#Magnesium

Fierce Firearms has introduced a new lighter-weight version of their Reaper bolt action rifle dubbed MTN Reaper. The lightest configuration of the MTN Reaper rifle (short action with 18″ barrel) weighs 5.8lbs. The weight reduction is achieved by using a titanium action, magnesium alloy chassis, carbon fiber wrapped barrel as well as carbon fiber stock and handguard.

Back at SHOT Show 2020, North Dakota-based  Roam has introduced a family of lightweight AR-10 pattern rifles called R-10. Shortly after the introduction, in May 2020, these rifles became available for purchase. What sets R-10 rifles apart is the Roam magnesium alloy used in making the receivers that allows significantly reducing the overall weight of these rifles. The lightest of Roam R-10 line of rifles is the R-10 Red River Ultralight which weighs in at 5.48 lbs with a 16″ pencil barrel and titanium BCG. The company has recently announced that the upper receivers used in the R-10 rifles are now available separately.

For the long range precision rifle shooter there seems to be two main ways of building the perfect rifle.

Thumbing through my Instagram feed a few weeks ago, I came across an interesting post by our friends at The Armory Blog. Originating at the sub-reddit r/3gun, the above image is a MAG Tactical aluminum and Magnesium hybrid lower which was originally advertised as being ‘ultra-light weight’. I’ve used the past tense because the company is now apparently out of business – judging by the numerous internet reports of material failures, we may have an idea of why.