extraordinary weapon. The 308 Roam with a Criterion hybrid profile barrel is substantially lighter than the same profile barrel 2A rifle. The V7, Roam, and F4 Defense builds I have are just better in sustained accuracy, feel, and function. They are however more expensive and much harder to find.
 

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