LaRue 6.5 Grendel Rifles

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  • LRRPF52
    Super Moderator
    • Sep 2014
    • 8569

    #46
    Originally posted by keystone183 View Post
    Personal purchase or demo?
    He just sent me an email out of the blue, said he wanted me to have one, didn't ask for anything in return.

    Mark is good people in my experience. I remember getting the Christmas card of his elk hunt back in 2008 after just getting back from a Sniper competition in Europe. He sent stuff like that out to customers.

    The picture showed him with the elk head in the back seat of his Navion plane as he was headed back to Texas from Wyoming.
    Last edited by LRRPF52; 07-22-2017, 03:33 AM.
    NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

    CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

    6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

    www.AR15buildbox.com

    Comment

    • carlhwv
      Bloodstained
      • May 2017
      • 52

      #47
      Originally posted by LRRPF52 View Post
      He just sent me an email out of the blue, said he wanted me to have one, didn't ask for anything in return.

      Mark is good people in my experience. I remember getting the Christmas card of his elk hunt back in 2007 after just getting back from a Sniper competition in Europe. He sent stuff like that out to customers.

      The picture showed him with the elk head in the back seat of his Navion plane as he was headed back to Texas from Wyoming.
      I'm sure it's 'cause you are good person that people listen to, but also one who doesn't pull punches and will call it like he sees it. You have a high degree of credibility. From a pure business perspective, its good marketing and shows a high degree of confidence in his product. If you see results that parallel the high end custom builds some are putting together, the remaining rifles he did on this run will be gone. I'm not sure how many he built in this run, but seems to like lots of 500. Surprisingly they are still available, unlike the true limited addition models he puts out. This one is a bit scaled back, in the eyes of some of his customers, lacking the PST block, which I don't think would fit the rail he used, and the chrome BCG that most are accustom to and the scope he offered in the package can be had for about 20% less. Still, their are some limited results coming in with .5 MOA group. I for one am really interested to see what you see.
      Carl
      NRA Patron Member, frequent supporter of the ILA, when knives are on offer
      Living free and willing to lay it down to keep it that way......
      Eternally grateful to my brothers and sisters that did and to those who strap it on each day so that we may enjoy life the way we do

      Comment

      • Kilco
        Chieftain
        • Jan 2016
        • 1201

        #48
        Originally posted by LRRPF52 View Post
        He just sent me an email out of the blue, said he wanted me to have one, didn't ask for anything in return.

        Mark is good people in my experience. I remember getting the Christmas card of his elk hunt back in 2007 after just getting back from a Sniper competition in Europe. He sent stuff like that out to customers.

        The picture showed him with the elk head in the back seat of his Navion plane as he was headed back to Texas from Wyoming.
        Damm good business is why! You have sold more 16" AA barrels than they can imagen...lol..

        Looking forward to your unboxing and range report with that bad Jackson!

        Comment

        • LRRPF52
          Super Moderator
          • Sep 2014
          • 8569

          #49
          Mark told me it would be here Friday. My very good buddy at the LGS called me up this morning and said, "It's here. Come get it before they put any more drool on it." (His words, not mine.)

          One thing that was really worrying me inside was how I might feel about this rifle if I didn't like it, or if I felt like I need to make some changes to get it "up to my standard", and how Mark would feel after being so generous to me if I messed with it.

          I pull the thing out of the box and the included, very nice FDE hard rifle case.

          First impression was, "Dayum, I like this thing." The Stealth 2.0 upper/handguard combo is very slim, very sleek, very well-built.

          Fit and feel of the upper-to-lower union is like a freaking vault-no really. The last time I recall a billet receiver fit like this, it was after a tensioning device had been installed.

          The Cerakote finish is better than I can do myself, very uniform, matte textured, even, and clean. I started to wonder why I've been doing a lot of what I do in my personal build processes.

          MBT-2S trigger breaks like a tiny icicle, very light and crisp on the 2nd stage. Included A-PEG grip feels great, matches the color of the FDE Cerakote. My wife says the grip fits her hand perfectly...(uh oh).

          As I clear the action, the BCG rides inside the receiver like snot on an oilslick, unlike how AR15s normally feel (as if you were grinding small rocks together inside). New anodized finishes and parkerized finishes don't play well together, so everyone here who has cycled a new standard AR15 knows what I'm talking about. With this one, none of that is there. It just feels like silk, no really.

