AR15 Complete rifle.

[tomc]

I've decided to buy a complete brand name basic AR15 in either 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC (due to more availability of factory ammo). The very few I've seen for sale on-line are about $2K+ and I was hoping for something quite a bit less. Why are they so much more than the 5.56 versions? Where should I be looking? Someone told me to get one that is mil spec. Is that worth the extra cost? I don't want to build one.

[Slappy]

Milspec is not more expensive, they are made to spec along with 99% of them so you have the options of adding different parts and making sure they all fit and making it yours in that special way! Look on the For Sale section of this forum. BANG BANG!!

There are many that make the Grendel these days, Stay with the SAAMI specs and the 136 bolt face to avoid any problems with ammo that sometimes arise. Type in Grendel 6.5 for sale and a bunch will come up. Look in the For Sale section of this forum.

[LRRPF52]

Welcome aboard.

There are 38 factory ammo loads for 6.5 Grendel at least, by my last count, including AA, Hornady, Federal, Black Hills, Wolf Gold, and Wolf Steel Case.

You can get a complete 16" Grendel for $1100 from AA: http://www.shopalexanderarms.com/6_5...el-Rifles.html

Precision Firearms Arion T-III for $1550: https://secure.wf-api.com/www.precis...-type-iii.html

You can also buy a complete upper and then mate it to a complete lower of your choice.

[Texas]

Welcome to the forum. Everybody and his brother that has an AR15 has a 5.56 rifles, so there are two marketing strategies, make it as cheap as possible or build a quality rifle and name brand. Most of the Grendel manufacturers are building quality rifles because Grendel owners are more discerning than the mass market for 5.56

[NugginFutz]

Mil Spec?

While I have much in the way of opinion on the subject of what Mil Spec is and where it applies, I cannot say it any better than the writers and editor over at the American Rifleman.

From the AmericanRifleman, written in 2010. (While the weapons mentioned my differ, nothing on the principal has changed since then):

For those who want to further read, here's the link.

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2010/3/18/the-milspec-definition/

In short, rifle manufacturers who advertise their wares as "MilSpec" or containing MilSpec components are just hyping their stuff in an attempt to establish some form of credibility. The best they can hope to legitimately claim is that their components are made to MilSpec standards.

[howl]

I agree about them being unreasonably high. When you see a complete lower for $500+ just because it is meant for a Grendel, you are inclined to scratch your head. The 5.56 ones are at least $300 less, and no different from what I can tell.

Anyhow here might be some reasions:

The market for AR parts is flooded. The market for 5.56 ARs is flooded. When you move away from 5.56, products are limited in supply. That's the physical reason.

The other reason, I suppose, is that emotional aspect of purchasing a Grendel. It's like buying a used Jeep. Those things are overpriced compared to other vehicle that serve the same purpose. Grendels, like Jeeps, command a higher price simply because people go nutso for them.

The build I am working on, if the group buy for the barrel happens, will be about $800 all up. If Alexander Arms had one just like what I will build for a few hundred more, I would have paid the extra.

[LRRPF52]

If you see a lower for $500, it has some kind of higher end stock and trigger. I can get over $500 on just a PRS and Geissele without any other parts for the lower.

Start adding the lower itself, buffer, recoil spring, extension tube, end plate, lock ring, LPK, and you are easily into $700 for a top-end component lower, without going billet.

Billet prices are staying steady, with the high-demand stuff back-ordered, out of stock.

You can still get a Grendel for low ball prices, especially looking at the Wolf/Anderson uppers, matched with an economy complete lower.

Most of us like to have better trigger$, free-float handguards, and look for barrels that will match the capability of this cartridge, so cost goes up with each of those, although free float handguard prices have come way down.

You can get a complete AA upper for $680, slap it on a lower from PSA, and you are into it $800 plus shipping from both sources.

http://www.shopalexanderarms.com/6_5_Grendel-Uppers.html

[Lastchance54]

Hi, I wanted a 6.8 SPC so I started pricing uppers and lowers. On gunbroker.com to my surprise, I found a compete rifle with some upgrades for under $600 ! The trigger work was done, it had a Hogue grip and forend with a moe stock! With shipping it came to just under $600. I put a scope on it and after a quick bore sight, I was on at 100 yds with very little drop at 200. I love mine and didn't spend a lot ! I could not find parts to build one any cheaper. Look out deer this fall.
Just an idea since gunbroker has been a decent resource for me over the years. Best of luck.

[biodsl]

Why are they so much more than the 5.56 versions?

I've been looking at Ruger Precision Rifles. Those chambered for 6.5 Creedmoor are listing for a couple hundred dollars more than the .308 versions. Why? It's the same damned rifle. I'm sure the answer is somewhere in Thomas Sowell's Basic Economics. Point is that it's not just a Grendel thing.

[rwh]

Do a search on gunbroker. There are a couple of carbines chambered in grendel that go for under $800.

[Texas]

Having built a number of M16A3s and M16A4s for the military and police markets, Milspec is a pain in the ---- and does not take advantage of many of the advances that have been made in the AR platform in the past 50 years.

[jim_bob]

If you want cheap, good and fast for 6.5 Grendel without the build, a PSA blem lower and an Alexander Arms 16" incursion upper is the ticket. If you want a sweet single stage trigger, get the full AA rifle.

If you want to step up to the next level, checkout Precision Firearms' offerings.

In my opinion, mil spec doesn't require the quality I demand. I am not an army of tens of thousands, I am a single consumer.

[biodsl]

Alexander Arms has it's Incursion rifle on sale for $900 or the upper for $600. Good through the 5th (next two days).

[ahillock]

Alexander Arms has it's Incursion rifle on sale for $900 or the upper for $600. Good through the 5th (next two days).

http://www.shopalexanderarms.com/Rifles-6_5_Grendel_Incursion_Complete_Rifle.html

Incursion still showing up as $1100 for me.

[ShooterScott]

If you're looking to accessorize your AR15 and need some help, I've used this pretty decent blog to help me with mine:

how-to-accessorize-your-ar15