The “race to the bottom” in terms of AR weight has been heating up for quite some time, now hitting boil. Fantastic sub 5 lbs rifles are available from 2A Armament with other production manufacturers not too far behind. Lightweight components are now available from major OEMs including pencil barrels, lightweight carriers, carbon fiber handguards, and a multitude further.
However, lightweight has not necessarily meant light on the wallet. Typically removing metal or choosing light alloys has had a significant premium attached to it. DSA, known typically for their FAL (including one Titanium FAL) rifles and related accessories has taken a big stab the the high-cost low-weight market with their new titanium AR components.
So far, five items have been released including 2 A2 style flash hiders (a short and a long version), a buffer tube locking right, hammer/trigger pins, and a set of titanium take-down and pivot pins, none of which crests $40. Weight savings from steel is typically 40% or more (the long A2 is only 1.45 ounces.
All are manufactured from grade 5 Ti-a6AL-4V material (which from the manufacturing side of me is high-quality stuff) designed for a lifetime of beatings. The material is not pure titanium but an alloy appropriate for high-heat environments while maintaining rigidity and strength.
All are available for sale direct from DSA or their retail network. Check out their website for additional information and details (including an awesome how its made video).