What a diff, a barrel makes

[Splatt]

Took my 18" heavy barrel off, and replaced it with an 18" PSA barrel.
It really made my set up feel different, and lightened it up.
Now to test.

[CJW]

Great looking rig, know. You are happy

C

[VASCAR2]

PSA Stainless Steel 6.5 Grendel barrels have been getting reviews. The 18” 6.5 Grendel hits a sweet spot to where they are very versatile. Please post a range report and let us know how it shoots.

[Splatt]

My elander mags SUCK !
1 will chamber from a mag on the first round, the other nose dives the round into my feed ramp.
Just ordered 2 asc 10 round mags for 13.99 each.
Hope these work better.
So, I did have other issues.
1st off, accuracy was NOT, to be expected. The American Gunner ammo, would cycle, and lock back the bolt.
When purchased, the barrel had an adjustable gas block. Brand, unknown to me.
Switched to my reloads.
Switched to a single round mag, so all variables were the same.
Round goes off, bolt would eject brass, but not lock back.
Have never had, nor needed an adjustable gas block.
Loosened set screw, screwed adjustment screw out for more gas.
Gave up after taking screw out, and just enough in to hold.
Junk.
Accuracy SUCKED.
Pulled out a steel, non adjustable gas block when I got home, switched, and reshot the other day.
Wow! What a diff.
American gunner, 1st 2 rounds at 100 yards, 1/2" !
Went to squeeze trigger, nothing, jammed round ! Junk elander mag.
Drop mag, drop round into chamber, trip carrier, insert mag, fire. 11/4" high ! Ok... next round chambered. Fired. 3rd round groups back with first 2, 3/4" !
Next round, jammed.
I'm done !
Gas block definitely made a diff. in accuracy. Why ?
Haven't had time to load, working on other cartridges.
Will try reloads again, this week tho.

[HuntTXhogs]

Only thing I can think of on gas block effecting accuracy would be how much torque was on the bolt impinging on the barrel.

Forces can be funny like that ...

Agreed on the E-Landers

[Rackfreak_210]

My elander mags SUCK !
1 will chamber from a mag on the first round, the other nose dives the round into my feed ramp.
Just ordered 2 asc 10 round mags for 13.99 each.
Hope these work better.
So, I did have other issues.
1st off, accuracy was NOT, to be expected. The American Gunner ammo, would cycle, and lock back the bolt.
When purchased, the barrel had an adjustable gas block. Brand, unknown to me.
Switched to my reloads.
Switched to a single round mag, so all variables were the same.
Round goes off, bolt would eject brass, but not lock back.
Have never had, nor needed an adjustable gas block.
Loosened set screw, screwed adjustment screw out for more gas.
Gave up after taking screw out, and just enough in to hold.
Junk.
Accuracy SUCKED.
Pulled out a steel, non adjustable gas block when I got home, switched, and reshot the other day.
Wow! What a diff.
American gunner, 1st 2 rounds at 100 yards, 1/2" !
Went to squeeze trigger, nothing, jammed round ! Junk elander mag.
Drop mag, drop round into chamber, trip carrier, insert mag, fire. 11/4" high ! Ok... next round chambered. Fired. 3rd round groups back with first 2, 3/4" !
Next round, jammed.
I'm done !
Gas block definitely made a diff. in accuracy. Why ?
Haven't had time to load, working on other cartridges.
Will try reloads again, this week tho.

I had the same exact issues with my 18” PSA upper. Mine was having all kinds of ejection problems as well as feeding problems. I also had the same exact problem with the gas block. I took the barrel off and drilled out the gas port also bedded barrel and receiver while I had it apart. WOW! What a difference. That fixed all of my ejection and feeding issues (also running ELanders mags) and haven’t had a problem since. After I adjusted the gas block the groups shrank also. There has to be some type of correlation between gas and accuracy. Regardless I’m glad to hear you got the bugs worked out.

[sbowhuntr]

Just looking at your pic and I am curious as to why your forward assist is like flush with the upper receiver?? Is it broken and pushed in? Could be a problem there unless thats some new fandagled thing I am unaware of.

[Lastrites]

Just looking at your pic and I am curious as to why your forward assist is like flush with the upper receiver?? Is it broken and pushed in? Could be a problem there unless thats some new fandagled thing I am unaware of.

Likely a plug and not a fa or that would likely have issues.

[sbowhuntr]

Likely a plug and not a fa or that would likely have issues.

I wondered about that, never knew they made one. I use mine when we are getting ready to go to our coyote stands, much quieter than letting it slam into battery.

[Splatt]

It's a plug.
I dont use forward assists.
Only time bolt doesn't lock up, is when dirty.
Mine dont get dirty enough.
Here, we can carry concealed, loaded, in our vehicles.
I usually hunt alone, so I dont unload, reload, every stand.
Have a critical defense console mount. Safe, and secure, transportation.
Loading up 125 gr partitions right now.
28.0 grs 8208, at 2.250.
Testing in a bit.