          The included Tranquillo muzzle brake appears to be well-designed, with staged baffle spacing and carefully-cut vertical ports for muzzle climb taming.

          The barrel has a deep black sheen to it, as does the matching gas block. There appears to be some type of device to prevent gas leakage at the gas tube/block junction. Fit of the gas block and barrel inside of the handguard show perfect concentricity, with no deviation from center of bore. You can see that Mark has a passion for not only perfect execution of alignment and fit, but that he knows how to maintain a team that is able to reproduce that type of machining and parts interface that are easier with a one-off, not so easy when you start cranking out volume. The LaRue elves apparently like making Santa happy.

          Following that trend, the mating of the 1913 rail at 12 o'clock on the handguard aligns perfectly with the rail on the upper. This is one area that always bugs me a little with my builds because it never really is perfect when you take handguard from Company A and attach it to an upper from Company B. In this case, you have to look closely to see that they aren't one-piece. I love that.

          The RAT stock has internal compartments with polymer sleeves that contain sections of cleaning rod. The Receiver Extension Tube is precision-made, and has etched markings for stock adjustment location. There is no wobble or rattle of the stock on the RET, and the recoil pad feels great in the shoulder, appears to be made from elastomer. Trigger adjustment of the stock is nice, as is the cheek weld, very comfortable with no beard-rippers in it.

          The overall fit, feel, and balance of the rifle is really ideal.

          NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

          CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

          6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

          www.AR15buildbox.com

          Comment

          • BluntForceTrauma
            Administrator
            • Feb 2011
            • 3897

            #50
            Good review. This rifle couldn't have happened to a nicer cartridge!
            :: 6.5 GRENDEL Deer and Targets :: 6mmARC Targets and Varmints and Deer :: 22 ARC Varmints and Targets

            :: I Drank the Water :: Revelation 21:6 ::

            Comment

            • Kilco
              Chieftain
              • Jan 2016
              • 1201

              #51
              What optic do you plan on using LR?

              Comment

              • LRRPF52
                Super Moderator
                • Sep 2014
                • 8569

                #52
                You know what I just realized? I haven't purchased or owned a factory AR15 since 1997. I can't count how many I've owned or built.

                I'm keeping this one. Actually, I already started thinking it's worthy of passing down to my one of my kids. For the amount of detail I put into my personal builds, that says a lot.

                One thing I'm noticing is that from head-to-toe, LaRue designed and made all these parts. The buttstock?-his. Billet receivers with funneled mag well and super tight fit?-his. Barrel?-made in house on his tooling.

                Handguard?-his (mates with the upper) Pistol grip?-his

                2-stage trigger with hardened surfaces, tested extensively over several years?-his

                Tranquillo brake attach muzzle device (compatible with the $399 deal on his suppressor)-his

                Gas block-his

                Scope mounts? his

                You really start to see the difference when every part was envisioned, designed, refined, tested, and assembled under the same roof. It no longer has that Franken-15 feel to it at all, which even a good Cerakote job cant' hide when the rails don't line up with each other.

                NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

                CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

                6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

                www.AR15buildbox.com

                Comment

                • Apparition
                  Warrior
                  • Jan 2014
                  • 109

                  #53
                  Great write up, looking forward to you shooting it

                  Comment

                  • BjornF16
                    Chieftain
                    • Jun 2011
                    • 1825

                    #54
                    Originally posted by LRRPF52 View Post
                    One thing I'm noticing is that from head-to-toe, LaRue designed and made all these parts. The buttstock?-his. Billet receivers with funneled mag well and super tight fit?-his. Barrel?-made in house on his tooling.
                    How does LaRue rifle his barrels?...cut or button?
                    LIFE member: NRA, TSRA, SAF, GOA
                    Defend the Constitution and our 2A Rights!

                    Comment

                    • carlhwv
                      Bloodstained
                      • May 2017
                      • 52

                      #55
                      I've had at lest one of each of his builds. The Costa is my most shot rifle and continues to hold better than.5 MOA accuracy after over 5000 rounds. It's sweet. His 308 set the bar for big frame factor guns. Same fit all the way through the product line and each year he seems to add one more component to the list of in house manufactured parts.

                      I'm really interested to see how you feel after shooting, as you have shot the best and will be able compare this to real tack drivers. I personally think it has the chance to compete right their with Lilja and maybe even a Kreiger. There is at least one guy shooting .4 with factory ELD loads.

