My First AR Build

[Cgull97]

A friend of mine got me interested in the process of building/customizing AR-15 a few weeks ago. He built a .223 pistol and it turned out awesome! But, after scouring the internet I realized how much potential the AR platform has, and I think the 6.5 Grendel is the epitome of that. Anyway, I am in college and broke at the moment, but in spring I will be making decent money interning at an accounting firm in Fort Worth. I plan on starting the build soon after.

I have done a considerable amount of research, with the ultimate goal of building a high functioning but cost effective gun, and have arrived at the parts list below. I would love to hear yalls feedback!

Here goes:

Upper&barrel: Grendel Hunter package w/ M4E1 Aero precision upper, 18" fluted Satern/liberty barrel. Comes w/ fwd assist, adjustable gas block, handguard, and dust cover- $459

Lower: Stripped Aero- $~50
Trigger and lower parts kit: Velocity classic curved + Luth-AR parts kit- $180
Bolt carrier group: AR-Stoner- Nickel Boron- $104
Butt stock: Luth AR or Magpul STR- $130/75
- Really open to suggestions here. I like the idea of an adjustable cheek rest but I'm not sure if its necessary

Stock hardware: DS Arms Mil Spec kit (carbine length?)- $30
Muzzle brake: Grendel hunter slanted -$35
Charging handle: Strike extended latch- $30
Mags: E-Lander -$20/

Optics:
Bushnell Engage 2.5-10x44 - $230 after rebate
OR
Burris Fullfield II 4.5-14x42- $184

Total: $1167-1268 +tax&shipping

Please let me know what you think! (i.e what I can improve on, ways I could reduce cost without compromising quality, other product suggestions regarding optics and the butt stock, etc.)


** if you are reading this because you're new to the Grendel as well, here are a couple of links that I have found helpful:

https://www.grendelhunter.com/product/18″-fluted-6-5-grendel-stainless/#configuration

https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-ar-15-stocks/

https://loadoutroom.com/thearmsguide/how-to-build-an-ar-15-beginners-guide-part-one/

https://ar15tactical.com/

https://velocitytriggers.com/

[kpswihart]

I didn't see a scope mount listed. Like everything else, you get what you pay for. I think I'd go with a standard finish ToolCraft BCG over the Stoner nickel boron. ToolCraft is quality stuff and will save you a few bucks.

[A5BLASTER]

A friend of mine got me interested in the process of building/customizing AR-15 a few weeks ago. He built a .223 pistol and it turned out awesome! But, after scouring the internet I realized how much potential the AR platform has, and I think the 6.5 Grendel is the epitome of that. Anyway, I am in college and broke at the moment, but in spring I will be making decent money interning at an accounting firm in Fort Worth. I plan on starting the build soon after.

I have done a considerable amount of research, with the ultimate goal of building a high functioning but cost effective gun, and have arrived at the parts list below. I would love to hear yalls feedback!

Here goes:

Upper&barrel: Grendel Hunter package w/ M4E1 Aero precision upper, 18" fluted Satern/liberty barrel. Comes w/ fwd assist, adjustable gas block, handguard, and dust cover- $459

Lower: Stripped Aero- $~50
Trigger and lower parts kit: Velocity classic curved + Luth-AR parts kit- $180
Bolt carrier group: AR-Stoner- Nickel Boron- $104
Butt stock: Luth AR or Magpul STR- $130/75
- Really open to suggestions here. I like the idea of an adjustable cheek rest but I'm not sure if its necessary

Stock hardware: DS Arms Mil Spec kit (carbine length?)- $30
Muzzle brake: Grendel hunter slanted -$35
Charging handle: Strike extended latch- $30
Mags: E-Lander -$20/

Optics:
Bushnell Engage 2.5-10x44 - $230 after rebate
OR
Burris Fullfield II 4.5-14x42- $184

Total: $1167-1268 +tax&shipping

Please let me know what you think! (i.e what I can improve on, ways I could reduce cost without compromising quality, other product suggestions regarding optics and the butt stock, etc.)


** if you are reading this because you're new to the Grendel as well, here are a couple of links that I have found helpful:

https://www.grendelhunter.com/product/18″-fluted-6-5-grendel-stainless/#configuration

https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-ar-15-stocks/

https://loadoutroom.com/thearmsguide/how-to-build-an-ar-15-beginners-guide-part-one/

https://ar15tactical.com/

https://velocitytriggers.com/

First thing I suggest changing is the barrel. It's not a grendel.

