sd_matt: I want to say 19lbs. The original “pig” (M-60) weighed in at 23lbs and this was lighter and shorter (in terms of barrel length).
Yeah, the M-14 had issues at full auto. The guys I trained (Salvadoran Army) used the H&K G3, which is also a selective fire weapon and in 7.62mm NATO. Same problem there, too, on full auto: Hard to control. That M-14 was a sweet weapon, though. My dad was a huge fan of the M-1 Garand, having carried one in WWII and Korea, and I think the M-14 was superior to even the Garand. I grew up shooting .30-06, so I like the bigger cartridges, especially in comparison to .223/5.56mm.
The AA12 is gas operated, which contributes significantly to control and it fires some very cool rounds designed specifically for the weapon. One of them is a fin-stabilized 12ga grenade (no shit, I swear I’m not making that up). It chugs out 12ga at about 300 rounds a minute off of a drum magazine. I love my Remmie 870, but I’d drop that in a heartbeat for this beast.