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First of all I'd like to thank all you of the --'horde,' is it?-- for the information and experience compiled on this site. Really sold me on the Grendel as a cartridge capable of standing on its own merits even apart from, or rather despite, the AR15 rifle. Now I've got a long-term rifle project as well as a planned RPD-conversion chambered in Grendel to look forward to.
I'll just come right out front and say it as a new guy here; I don't care for the AR15 platform. Too tall & bulky, but at the same time too small because of the magwell & bolt, slide-in mags are just terrible, chintzy recoil spring design suited for cheap subguns, Stoner's plan B charging T-handle design is non-bidextrous, messy/dirty/smelly DI system. And being an American design, it is rather 'feature heavy' with numerous detents, springs, and functions (forward assist) that really aren't necessary to its function and only add marginal benefit (but unlike German complexity, aren't totally unnecessary). The mil foregrip & delta-ring arrangement are needlessly cheap and flimsy. Bu most importantly, ARs are too dang common for my eclectic tastes
All that junk aside, there are a great number of brilliant aspects on the engineering front, namely the stuff Johnson developed beforehand; the bolt/barrel/barrel extension arrangement that allows for lightweight non-structural receivers, the multi-lug bolt head that is insanely strong for its size (even if it is even a tiny bit smaller than I'd prefer in the AR), and every part is easily replaceable by entry-level armorers. And even if there are a lot of small parts, they are individually quite simple. These aspects allowed for an incomprehensibly diverse aftermarket to spring up for the platform, and now we have target rifles, subguns, belt feds...even belt fed subguns, now!
So while I have a lot of respect for the AR design, I've been *extremely* reluctant to dip my toe in that pool --I've seen what the kool-aid has done to too many others, after all. However, through no fault of my own, I was essentially forced into building one.
The cheap Sarco chambered Grendel barrel is what finally sealed it; I'd been eyeballing the Grendel for its utility/do-all rifle ballistics, and this cheapo 50$ chambered blank suddenly appears ready to go for an AR extension, provided I profile & drill the thing. This was last year when there were practically no budget Grendel options vs. 6.8 for whatever reason, and even a raw Green Mountain 6.5 blank was over a hundred dollars.
-80% billet lower; was given this as a gift, required FCG pocket milling & the magwell to be broached. I have no broach so a big toothy file and some inletting ink were employed until mags inserted, locked, and dropped free. Was powder coated upon completion (sans interior surfaces)
-Gibbz Arms side-charging upper receiver; every other gun I own has a side charging handle of some type. Heck, almost every other firearm besides the AR has a side charging handle of some type. Gibbz's offering seemed much nicer than the simple reciprocating pin-handle alternatives. I've been quite happy with it so far, even if its locking detent does tend to stop the bolt before going into battery when dry or babied (just needs some adjustment)
-No-name 6.5 Grendel Barrel from Sarco; this actually shot pretty well and ejected reliably once the rather rough chamber was polished, but the neck area was too generous for my liking --fired cases were 30-caliber-- so a similar-length 20" heavy profile Odin Works tube was ultimately fitted. It seems just as accurate on steel. All was not lost, as the first barrel was donated to a friend a-la chain letter, forcing yet another person to adopt the chambering
-Adams Arms piston conversion; simple, clean, adjustable operation, plus almost every other gun but the AR has a piston of some type. It's a nice enough unit, but I feel the hollow piston SVT40-style design is leaky and messy where it vents. There's a newer maker called Superlative Arms that has a more sophisticated VZ58-style piston rod with forward-venting setup that I'd have chosen instead.
-PSA LPK; this was from back during Banic '13 when Palmetto had the complete kits every so often for 25$
-No Name Chinese Free float tube; I wanted a sleek knurled pipe as was the style before quad rails, but that piston conversion is in the way so a common quad setup was used. The thick barrel nut had to be relieved for the piston rod to have sufficient travel
-PSA el cheapo buffer tube & stock; standard carbine collapsible, because fixed rifle stocks are more expensive for some reason
-Tall scope rings and a Nikon Prostaff 4-9X30 BDC scope; good, sturdy, quality glass for the price, with enough eye relief for the Grendel's punishing recoil (mainly I just don't like being super close in on scopes since I usually wear safety glasses). At first I used this scope because I had it just lying around, but I've come to really like the 4-9X range and simple reticle for this cartridge.
The gun runs well as of the most recent test firing; I need to load up a bunch of ammo and do a more thorough accuracy test now that I have finally addressed earlier extraction/ejection/function issues and now have a load I am willing to work with for the time being. Only had to burn about 100 rounds to get this far, lol, but at least that taste has only strengthened my interest in the Grendel, so it isn't wasted effort.
Still to come are a few more secondary items of less importance;
-Telescoping guide rod return spring system because "sproing" and service is easier (plus no need for the dumb buffer detent nonsense). I'll likely make my own on the lathe since the factory options are insanely priced for a simple product
-Fixed rifle-length stock & buffer tube to counterbalance that long, heavy barrel (or at least the lightweight AR15 rear end makes it seem that way)
-Some kind of muzzle brake; despite a rifle-length piston gas system & rifle length factory barrel, operation is still a bit undergassed. I suspect some additional back pressure from a brake or flash hider may be what the doctor ordered.