[sbowhuntr]

Gotcha on the plug, never knew they existed. Lol

[lazyengineer]

Thanks for posting this. I have a PSA 20" upper, that I got for $299. You're right, it's quite light. My upper has been quite reliable. Though I will say I don't recommend running w/out a FA on a Grendel. In my experience this cartridge has a LOT of drag when pushing the round out. I don't know why, but it's quite difficult to just manually strip out a round from a Grendel mag by hand. And when I load a full mag and do a manual bolt drop, every once in a while (Rare, but has happened to me twice now I think), it will hang, and I'll have to touch the FA to send the bolt the rest of the way. Upon firing this is a non issue, likely due the more jarring motion of a gun in recoil; but in any event, the 6.5 Grendel is the one upper I would suggest leaving the FA plunger on. I will say, my PSA Grendels have been quite reliable.

Accuracy of my PSA 20" is spotty. It loves 90 TNT's. It hates 123 gr anything. It does OK with 129's. For this reason, I recently bought a group-buy 20", heavier BBL. Nominally, I can't make my PSA BBL better than 2 MOA barrel, and it takes a lot of work to get there.

As to the gas block, that's very interesting to me. I recently picked up a Group Buy 20" BBL. In pulling my PSA upper apart, I just put the PSA 2-screw adjustable block on it, thinking that would be fine. I am curious about the gas block experience. Was that the only variable changed? Would you say both blocks attach the same way and have about the same amount of torque on them? I moved my PSA gas block to my new Group 20" BBL I just bought, and sure am hoping that wasn't a bad idea. Someone did comment that it looks like it's leaking a lot, which I didn't think much on...

[A5BLASTER]

Thanks for posting this. I have a PSA 20" upper, that I got for $299. You're right, it's quite light. My upper has been quite reliable. Though I will say I don't recommend running w/out a FA on a Grendel. In my experience this cartridge has a LOT of drag when pushing the round out. I don't know why, but it's quite difficult to just manually strip out a round from a Grendel mag by hand. And when I load a full mag and do a manual bolt drop, every once in a while (Rare, but has happened to me twice now I think), it will hang, and I'll have to touch the FA to send the bolt the rest of the way. Upon firing this is a non issue, likely due the more jarring motion of a gun in recoil; but in any event, the 6.5 Grendel is the one upper I would suggest leaving the FA plunger on. I will say, my PSA Grendels have been quite reliable.

Accuracy of my PSA 20" is spotty. It loves 90 TNT's. It hates 123 gr anything. It does OK with 129's. For this reason, I recently bought a group-buy 20", heavier BBL. Nominally, I can't make my PSA BBL better than 2 MOA barrel, and it takes a lot of work to get there.

As to the gas block, that's very interesting to me. I recently picked up a Group Buy 20" BBL. In pulling my PSA upper apart, I just put the PSA 2-screw adjustable block on it, thinking that would be fine. I am curious about the gas block experience. Was that the only variable changed? Would you say both blocks attach the same way and have about the same amount of torque on them? I moved my PSA gas block to my new Group 20" BBL I just bought, and sure am hoping that wasn't a bad idea. Someone did comment that it looks like it's leaking a lot, which I didn't think much on...

You have mag issues are a slightly out of spec lower. None of my mags have that issue.

Only time I have ever had that issue was with elander grendel mags and when running handloads off the six8 pmags I was useing.

Asc,CPD mags in every grendel I have built have come out the mag just as easy as any 556 I have ever shot.

[lazyengineer]

You have mag issues are a slightly out of spec lower. None of my mags have that issue.

Only time I have ever had that issue was with elander grendel mags and when running handloads off the six8 pmags I was useing.

Asc,CPD mags in every grendel I have built have come out the mag just as easy as any 556 I have ever shot.

Not really, it happens with all Grendel Mags. E-Lander 10, 17, 24 and ACS 26. Grendel shape just has a really high mag-lip drag, compared to 5.56. There's just a lot more force in how a mag holds a Grendel. Note nobody makes an aluminum Grendel mag, because it has to be steel to be strong enough for the force balance of dealing with Grendel in a mag.

[A5BLASTER]

Not really, it happens with all Grendel Mags. E-Lander 10, 17, 24 and ACS 26. Grendel shape just has a really high mag-lip drag, compared to 5.56. There's just a lot more force in how a mag holds a Grendel. Note nobody makes an aluminum Grendel mag, because it has to be steel to be strong enough for the force balance of dealing with Grendel in a mag.

No it doesnt. You do realize your the only one having this issue with all mags right?

No body makes a aluminium mag because their is no advantage to aluminium mags. Not with any cartridge that can shoot from the ar15.