Howdy,
I've owned the 16" Wolf A1 on two separate occasions. Excellent upper, I enjoy the performance. What I've never really enjoyed (and I've tried, I've trained with it, shot two matches with it, taken it to the range plenty of times) is the front-heavy nature of the upper. I'm thinking it's because I have the commercial Wolf A1 with the thick contoured barrel. That, in conjunction with the piston system, no matter what lower I use, always gives me the effect of a tremendously front-heavy or lopsided rifle. Sorry. Hopefully my honest opinion about my own perceptions and experiences don't offend, that's not the intent. I also have a fairly active lifestyle, and I'm a regular facet at my local weight lifting gym... it isn't like my biceps or physical strength aren't enough to take it. I just... it's something that's hard to shake. In contrast, I have both a 16" 5.56 AK and a 16" 5.56 VZ58... both are maybe a 1lbs heavier when fully kitted up... but... both (ironically enough) feel much more balanced and not as front-heavy. 6'3", solid 205 lbs with 12% body fat. Lifting ain't an issue. But I end up using other weapons that feel more balanced, even if they're in fact heavier on the scale.
That preface outlined and all to say, I was watching some YT reviews recently on the 12" "shorty" upper, and they mentioned that the barrel contour on that is in fact a lot narrower than the 14.5" and the 16" commercial versions. Can anyone please share accurate weights of the 12" upper vs the 16" upper alone unmodified? If there's a weight difference enough to make a difference in how the complete setup feels, I'd be excited to rock one. But I'm not going to throw down cash until I've thoroughly researched the issue, and I'm hoping y'all can assist with some helpful information.
Thanks again, group!
