Faxon FX5500 ION Ultralight 5.56
4.95 lb Faxon FX5500 ION Ultralight complete rifle with pencil barrel and integral slim brake for 16-inch minimum length.
- Price
- $1,600
- Weight
- 4 lb 15 oz
- Calibers
- 5.56x45mm, .223 Rem
- Rail
- mlok
Capability Profile
0-10 Scale Across 8 Axes
Key Highlights
- •4.95 lb total weight on a legacy complete 5.56 rifle
- •14.5" pencil barrel with pinned/welded slim brake for 16" minimum length
- •13" carbon fiber M-LOK handguard plus ambidextrous charging handle and safety
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Faxon Firearms ION Ultralight 5.56x45mm 16" AR Rifle, Black - FX5500
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Overview
The Faxon FX5500 ION Ultralight was built around a single design priority: minimum weight without sacrificing basic AR reliability. It weighs 4.95 pounds unloaded and uses a pencil-profile 5.56 barrel with a permanently attached slim three-port brake to meet 16-inch rifle length, plus a 13-inch carbon fiber M-LOK handguard, lightweight bolt carrier group, adjustable gas block, and ambidextrous controls. Faxon sells the rifle direct, with the integral-muzzle-device 16-inch configuration listed at $1,600.
Key Features
- 14.5" Faxon-made 5.56 NATO pencil-profile barrel
- Pinned and welded slim three-port muzzle brake for 16" minimum length
- Mid-length direct impingement gas system with adjustable gas block
- 13" carbon fiber M-LOK free-float handguard
- Faxon Gunner lightweight bolt carrier group with Superfinish coating
- HiperFire EDT3 trigger on older FX5500 references
- Ambidextrous charging handle and safety selector
- B5 Systems pistol grip; minimalist stock; American-made in Cincinnati, Ohio
Pros
- +4.95 lb unloaded weight is genuinely class-leading at this price
- +Faxon's in-house barrel program is well-regarded for accuracy and consistency
- +Adjustable gas block makes this a competent suppressor host despite the pencil barrel
- +Faxon/Schmid match trigger is far better than any mil-std unit
- +Ambi controls and Faxon Lifetime Guarantee at a mid-tier price
Cons
- −Pencil barrel heats up fast under sustained fire (not a duty profile)
- −Carbon fiber handguard is delicate compared to aluminum M-LOK rails
- −No iron sights or BUIS included
- −Weight savings come from a lighter BCG and buffer; some shooters find the cyclic feel sharper than M4-profile builds
Detailed Specifications
- caliber
- 5.56 NATO / .223 Rem
- Barrel Length
- 14.5" pencil barrel with permanently attached brake for 16" minimum length
- weight
- 4.95 lbs (unloaded)
- Gas System
- Mid-length direct impingement (adjustable gas block)
- threadPitch
- 1/2x28
- Muzzle Device
- Slim three-port muzzle brake
- handguard
- 13" carbon fiber M-LOK free-float
- stock
- Minimalist polymer (mil-spec buffer tube)
- grip
- B5 Systems
- trigger
- HiperFire EDT3
- bcg
- Faxon Gunner lightweight with Superfinish coating
- chargingHandle
- Ambidextrous
- sights
- None
- sku
- FX5500
- upc
- 816341024540
- msrp
- $1,645
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