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I have been a long-time lurker @ 65g.com. This is my very, first posting. Thought I'd share a positive experience.
I started shooting ARmalite platform Grendels about 2 years ago. Purchased a Palmetto State Armory, 6.5G with 12" barrel. Had to decide which magazines to purchase/use.
My initial mag purchases were basically a waste of money. Until I found the DURAMAG/CPD magazines. The AR15 type 6.5G magazines I initially found were based on the 5.56x45 cartridge taper. Each brand had feed issues, capacity issues (less capacity than advertised) and durability issues. At the time I considered DURAMAG/CPD mags for my Grendel. However, the Duramag Grendel mags were not to be found.
After my frustration with the marketed 5.56mm mags rebranded as 6.5 Grendel magazines, I kept gravitating toward using the advertised, yet unavailable Duramag Kalashnikov 47-style mags. Belatedly I researched the development of the 6.5mm Grendel round. I discovered to my surprise the 6.5G was developed from the 7.62 Soviet/.220 Russian cartridges. In turn, the 6.5 Grendel had the same cartridge taper as the 7.62 Soviet round ! No wonder they were far from reliable in magazines developed from a 5.56x45 cartridge taper.
In desperation, I decided to try the available Duramag 6.8 SPC 20 round magazine, having the well-known curvature of the 7.62x39 cartridge. "Why not ?" I thought. Has to work better than rebranded 5.56 mags.
Upon receiving my two 20 rd, 6.8 SPC mags, I opened one up. Tore open a box of Wolf 100gr, 6.5G. Then proceeded to see how well they would fit in the 6.8 SPC magazines. All 20 rounds filled the 6.8 SPC 20 round magazine. No magazine bulging. No having to force feed the Grendel rounds into the 6.8 SPC mag. No bent feed lips. Nothing except a perfect fit of all 20 rounds in the mag. So far. So good. Now, to get to the range.
A few days later I was able to get to a range and test the Duramag 6.8 SPC mags loaded with 20 rounds of 6.5 Grendel ammunition. Upon sending rounds downrange the 6.8 SPC mags worked perfectly. Before I ended my range session I
used both magazines to fire 100 rounds each. The magazines fit the magwell without issue. I had not a single feed issue. After firing the last round the bolt locked back. What a great range trip ! I now had dependable magazines for my Grendel.
Since then Duramag has made their 26-round Grendel magazines readily available. I bought 1/2 dozen of the 26-rounders. All work fine. Also, added three more of the 20 round, Duramag 6.8 SPC magazines to my stock.
For those wanting a dependable, metal magazine for your Grendel I cannot recommend the DURAMAG/CPD mags enough. Their 26-round Grendel marked magazines work perfectly. For those wanting a shorter, 20-round magazine their 6.8 SPC branded magazine also works perfectly with Grendel ammunition. BTW....DURAMAG/CPD announced on their Facebook page that they will have 20-round Grendel magazines this summer, 2020.
There you have it shooters. My experience with 6.5 Grendel using Duramag magazines.
FWIW.
I started shooting ARmalite platform Grendels about 2 years ago. Purchased a Palmetto State Armory, 6.5G with 12" barrel. Had to decide which magazines to purchase/use.
My initial mag purchases were basically a waste of money. Until I found the DURAMAG/CPD magazines. The AR15 type 6.5G magazines I initially found were based on the 5.56x45 cartridge taper. Each brand had feed issues, capacity issues (less capacity than advertised) and durability issues. At the time I considered DURAMAG/CPD mags for my Grendel. However, the Duramag Grendel mags were not to be found.
After my frustration with the marketed 5.56mm mags rebranded as 6.5 Grendel magazines, I kept gravitating toward using the advertised, yet unavailable Duramag Kalashnikov 47-style mags. Belatedly I researched the development of the 6.5mm Grendel round. I discovered to my surprise the 6.5G was developed from the 7.62 Soviet/.220 Russian cartridges. In turn, the 6.5 Grendel had the same cartridge taper as the 7.62 Soviet round ! No wonder they were far from reliable in magazines developed from a 5.56x45 cartridge taper.
In desperation, I decided to try the available Duramag 6.8 SPC 20 round magazine, having the well-known curvature of the 7.62x39 cartridge. "Why not ?" I thought. Has to work better than rebranded 5.56 mags.
Upon receiving my two 20 rd, 6.8 SPC mags, I opened one up. Tore open a box of Wolf 100gr, 6.5G. Then proceeded to see how well they would fit in the 6.8 SPC magazines. All 20 rounds filled the 6.8 SPC 20 round magazine. No magazine bulging. No having to force feed the Grendel rounds into the 6.8 SPC mag. No bent feed lips. Nothing except a perfect fit of all 20 rounds in the mag. So far. So good. Now, to get to the range.
A few days later I was able to get to a range and test the Duramag 6.8 SPC mags loaded with 20 rounds of 6.5 Grendel ammunition. Upon sending rounds downrange the 6.8 SPC mags worked perfectly. Before I ended my range session I
used both magazines to fire 100 rounds each. The magazines fit the magwell without issue. I had not a single feed issue. After firing the last round the bolt locked back. What a great range trip ! I now had dependable magazines for my Grendel.
Since then Duramag has made their 26-round Grendel magazines readily available. I bought 1/2 dozen of the 26-rounders. All work fine. Also, added three more of the 20 round, Duramag 6.8 SPC magazines to my stock.
For those wanting a dependable, metal magazine for your Grendel I cannot recommend the DURAMAG/CPD mags enough. Their 26-round Grendel marked magazines work perfectly. For those wanting a shorter, 20-round magazine their 6.8 SPC branded magazine also works perfectly with Grendel ammunition. BTW....DURAMAG/CPD announced on their Facebook page that they will have 20-round Grendel magazines this summer, 2020.
There you have it shooters. My experience with 6.5 Grendel using Duramag magazines.
FWIW.
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