Finished my first Grendel...here's the specs

[Tailgate]

Well, I finished building my first Grendel AR. I wanted it to be somewhat of a lightweight hog gun, so it's a carbine length. I shopped around for several months, "sniping" good deals on the various internet parts vendors. Here's the build list:

Stripped Lower from Surplus Ammo
Stripped Upper DPMS heavy / competition low profile
RRA Lower Parts Kit with 2-stage NM trigger
Magpul Buttstock / Buffer / Spring / Tube (bought it used)
Black Hole Weaponry 16” mid length 264LBC barrel
Muzzle brake / flash hider (free from a friend)
Spike’s Tactical BCG
Les Baer Bolt assembly (264LBC)
Clark Custom Free Float tube - carbon fiber
DPMS mid length gas tube
JP Enterprises SS railed gas block adj. (clamp, not set screws)
Charging handle (free from a friend)
(2) Magazines
Epoxy & Hack saw blades for FF tube / misc.

BTW, bipod in pics was to aid in photographing the gun. Sorry I didn't "clean" the gun, my gun-oily hands were all over it as you can see.

[LRRPF52]

Great job on being frugal! Make sure your bolt and chamber are meant for each other if you haven't already. I think Les Baer is using Grendel bolts, not 7.62x39 bolts. Can anyone confirm? If the BHW chamber is cut for Grendel bolts, you're fine. If it's cut for 7.62x39, you could have issues.

[Deezil]

cool, look forward to the range report, whats it weigh?

[Tailgate]

Great job on being frugal! Make sure your bolt and chamber are meant for each other if you haven't already. I think Les Baer is using Grendel bolts, not 7.62x39 bolts. Can anyone confirm? If the BHW chamber is cut for Grendel bolts, you're fine. If it's cut for 7.62x39, you could have issues.

The BHW barrel is chambered for 264LBC, and the Les Baer bolt assembly is a 264LBC as well. But, as posted on another thread, I sure would like to use someone's Go/No Go gauges on this before test firing. But alas, no one has replied to that thread. :-(

As for the weight, I did the not-so-accurate bathroom scale method (me alone, then me with the rifle) and it looks like it is around 7 to 7.5 lbs. Of course, this is without the scope and mounts...I'm putting a Burris PEPR base/ring setup on there, which weighs 8 or 9oz by itself, plus I'm using an older Leupold Vari-X II 3-9x40 scope (unknown weight). I expect this rifle to come in around 9 lbs. Not especially "light," but lighter than a 20+ inch barrel with rifle-length rails, etc.

[txgunner00]

Sounds like a nice build. Got pics?

[Whelenon]

Good job, excellent build for the money. Next, pics and range report would be appreciated. Of course the range report is were the rubber meets the road, hope that goes well for you. Good luck.

[Tailgate]

Yes, will send range report once I've got my glass on it. Just added pics...

[HPW]

Looks good to me. Way to build what you want but still stay on budget.

[Tailgate]

OK, semi-range report. I took this to the range today for it's inaugural session. Conditions were definitely less-than-ideal...severely overcast with 15-18 mph winds (yes, that's not an exaggeration). Had a heck of time doing a shoot-clean routine as my patches and everything else on the bench kept getting blown off. Even a full bottle of Hoppe's was getting blown from gusts. I almost gave up after the first two rounds, but, thankfully I didn't.

Anyway, I had to dial in my old Leupy Vari-X II 3-9x40 scope (at least 30 years old), adjust the gas block, and clean between rounds. First off, I think the shoot-clean, shoot-clean method of breaking in the barrel wasn't so necessary on this BWH polygonal rifling barrel. Was shooting Wolf 120gr MPT ammo. I never saw any indication of leading on my cleaning strokes. By far the cleanest barrel I've ever seen, especially on first shots. But, the first 10 I did a shoot / clean method, then switched to every 2 shots.

Secondly, got the scoped dialed in "OK," at 100 yds after 8 shots. I was then able to put 4 rounds in a 1.8" horizontal line, dead-on the bullseye's horizontal plane...heck, there was less than half a bullet's width of vertical deviation. While this isn't BR type of grouping, between my skills (weak), the strong gusting wind, and the cheap factory load, I was EXTREMELY happy.

I then shot at a 3-foot diameter metal circular plate resting on the ground, 400 yards away. Mind you, this is a simple duplex reticle and not a mil-dot or radians reticle. After my first spotter couldn't tell me anything about where my first two rounds were going (I was aiming at the top edge of the plate), my second spotter told me on my 3rd shot that they were landing about 3 feet in front. So, using that knowledge, I "Kentucky windage-d" the reticle three feet above the plate, and SMACK! With all that wind, I was very happy.

Long story short, I shot 16 rounds today in terrible conditions, but am VERY happy with the performance of this 16" rifle, and the Grendel round in general. Can't wait to take it out on a calm sunny day, and see what it will do. I can only imagine what hand-loads will do, so hopefully I will get around to buying the dies and finding time to work up some loads in the future.

[RangerRick]

Congrats Tailgate! With some Hornady 123's in there you'll be even happier. Great report.

RR

[usmc1371]

nice job on your build and range report....