The OIP weighs in at 3.8 pounds.
Sifting threw the latest and greatest rifles can be a daunting task. Put your self at a convention the size of SHOT Show and it can quickly become an impossible task. Its only when a weapon jumps out and smacks you in the face that you notice it. Walking through the lower floors of the show, I happened into just that smack in the face. Battle Arms Development. Cutting through the ridiculous costumes and epic Star Wars themed booth porn, I found the OIP–the lightest AR-15 I’ve ever held, and it is about to be in production.
The OIP Carbine will be built by Bentwood Gunsmithing. Weight is the primary concern. “Ounces Into Pounds” represents a concept anyone who has ever carried a weapon can truly understand and appreciate. Coming in at 3.8 lbs. unloaded and without optics this rifle is a featherweight. Fully loaded with a lancer 20 round magazine and an Aimpoint H1, the rifle still comes in under 6 lbs. The OIP is the lightest AR 15 on the market. The plan is to produce the gun in limited numbers–100 rifles a year. The price for this flyweight: $2879.
- 7075 Upper, lower, stock assembly. Natural clear type 3 hard-coat anodized. Upper features an internal dri-film lubricant coating.
- Filament wound carbon fiber forearm, ventilated.
- JP adjustable trigger
- Titanium ion bonded bolt carrier
- Nickel-boron coated bolt and gas key
- Hawkins Precision Titanium muzzle device (available in brake or flash hider configuraton. Serves as interface with Gemtech HALO
- Nitrocarburized 4150 CM Ordnance steel barrel. 223 Wylde chamber. 1-8″ rifling twist. Barrel is patented by Knight’s Armamant Corp and is used under license.
- Battle Arms BAD short throw selector kit
- Titanium pins and screws.
- Titanium gas block
- ERGO swift grip.
- Lancer 20 rd Magazine
- Proprietary operating system. Includes an all-new unique buffer and recoil spring assemblies.
- OIP is a “system” rifle. Not merely an assembly of parts. Each functional component is designed specifically to enhance performance, reliability, accuracy, and handling.
Everywhere you look, weight has been cut out.
The OIP challenges the way you perceive carry weight. Though the rifle is not designed for tactical applications, it is a groundbreaking step in developing the optimal fighting rifle. The OIP is balanced perfectly. It uses a lightweight KAC barrel, a titanium flash hider and gas block. As you can imagine, the gun swings easily and stops on a dime.
As there will only bee 100 of these produced this year, the odds of us getting one in are minimal. Still, if you like what you see and want to emulate this rifle or some of its features, Battle Arms Development does offer a wide variety of lightweight AR components and upgrades to help you optimize your own rifle. Check out what they’re doing now, and stay ahead of the weight curve. These guys are setting the pace for the rest of the industry.
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Even the barrel has been dimpled.
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And the OIP is still strong enough to handle the recoil.
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The carbon fiber handguard.
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No dust covers. They weigh too much.
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