I had previously written a review about the V Seven, 7075 LR Enlightened AR-15 Lower Receiver (ENLI LR-ALU). I was so impressed by the lightweight design and meticulous machining of the V Seven lower, that I ended up getting their 7075 Enlightened AR-15 Upper Receiver (ENLI UR-ALU) and their 15” Magnesium Hyper-Light M-LOK Handguard (HYPLIGHT 15ML) for a new ultra-lightweight 16″ build.

V Seven Weapon Systems is a world-class manufacturer of AR-15/AR-10 rifles and parts, engineered to the highest standards and machined from high-strength, lightweight materials that include grade 5 titanium, 2055 lithium-aluminum (receivers), lithium-aluminum alloy 2099 (handguards), aluminum-magnesium alloy (handguards) and 7075-T6 aluminum (receivers). V Seven Weapon Systems was founded in 2013 by Joel Allen, who previously spent 12 years at Noveske Rifleworks.

V Seven 2055 Lithium and 7075 Aluminum Receivers

V Seven offers stripped Enlightened, AR-15 uppers and lowers that can be purchased individually, or as matched receiver sets. The V Seven Enlightened billet receivers are offered in either 2055 Lithium Aluminum alloy or 7075 Aluminum.

That said, the difference in weight between the 2055 Lithium and the 7075 Aluminum uppers and lowers is minimal. However, there is a significant cost difference between the Lithium Aluminum alloy and the 7075 Aluminum uppers and lowers. For me, it made much more economic sense to get the 7075 Enlightened upper and lower.

2055 ENLIGHTENED AR-15 UPPER RECEIVER (ENLI UR-LIT)

Price: $430
Weight: 5.8 oz

7075 ENLIGHTENED AR-15 UPPER RECEIVER (ENLI UR-ALU)

Price: $296
Weight: 6 oz

2055 LR ENLIGHTENED AR-15 LOWER RECEIVER (ENLI LR-LIT)

Price: $441
Weight: 6.7 oz

7075 LR ENLIGHTENED AR-15 LOWER RECEIVER (ENLI LR-ALU)

Price: $296
Weight: 7.1 oz

V Seven Handguards

V Seven offers 5 different AR-15 handguards. The Hyper-Light is their lightest handguard and is made from a Magnesium alloy. It is also slightly less expensive than their 2099 Lithium Aluminum alloy, Enlightened and Ultra-Light handguards. As noted earlier, I opted for their 15” Magnesium Hyper-Light MLOK handguard.

By the way, I also purchased V Seven’s Titanium 6-pack of handguard mounting screws ($29) to save a little extra weight over the steel ones.

V Seven Hyper-Light Magnesium Handguard Installation

The V Seven barrel nut is made from Super Aluminum 7068, which is harder and stronger that 7075 Aluminum. V Seven’s barrel nut needs to be timed for proper handguard alignment. I recommend that you watch this installation video from V Seven.

To time the barrel nut, as recommended in the V Seven installation video, I set my torque wrench to 35 ft/lbs and then adjusted the alignment from there.

When installing the Hyper-Light magnesium handguard, V Seven recommends that you apply a little bit of lubricating oil to the inside of the handguard (where it comes in contact with the barrel nut) and on the barrel nut. You should then be able to wiggle the handguard over the barrel nut. You may need to tap on the front end of the handguard with a plastic or rubber hammer. I used a rubber mallet to tap on my handguard.

IMPORTANT: To prevent potential damage, only tap on the front end of the picatinny rail and NOT on any other part of the handguard, with your plastic/rubber hammer.

The Hyper-Light handguard includes an aluminum, anti-rotation pin that sits in a channel above the gas tube in the upper and a channel inside the rear of the handguard.

V Seven LR 7075 Enlightened Upper and Lower Receiver Features

• Elegant Lightweight Design
• Machined from 7075 T6 Billet Aluminum
• Armor Black Cerakote Finish (H-190)
• Compatibility with all Mil-Spec parts
• Lower includes V Seven’s lightweight, 7075 T6 aluminum QD endplate.

