New 6.5 Grendel Magazines Now Here

[Kikn]

Brown santa brought my grendel mags today.

[Lead Chucker]

Received my mags last night. Look strong and sturdy but I'm not crazy about the gloss black. I won't fuss if the work as they should. Can't wait to try them out. Maybe today.

[Smokepole50]

Just got a note from AA. My mags are finally in the mail after waiting for over a year. I upgraded to the new mag Bill just designed, hopefully they will be as good as advertized. I have not had any real issues with the old blue follower mags but I changed my order to the new white follower mags based on Bill's comments on there increased reliability/ better design. I'm looking forward to trying them out.

Here is another vote for a 15 round mag for shooting off the bench or just having a mag that does not stick down as far in the woods. How hard is it to just form a shorter mag body? I guess new forming dies would need to be made but I find it hard to believe that a (5.56-20 rounder mag length) Grendel mag has not been developed by anyone. I am not a historian on the M16 but as I understand it the 20 round mags have always been the most reliable so why not a 15-17 round Grendel mag the same length of the original M16 mag. I guess we will see one some day.

[Variable]

They did make 15 round CProducts Grendel mags (20 round normal 5.56 mag size), but they were very unreliable, so (IIRC) AA quit carrying them. I have some of them.

ETA: If Elander cold make them (and they were very reliable), they'd be quite popular, and I'd buy some. I like the straight ones, but I doubt they'll be made. I seem to recall Bill A. saying that the straight mags don't stack right for Grendel use. Maybe I'm misremembering, but I don't think so.

[BluntForceTrauma]

V, your memory ain't gone just yet! I think there's a slight curve to them.

[Smokepole50]

A slight curve would be necessary just like the AK mag is curved. The case is to fat for a straight mag past 10 rounds. It would not need as much curve as the AK mag but not as straight as a 20 round 5.56 mag either. My guess is CP just changed the feed lips and follower and stamped it a Grendel mag.

[stanc]

They did make 15 round CProducts Grendel mags (20 round normal 5.56 mag size), but they were very unreliable, so (IIRC) AA quit carrying them. I have some of them.

Nine or ten years ago, when I wrote my first 6.5 vs 6.8 article, AA was marketing a straight, 17-rd mag. It didn't have a rear reinforcing rib, and may not have had the middle rib, but I can't recall for sure. I guess maybe those didn't work well, and that's when AA switched to CProducts?

ETA: If Elander cold make them (and they were very reliable), they'd be quite popular, and I'd buy some. I like the straight ones, but I doubt they'll be made. I seem to recall Bill A. saying that the straight mags don't stack right for Grendel use. Maybe I'm misremembering, but I don't think so.

I think you're right. Maybe due to different case taper than for 5.56mm? Doesn't seem like case diameter would matter, since there are straight, 20-rd and 25-rd mags for the M14 and FAL.

[Variable]

V, your memory ain't gone just yet! I think there's a slight curve to them.

Mine are straight. I'm about 300 miles away as the crow flys at the moment, but when I get back I'll dig one out.

Nine or ten years ago, when I wrote my first 6.5 vs 6.8 article, AA was marketing a straight, 17-rd mag. It didn't have a rear reinforcing rib, and may not have had the middle rib, but I can't recall for sure. I guess maybe those didn't work well, and that's when AA switched to CProducts?

I think you're right. Maybe due to different case taper than for 5.56mm? Doesn't seem like case diameter would matter, since there are straight, 20-rd and 25-rd mags for the M14 and FAL.

Now that you mention it-- you're right. They were billed as 17 rounds. I was only putting 15 in 'em (to keep increments of 5 rounds). I forgot.

I thought they were made by CProducts for AA. I'll see what the floorplates say when I get back. I might have ordered some direct from CProducts or 44mag.com. I ordered random batches back then of whatever was on sale. I remember getting one batch of CProducts mags (25 rounders I think) that were so bowed that the bottom tail of the spring in some of them was sticking out of the gap between the body and the floorplate.LOL i took a vacation from ordering them for a while after that.


Like Smokepole said, it was recommended that they switch to curved, but I don't remember seeing any. I do remember Bill A. saying they weren't going to carry them anymore, as they weren't reliable.

I'll see what I can dig up out of the pile when I'm back.

[Smokepole50]

New mags arrived today. I have not tested them for function yet but all I can say for now is WOW! These things are built like a tank. The Israelies don't mess around when they want reliability. The only down side I can see is the weight. It is not a flimsy piece of stamped AL. Loaded with 25 rds of Wolf Gold 120gr MPT I am measuring 1.5 lbs with my meat scale. Again with my somewhat inaccurate meat scale a empty SS AA blue follower mag weighs approx 6 oz and the new E-Lander mag weighs 8 oz, so not that much heavier for a mag that will last forever. So far I think Bill hit a home run with these mags. Now if you could just make a 15-17 rounder like this one from E-Lander.

Thanks Bill!

[BluntForceTrauma]

OK, so maybe it's MY memory that's gone all to hell?

SP50, is the 25th round hard to load, or does it fit just fine? (My mags are due today, according to UPS, but I'm at work. )

[stanc]

OK, so maybe it's MY memory that's gone all to hell?

Perhaps CRS is contagious through the internet?

SP50, is the 25th round hard to load, or does it fit just fine? (My mags are due today, according to UPS, but I'm at work.)

Looking forward to range reports from you guys who've bought these mags!

[Smokepole50]

I was not sure if they took 25 or 26 so I tried to push the 26th round in and the 25th rd maybe pushed down a 1/8" so I would call it a snug 25 rounds.

[jurassic]

I see that the feed lips are seriously tweaked compared to my CPD mags, is this something that will help with my other magazines? They appear to be really well made, but not a fan of the finish.

[Variable]

OK, so maybe it's MY memory that's gone all to hell?

SP50, is the 25th round hard to load, or does it fit just fine? (My mags are due today, according to UPS, but I'm at work. )

LOL, I don't know. I'll find out when I get back. Stan jogged my brain a bit, and now that I think about it, they were materially different. They looked kind of like baby M14 mags. They had a shiny (blueish?) finish too.

My Elander mags are in too, but I won't be back for a bit. I'm dying here. Keeping up with a 7 year old on vacation is killing me right now!

[MrBogey]

I updated my order for 5 of the old magazines to the new ones on 7-21. Received notification the order was processed 7-23 manually. Credit card charged on 7-24 (or maybe 25, kinda fuzzy on when it was charged). I haven't received a ship notice yet. Since it was charged, I imagine it's en route.