[AR15gunner]

First thing I suggest changing is the barrel. It's not a grendel.

A5BLASTER I think your mistaken, it is a Grendel.

[A5BLASTER]

A5BLASTER I think your mistaken, it is a Grendel.

Not if it comes from grendel hunters website.

[HANSEL AND GRENDEL]

Not if it comes from grendel hunters website.

That's a strange comment. I've heard very good things about Satern/Liberty barrels.

[Klem]

If you care about group sizes then you won't emphasize saving money on the three critical parts: barrel, scope, trigger. Otherwise, what you save in initial outlay will be spent of tinkering with ammo to get it to shoot right. Don't get me wrong, shooting is fun but the big picture saying goes, 'Every shot makes someone happy'.

Get a Bartlein, Krieger or Lilja barrel.
A Nightforce scope will never let you down and last a lifetime.
Geiselle and Timney triggers are the bomb, LaRue get good reviews too..

You can save money on everything else, within reason. By concentrating on the three most influential parts of a gun gets you a disproportionally good gun for a reasonable price. Tyring to save money on everything equally gets you an average gun.

[BCHunter]

Not if it comes from grendel hunters website.

What A5 is referring to is saturn/liberty doesn't cut sammii grendel chambers with a compound throat. It is their version of a .264 LBC chamber hence the grendel 2 nomenclature.

[Cgull97]

I have also heard very good things regarding Satern/Liberty barrels, and the quality of Grendel Hunters product line. ARBlaster and BCHunter, could yall explain this further? From what I have heard, the calibers are essentially the same. It sounds like the difference comes from a trademark issue w/ Anderson around '04. Will this affect the build at all?
Klem, thank you for the input! That seems to be the consensus. I will look into those brands and see if they don't break the budget haha!
Kpswihart, I think I will go with the toolCraft, seems to be better quality for a cheaper price.

[A5BLASTER]

I have also heard very good things regarding Satern/Liberty barrels, and the quality of Grendel Hunters product line. ARBlaster and BCHunter, could yall explain this further? From what I have heard, the calibers are essentially the same. It sounds like the difference comes from a trademark issue w/ Anderson around '04. Will this affect the build at all?
Klem, thank you for the input! That seems to be the consensus. I will look into those brands and see if they don't break the budget haha!
Kpswihart, I think I will go with the toolCraft, seems to be better quality for a cheaper price.

Has nothing to do with anderson. Has everything to do with saturn/liberty being children and not owning up to their mess up on products and then turn around and put out a second chamber spec and call it better then the sammi chamber.

Everything about the chamber is the same except the Free bore and they got ride of the compound throat of the sammi chamber.

My first barrel for a ar15 chambered to shoot .264 cal bullets was a liberty barrel. It blew primers, pierced primers, showed high pressure signs on the brass. That was with hornady factory ammo. When I contacted them, first thing out their mouth was ammo issue. Same ammo didn't have any of those problems in a 18 inch JP barrel with a sammi chamber.

Others say they have good luck with the mutt saturn/liberty chambered barrels but my advice is and always will be avoid saturn/liberty grendel II barrels.

Avoid barrels from BCA as well. Avoid barrels and bolts from company's that haven't been in this grendel game for a few years.

This is what I know for sure. 7 diffrent sammi chambered barrels, no broke bolts, good to great groups and handloads that just make you say wow at 200 yards.

Hope this helps OP. For more info on why I say no to saturn/liberty products. Look back on this fourm a few years back and you will find a few threads that explain it more in detail.

[HANSEL AND GRENDEL]

Has nothing to do with anderson. Has everything to do with saturn/liberty being children and not owning up to their mess up on products and then turn around and put out a second chamber spec and call it better then the sammi chamber.

Everything about the chamber is the same except the Free bore and they got ride of the compound throat of the sammi chamber.

My first barrel for a ar15 chambered to shoot .264 cal bullets was a liberty barrel. It blew primers, pierced primers, showed high pressure signs on the brass. That was with hornady factory ammo. When I contacted them, first thing out their mouth was ammo issue. Same ammo didn't have any of those problems in a 18 inch JP barrel with a sammi chamber.

