AR Stoner .264 LBC or Alexander Arms 6.5 Grendel Barrel ?

[Larry in SD]

Hi guys, new guys here. I have been shooting .223 AR-15's for several years now but have not shot or owned an AR-15 in a chambering larger than .223.

I (over the course of the next 6 months or so) am planning on acquiring the parts-n-pieces and building an 18" Barreled AR-15 Upper Receiver Assembly. The main purpose of this Upper Receiver Assembly will be HUNTING, more specifically Coyotes and Whitetail Deer Hunting, with some target shooting thrown in. I will be using this Upper Receiver Assembly BUT also my petite wife, and my grand kids will also be using it for Hunting. With that said this Upper Receiver Assembly will be used on a couple different lowers, one with a Carbine Buffer Tube Assembly with a 6 Position Collapsable Buttstock and one with an A2 Butter and Buttstock.

In looking at Midway USA and the Alexander Arms web sites I find a 18" Barrel & Bolt Combo for roughly the same price (Midway USA AR Stoner 18" Stainless-Steel 1 in 8" Twist .264 LBC @ $329.99 vs the Alexander Arms 18" Stainless-Steel 1 in 8" Twist 6.5 Grendel @ $320.00). Both barrels are Stainless-Steel, both barrels are 18" in length, both barrels use a mid length gas system, both barrels use a .750" gas block and both barrels are 1 in 8" Twist.

Does anyone know if either of these barrels are drilled for the cross pins for a Standard AR-15 Front Sight Base?

Is one more desirable that the other? Are the Bolts that come with each barrel of good quality? Will those bolts work with a standard .223 Bolt Carrier Group?

I have a DPMS Slick Side Flat Top Upper Receiver that I am planning on putting this Upper Receiver Assembly together with.

In short I have a lot of questions in my mind and really need answers to these questions so I can start acquiring parts for this build.

Thanks

Larry

[bwaites]

Not sure about the cross pin issue.

AA's chamber is the SAAMI specification chamber, and guaranteed to work with all Grendel 6.5 ammunition. The LBC chamber has multiple different specs, (.295 neck, .300 neck, etc.) and no one seems to be real specific about saying which barrel has which specification.

If I were building a Grendel, it would have a Grendel chamber, not one of the various other 6.5 iterations available.

AA bolts are built to the SAAMI spec as well, so you have that surety that all of the pieces will work. So far as quality, I suspect they are comparable otherwise.

I just can't figure out why anyone, at this point in time, would buy anything BUT the SAAMI spec for an AR.

In a bolt gun, I might feel otherwise, but in an AR, buy a SAAMI spec Grendel.

[Mutt]

Stick with a Grendel chamber. The other .264 barrels out there use a different type of chambering than the "Grendel" barrels. Some of them have issues chambering some types of factory ammo. Grendel chambers will accomodate all Grendel ammo and all .264 ammo currently available. Why put of with the issue that come with the .264 barrels out there. You won't be dissappointed if you go with a Grendel.

Most after market barrels don't use the standard front sights. The majority of the people that I know that use/build AR's prefer to use a low profile gas block and a free float handguard. There are all sorts of rail mounted front sights or gasblock mounted front sights that that provide the same sight picture. But, it's all up the the end user ...... what ever you prefer. You can purchase a site tower and drill and pin your own holes .... not something I would attempt.

[Angry_Waiter]

Just ordered a 19.5" AA upper with Shilen barrel. My reasoning was that if SAAMI has approved the cartridge design, then more manufacturers would support the superior balistics the round offers and that ammo and parts would become even more available (I can get Hornandy ammo 10 minutes from my house at Cabelas right now). Also, Alexander started the Grendel, I figure he has the most experience putting together Grendel uppers, that sold me.

[Larry in SD]

Thanks for the replies guys. You guys sort of verified what I was thinking but since I have not worked with this cartridge I just wanted to make sure I was on the right track. As for the gas block, yes it will more than likely go up with a Low Profile Gas Block, and a DPMS Carbon Fiber Free Float Tube.

Thanks again

Larry

[VASCAR2]

If you change your mind and want to use a standard front sight tower CMMG ($40) offers a clamp on A-2 front sight which does not require you to drill holes in your barrel for the taper pins. JP enterprise also offers a couple of different clamp on front site towers, one with A-2 front site and another with a folding front sight.

[LRRPF52]

A2 FSB's need to be drilled at the same time the barrel is drilled for the taper pins, but there is no reason to go that route with a floated Grendel. Get a rifle-length float handguard and you'll be best-served. Welcome.

[Larry in SD]

Thanks again guys. I am sure once I start acquiring parts I will have more questions.

Larry

[bwaites]

Questions are good! We much prefer that to no questions and then having to commiserate with someone who doesn't end with what he hoped for!

[Mutt]

True ..... and that's really easy to do (end up with the wrong part)

[mechanicuss]

If you change your mind and want to use a standard front sight tower CMMG ($40) offers a clamp on A-2 front sight which does not require you to drill holes in your barrel for the taper pins. JP enterprise also offers a couple of different clamp on front site towers, one with A-2 front site and another with a folding front sight.

newbie reply here.

I have one of the JP A2's and it is a nicely machined piece. 2 cons though: 1. it has no provision for a sling swivel, and 2. it fits so close to the barrel that you cannot use a Colt M4-type side sling adapter (major bummer - are you listening JP?).

[LRRPF52]

newbie reply here.

I have one of the JP A2's and it is a nicely machined piece. 2 cons though: 1. it has no provision for a sling swivel, and 2. it fits so close to the barrel that you cannot use a Colt M4-type side sling adapter (major bummer - are you listening JP?).

JP knows that their adjustable gas block sight towers will be installed on free-floated guns, so attaching a sling swivel of any type to it would be counter-productive, and their handguards are where everyone mounts their sling swivels anyway.

Mounting the sling to the barrel via a side sling adaptor (which comes from the M203 originally) has resulted in several catastrophic failures with M4A1's in high-volume courses that SF runs, since dynamic tension is applied to the gun with the sling, torquing the barrel to the left so that it starts to warp the receiver extension where the barrel extension slides into, which in-turn creates a situation where the bolt lugs unevenly distribute pressure with the barrel extension, and the guns let go into fragments even, with a guy holding a lower in one hand, and a vertical foregrip in the other, with a sling hanging around him.

[mechanicuss]

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