I have been building AR 15s and AR308s lately. My AR 15 with 16.1 inch 6.8 SPC II barrel weighs 3.5 pounds. Just about every part has been replaced with titanium parts of higher quality.
I love my Savage 10TR, but I am building an AR 308 with fluted 18 inch barrel that will weigh about 5.3 pounds.
A while ago I built a custom Savage in 6.8 SPC II, about 6 pounds and shoots bug holes.
But as of last year you could only get R 700 receivers in titanium for $$$$$$$
Don't really want a Savage titanium receiver, but almost everything in the 13 ounce bolt assembly could be made in titanium. So the BOLT ASSY SCREW, REAR BAFFLE ASSY, COCKING PIECE PIN, BOLT BODY RH, BOLT BODY LH, BOLT HEAD RET PIN, FRONT BAFFLE SHORT ACTION, FIRING PIN
The cocking piece sleeve, springs and the bolt head would remain Savage steel.
I figure these titanium parts would cut at least 4 ounces and perhaps 6 ounces.
Perhaps you don't find titanium parts is because most customers of Savage rifles are looking for bargains and not willing to pay or exotic metal parts. Putting my opnion aside using titanium parts (.65 the weight of equal volume of steel) is a very good way to reduce weight. As always I'm just guessing.
Just purchased a whole lot of titanium AR15 parts from eBay, nice quality for very low prices, barely over steel prices.
There is a guy producing titanium and carbon fiber bolt handles for Tika and Savage. Boltknobs.com
Last edited by brasse; 09-09-2015 at 11:24 AM.
5.3 lb AR 10 with 18'' barrel is awesome.
INFERNO
The guys at 308ARforum couldn't believe it. They thought a gen 1 DPMS pattern couldn't be under 7.7 pounds. My 18 inch DPMS SASS bull barrel (58 ounce) fluted weighs 7.3 pounds complete (upper and lower), and shot 5 consecutive weeks cold bore dead center bulls-eye. Not many rifles anywhere can do that!
My Faxon Arms 18 inch 308 barreled upper complete (with lower) weighs 5.5 pounds sub MOA. With heavy Vortex PST 6x25x50 scope (24.2 oz.) it weighs 7.3 pounds, less than most AR15s with no scope!
Getting new lighter receivers today with a lighter 33.8 ounce stainless fluted 5R barrel I am expecting 5.2 to 5.3 pounds. AR 308's are the new thing to build, every one has built AR 15's by now, called Barbie for men.
Do you realize my AR 6.8 actually weighs LESS than a Ruger 10/22 takedown!
The metal isn't the only cost.
Hard metals and alloys can be very hard on tools and machinery too.
I know a couple of 1911 guys that wont fool with a Norinco because of the steel.
A good wife and a steady job has ruined many a great hunter.
The titanium must be much less expensive than a couple years ago, and it seems every small machine shop is producing titanium parts.
I'm sure if it was a viable alternative, Savage would have used titanium parts in their LW hunter. The market is just not there.
"As long as there's lead in the air....there's still hope.."
sharpshooter,
I totally disagree. Two years ago there was almost zero titanium parts. There are price points and a titanium bolt group is at least double the factory price. Companies are VERY slow to act. Ask a hunter in the Rocky Mountains at 8000 feet if he would buy a Savage with titanium parts!
But with so many 4 pound bolt rifles out there @$$$$, a light weight Savage like mine with titanium parts looks better. My version of the LWH in 6.8 SPC weighs just under 6 pounds without scope. But a titanium bolt group could cut it down to 5.7 to 5.5 pounds.
Lighter that the LWH.
One of the largest advances in TI has been the tooling available to work it. It has become more of a mainstream material, much of that has come from shops having the access to the tooling to make parts out of it. TI on a manual machine is a royal pain, if you dwell on a spot you harden it to the point where your high dollar carbide tool is screaming for mercy while the TI laughs at is until it turns to bubble gum and chucks the tool across the shop. So many shops do not even have manual machines in the shop any longer. CNC makes TI work much easier, and creating toolpaths in the CAM programs have the options for TI also. It is no longer the voodoo unicorn material any longer. I almost bought a Pierce TI action and was going to get every ti part to go with it. But decided on the Mausingfield instead.
If you think it's such a good idea, why don't you take it upon yourself and get quotes from a few sources like PTG and others. Of course the best prices will be in volume, so get quotes for 100 units minimum, I'm sure there are others that will want them too. Don't have a heart attack when you see the prices, save that for the long trek up the mountain with a gun that weighs 4 oz. more.Originally Posted by brasse
Hey ....opportunity is knocking!
"As long as there's lead in the air....there's still hope.."
Why the pursuit of light weight rifles, do you hike long distances with your firearms? Most target and competition shooters prefer heavier rifles to manage recoil and follow up shots. I wouldn't consider titanium anything over steel unless it was for a back country hunting rifle.
I love Savages but pouring thousands of dollars into them makes no sense. Sharpshooter is correct. If you really want titanium start with a Pierce. The action is really the only part that saves by using titanium. Even titanium actions still use chrome molly bolts. I completely understand the desire for lighter weight rifles. I do hunt the backcountry, which is why I am currently building a Pierce. I however still elected to use a long number 5 contour barrel so it still will not be as light as you are talking about.
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