-Better handguard; I may adapt an AR10 float tube for the AR15 receiver thread so the gas piston rod & gas block can fit beneath. Might be a bit fat, but will be more comfortable to shoot & carry than a sawed-off quad rail
-Better piston; some day, perhaps that Superlative Arms deal if I ever feel like shelling out for a piston system again, perhaps something similar I can make on the lathe myself
I'll just come right out front and say it as a new guy here; I don't care for the AR15 platform. Too tall & bulky, but at the same time too small because of the magwell & bolt, slide-in mags are just terrible, chintzy recoil spring design suited for cheap subguns, Stoner's plan B charging T-handle design is non-bidextrous, messy/dirty/smelly DI system. And being an American design, it is rather 'feature heavy' with numerous detents, springs, and functions (forward assist) that really aren't necessary to its function and only add marginal benefit (but unlike German complexity, aren't totally unnecessary). The mil foregrip & delta-ring arrangement are needlessly cheap and flimsy. Bu most importantly, ARs are too dang common for my eclectic tastes
All that junk aside, there are a great number of brilliant aspects on the engineering front, namely the stuff Johnson developed beforehand; the bolt/barrel/barrel extension arrangement that allows for lightweight non-structural receivers, the multi-lug bolt head that is insanely strong for its size (even if it is even a tiny bit smaller than I'd prefer in the AR), and every part is easily replaceable by entry-level armorers. And even if there are a lot of small parts, they are individually quite simple. These aspects allowed for an incomprehensibly diverse aftermarket to spring up for the platform, and now we have target rifles, subguns, belt feds...even belt fed subguns, now!
So while I have a lot of respect for the AR design, I've been *extremely* reluctant to dip my toe in that pool --I've seen what the kool-aid has done to too many others, after all. However, through no fault of my own, I was essentially forced into building one.
The cheap Sarco chambered Grendel barrel is what finally sealed it; I'd been eyeballing the Grendel for its utility/do-all rifle ballistics, and this cheapo 50$ chambered blank suddenly appears ready to go for an AR extension, provided I profile & drill the thing. This was last year when there were practically no budget Grendel options vs. 6.8 for whatever reason, and even a raw Green Mountain 6.5 blank was over a hundred dollars.
-80% billet lower; was given this as a gift, required FCG pocket milling & the magwell to be broached. I have no broach so a big toothy file and some inletting ink were employed until mags inserted, locked, and dropped free. Was powder coated upon completion (sans interior surfaces)
-Gibbz Arms side-charging upper receiver; every other gun I own has a side charging handle of some type. Heck, almost every other firearm besides the AR has a side charging handle of some type. Gibbz's offering seemed much nicer than the simple reciprocating pin-handle alternatives. I've been quite happy with it so far, even if its locking detent does tend to stop the bolt before going into battery when dry or babied (just needs some adjustment)
-No-name 6.5 Grendel Barrel from Sarco; this actually shot pretty well and ejected reliably once the rather rough chamber was polished, but the neck area was too generous for my liking --fired cases were 30-caliber-- so a similar-length 20" heavy profile Odin Works tube was ultimately fitted. It seems just as accurate on steel. All was not lost, as the first barrel was donated to a friend a-la chain letter, forcing yet another person to adopt the chambering
-Adams Arms piston conversion; simple, clean, adjustable operation, plus almost every other gun but the AR has a piston of some type. It's a nice enough unit, but I feel the hollow piston SVT40-style design is leaky and messy where it vents. There's a newer maker called Superlative Arms that has a more sophisticated VZ58-style piston rod with forward-venting setup that I'd have chosen instead.
-PSA LPK; this was from back during Banic '13 when Palmetto had the complete kits every so often for 25$
-No Name Chinese Free float tube; I wanted a sleek knurled pipe as was the style before quad rails, but that piston conversion is in the way so a common quad setup was used. The thick barrel nut had to be relieved for the piston rod to have sufficient travel
-PSA el cheapo buffer tube & stock; standard carbine collapsible, because fixed rifle stocks are more expensive for some reason
-Tall scope rings and a Nikon Prostaff 4-9X30 BDC scope; good, sturdy, quality glass for the price, with enough eye relief for the Grendel's punishing recoil (mainly I just don't like being super close in on scopes since I usually wear safety glasses). At first I used this scope because I had it just lying around, but I've come to really like the 4-9X range and simple reticle for this cartridge.
The gun runs well as of the most recent test firing; I need to load up a bunch of ammo and do a more thorough accuracy test now that I have finally addressed earlier extraction/ejection/function issues and now have a load I am willing to work with for the time being. Only had to burn about 100 rounds to get this far, lol, but at least that taste has only strengthened my interest in the Grendel, so it isn't wasted effort.
Still to come are a few more secondary items of less importance;
-Telescoping guide rod return spring system because "sproing" and service is easier (plus no need for the dumb buffer detent nonsense). I'll likely make my own on the lathe since the factory options are insanely priced for a simple product
-Fixed rifle-length stock & buffer tube to counterbalance that long, heavy barrel (or at least the lightweight AR15 rear end makes it seem that way)
-Some kind of muzzle brake; despite a rifle-length piston gas system & rifle length factory barrel, operation is still a bit undergassed. I suspect some additional back pressure from a brake or flash hider may be what the doctor ordered.
-Better handguard; I may adapt an AR10 float tube for the AR15 receiver thread so the gas piston rod & gas block can fit beneath. Might be a bit fat, but will be more comfortable to shoot & carry than a sawed-off quad rail
-Better piston; some day, perhaps that Superlative Arms deal if I ever feel like shelling out for a piston system again, perhaps something similar I can make on the lathe myself
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