                      I'm interested in the weight compared to the lighter weight wasp barrel hunting gun I've been working on. Please let us know not only range report, but how it matches up with the stick you would be carrying in the mountains for Elk.
                      Carl
                      NRA Patron Member, frequent supporter of the ILA, when knives are on offer
                      Living free and willing to lay it down to keep it that way......
                      Eternally grateful to my brothers and sisters that did and to those who strap it on each day so that we may enjoy life the way we do

                      Comment

                      • LRRPF52
                        Super Moderator
                        • Sep 2014
                        • 8569

                        #56
                        Originally posted by BjornF16 View Post
                        How does LaRue rifle his barrels?...cut or button?
                        Last edited by LRRPF52; 07-22-2017, 04:24 PM.
                        NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

                        CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

                        6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

                        www.AR15buildbox.com

                        Comment

                        • LRRPF52
                          Super Moderator
                          • Sep 2014
                          • 8569

                          #57
                          Here's how he makes his triggers:

                          NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

                          CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

                          6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

                          www.AR15buildbox.com

                          Comment

                          • LRRPF52
                            Super Moderator
                            • Sep 2014
                            • 8569

                            #58
                            I shotgunned the upper, which was like pulling open a vault door. At first, nothing is moving until you hit the correct amount of pressure, then, instead of feeling grit or creep, it just smoothly starts to barely move.

                            I've never felt that on a billet receiver set before. Something different is happening. The Takedown Pin lug is a press-fit into the pocket in the lower on the sides.

                            The parts were anodized FDE before being Cerakoted FDE.

                            The extractor is wider than another sample Grendel extractor I had laying around from my headspace test bolt that I use when setting up dies, and the extractor face is highly polished. I'll get pics of that up later.

                            Ejector is recessed to prevent binding of the case rims when right side presentation from the mag is taken into consideration. Lapua brass is normally the one that gets hung up if you have an ejector face that is too close to flush with the bolt face.

                            The bolt appears to be nitrided, very clean, with "MP" etched on it, indicating Magnetic Particle inspection has been performed.

                            The test target that came with the rifle is a 3rd 1/2" group at 100yds, signed and dated by the tester with very detailed information, including the scope used (NF 5-25x50 in LaRue mount). There is evidence on the upper receiver that a LaRue mount was attached before shipping, indicating that they really did do the accuracy test. I know Mark likes to keep every test target on file in case a customer is not happy so they can look at the history and work towards a solution.

                            The recoil spring and buffer slide inside the RET with the feel more like a JP SCS, but appear to be standard. I suspect his springs are polished and the inside of the RET is polished. Something is contributing to the extremely smooth feel of all the articulating parts of the gun, so that none of the grit and grind are present like a standard AR15.

                            The BCG appears to use US-made fasteners, look like Grade 8, as opposed to a lot of companies using Taiwanese "YFS" fasteners. I have several BCGs with YFS fasteners, no problems, but Mark isn't the kind of guy that would sleep well at night with Taiwanese parts in his Texas rifles I'm guessing.

                            I do have one problem so far though, and I'm not sure how it can ever be fixed.

                            My wife says the A-PEG pistol grip fits her hand perfectly.
                            NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

                            CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

                            6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

                            www.AR15buildbox.com

                            Comment

                            • Bigs28
                              Chieftain
                              • Feb 2016
                              • 1786

                              #59
                              Originally posted by LRRPF52 View Post

                              I do have one problem so far though, and I'm not sure how it can ever be fixed.

                              My wife says the A-PEG pistol grip fits her hand perfectly.
                              That's hilarious

                              Comment

                              • carlhwv
                                Bloodstained
                                • May 2017
                                • 52

                                #60
                                You won't be the first person who lost this rifle to their wife......

                                Based on fit, are you still going to bed the block and barrel? On the anodized before Cerakote, have you done this with black as the base and something other than black as the top? Does it stick as well? I always thought we had to take it down in the bead blaster first. can't wait to see how it shoots with you behind the trigger.
                                Last edited by carlhwv; 07-22-2017, 05:20 PM.
                                Carl
                                NRA Patron Member, frequent supporter of the ILA, when knives are on offer
                                Living free and willing to lay it down to keep it that way......
                                Eternally grateful to my brothers and sisters that did and to those who strap it on each day so that we may enjoy life the way we do

                                Comment

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