What's the Benefit of a Lightweight Rifle?

I spent my first year of active duty in the Army as a Private
E-nothing 11B10, humping the M-14 through BCT, AIT and OCS. That was a superb rifle for long-range shooting and for Drill and Ceremonies, but it sure got heavy as each day wore on. Even the ammunition was heavy, when we crammed 20 rounds into a magazine and carried at least 10 full magazines when we went to the field. When I got to ‘Nam and was issued an M-16, I thought I had died and gone to heaven! The difference was incredible! Not only was the rifle half (almost) the weight of the M-14, but the 5.56 mm ammo was so much lighter than the 7.62 mm rounds, that I could carry four times the number of rounds. And I didn’t need the long reach of the M-14, since my engagements were always less than 300 meters. I was grateful for the reduced weight and ease of handling with the M-16, and if I had been given the choice of which weapon to fight with, I would have always chosen the M-16 (the variant was actually the M-16A1).

Size does matter. A person who weighs in at 90 to 125 pounds or less can handle the smaller rifles without difficulty. The larger the person the better ability to handle larger weapons.

SGT (Join to see)
The key when guiding someone through the rifle shopping (or configuration) process is to set your own preferences aside. It’s OK to lean on experience and technical knowledge, but pay close attention to what the prospective rifle shooter is trying to accomplish. If that happens to be a female friend or family member, don’t be surprised if she brings home a lightweight, svelte carbine that is as easy to get on target as it is to carry. If it suddenly makes your go-to rifle feel like a behemoth, just know you are not alone.