V Seven LR 7075 Enlightened Upper and Lower Weights

Upper Weight: 6 oz
Lower weight: 7.1 oz

V Seven 15” Magnesium Hyper-Light Handguard Specs

Width: 1.5”
Height: 1.97”
Weight: 6.83 oz (including barrel nut)

5.7 oz (handguard) + 1.13 oz (7068 super aluminum barrel nut) = 6.83 oz

V Seven 7075 Enlightened Receiver Set Pricing

MSRP for the 7075 Enlightened receiver set is $592. Street price is a little less than MSRP. I recommend buying directly from V Seven as they usually ship out to your FFL pretty quickly. Alternatively, you could purchase the 7075 Enlightened upper and lower separately at $296 each.

V Seven 15” Hyper-Light Magnesium Handguard Pricing

MSRP is $374. Street price is a little less than MSRP.

General Impressions

The V Seven 7075 Enlightened upper (6 oz), lower (7.1 oz) and Hyper-Light Magnesium handguard (6.83 oz), are not only precision engineered and machined, but they are also incredibly lightweight. Putting all three components together makes for one, sexy looking rifle.

The Hyper-Light handguard is not too slim or thick and feels very strong and comfortable.

The Enlightened upper has no forward assist, while the lower has no ambi controls. This minimalist design not only saves unnecessary weight, but also makes for a really clean, elegant appearance.

Despite not having ordered my upper and lower as a matched set, they fit tightly together, with no slop whatsoever.

As noted in my earlier review of the V Seven Enlightened lower receiver, the rear takedown detent/spring channel is not threaded. As such, I ended up tapping the rear takedown detent/spring channel using a 4-40 tap.

Additionally, the bolt catch requires the use of a slotted roll pin since the rearmost bolt catch ear channel is not threaded.

By the way, on V Seven’s website, it states that their Enlightened billet lowers may require minor gunsmithing when installing cassette style triggers. That said, I installed a POF drop in trigger without any issues.

How Much Does My V Seven Enlightened, 16” AR-15 Build Weigh?

4.375 lbs (4 lbs, 6 oz) unloaded.

I could have saved almost a quarter pound more, if I had purchased V Seven’s titanium LV7 mini comp, titanium bolt carrier, titanium gas block and a carbon fiber pistol grip, but that would have cost an extra $860.

At the Range

Having sent 200 rounds down range, I experienced flawless performance and reliability from my suppressed, V Seven Enlightened 16” build. I would have absolutely no hesitation trusting my V Seven build for home defense.

V Seven Enlightened Build Parts List

• V Seven Enlightened 7075 Billet Receiver Set
• V Seven 15” Hyper-Light Magnesium Handguard
• V Seven Titanium Handguard Mounting Screws
• V Seven 7075 Aluminum Ultra-Light QD Endplate (included with Lower Receiver)
  
• V Seven Ultra-Light Aluminum Castle Nut
• V Seven Titanium Magazine Catch/Release
• V Seven Titanium Pistol Grip Screw
• Faxon Duty Series, 16” 5.56 NATO, Pencil Barrel
• 2A Armament Titanium Takedown Pins
• MFT Engage V2 Pistol Grip
• Mil-Spec Bolt Catch Assembly
• TriggerTech Ambidextrous Safety Selector 45/90 degree
• POF 3.5 lb Straight Drop In Trigger
• Dirty Bird AR-15 Anti-Walk Pin Set
• NBS Lightweight Steel BCG (8.875 oz)
• Smoke Composites Carbon Fiber Buffer Tube
• Gear Head Works, Mod 1 Tailstock
• BCM Carbine Action Spring
• Expo Arms Carbine Buffer (3 oz)
• Aero Precision Adjustable Gas Block (.625 gas block journal)
• Aero Precision Stainless Steel Gas Tube
• Strike Industries Ultimate Dust Cover (Polymer)
• Strike Industries, Extended Latch Charging Handle
• YHM sRx Mini QD Muzzle Brake

Final Thoughts

Is it worth getting the V Seven 7075 Enlightened Receiver Set and Hyper-Light Magnesium Handguard?

Absolutely! The V Seven upper/lower receivers, handguard and other lightweight parts, enabled me to build a high quality, reliable, ultralight (4.375 lbs), 16” AR-15, for what I would expect to pay using top-tier parts.

If you are interested in building a high quality, lightweight AR-15, I highly recommend that you check out the V Seven Enlightened 7075 receiver set and Hyper-Light Magnesium handguard.