Others say they have good luck with the mutt saturn/liberty chambered barrels but my advice is and always will be avoid saturn/liberty grendel II barrels.

Avoid barrels from BCA as well. Avoid barrels and bolts from company's that haven't been in this grendel game for a few years.

This is what I know for sure. 7 diffrent sammi chambered barrels, no broke bolts, good to great groups and handloads that just make you say wow at 200 yards.

Hope this helps OP. For more info on why I say no to saturn/liberty products. Look back on this fourm a few years back and you will find a few threads that explain it more in detail.

Thanks for the explanation.

[Redraider]

Hi Guys,

First thing you must do is differentiate between Saturn( better quality) and Liberty(lower quality). It has to do with rifling methods, I think. Second, go back a few years on this forum, search for Liberty barrel problems( get ready to read a ton). Most of all when Liberty cut their chambers short( pressure problems) their final cure to their own customers was to recut the chamber, but it was nothing more than hog out the short part and create a non-SAMMI version that , in my mind, takes it out of the "Grendel" realm and deposits it in some wasteland of cheap.

In my opinion, which is worth exactly nothing, buy a better barrel to start with, and stick with a true SAMMI chamber.

Redraider

[FLshooter]

I agree with Klem. If you care about accuracy,your first and foremost important part is the barrel.I either get a Criterion,which is very good.Or I go a Bartlein,which is top dog on my list! No in between for me,it just wastes money.But,of course,it also depends on yout financial state.
Second should be the trigger.I like Larue 2 stage for $90 or a Geiselle NM $250.I own Timneys CMC and many more.But those two are all I buy these days.
Next in line is a scope.Nightforce scopes are great.But over the $1000 range.A Nikon Black x1000 or a Vortex Viper will be around 1/2 and will work.
You can save on all the other parts,I usually start with a $150 PSA MOE lower.All you need is to change the trigger.And a $200 BCA upper.You’l change out the barrel for sure.And depending on the barrel you get,the GB and bolt too! I also sell my BCA barrel for at least $50.
Guys may knock my BCA and PSA upper and lower parts ,until they see my groups!

[FLshooter]

If you care about group sizes then you won't emphasize saving money on the three critical parts: barrel, scope, trigger. Otherwise, what you save in initial outlay will be spent of tinkering with ammo to get it to shoot right. Don't get me wrong, shooting is fun but the big picture saying goes, 'Every shot makes someone happy'.

Get a Bartlein, Krieger or Lilja barrel.
A Nightforce scope will never let you down and last a lifetime.
Geiselle and Timney triggers are the bomb, LaRue get good reviews too..

You can save money on everything else, within reason. By concentrating on the three most influential parts of a gun gets you a disproportionally good gun for a reasonable price. Tyring to save money on everything equally gets you an average gun.

Klem,I too like Nightforce.I own 6 or 7 NF scopes.They are an awesome piece of glass and they track well.But,their Warranty and CS is not the best.I sent them a NF 6-32x56 Benchrest scope that was not tracking right in for repair.How it happened is questionable.I think I bumped it hard while it was in the case.But,there wasn?t a mark on it.It looked new.
Anyway,they charged me $125 plus shipping to fix it.And they weren?t the nicest to talk yo either.Which is why my next scope may be a Vortex Rasor or Viper PST.I sent back a Vortex Viper,which I bumped on something?s coming out of the dark woods after a hog hunt.One of the torrents was knocked loose.Anyway,Vortex CS was nice to me.They sent me an RA# and free ship label.Got it back within a week.All fixed for free.They are like the Craftsman?s of scopes.
I am not knocking NF at all.I will most likely buy more NF scopes.I just feel that for the price,they should have a better warranty.

[Cgull97]

Thanks for the info yall! I'm glad I found out ab the liberty barrel issues before purchasing! I will definitely look into a nicer barrel. FLshooter, I wish Nightforce or a high end vortex/Nikon were in my price range, but like you said, financial state matters, and tbh I don't see myself having the time to really dive into shooting at 400+ yards within the next 2-3 years. I think a scope upgrade will be fairly easy when I'm working full time, and outside of busy season I'll have a ton of free time to hit the range on the weekends!

Where is the best place to resell your BCA barrels?

Thanks again y'all! Great info for a newbie