6.5 Grendel upper to buy or build?

[21Glock]

Hi guys,
New to this forum. Now, I've got the Grendel bug! I am trying to decide whether to buy a quality 6.5 Grendel upper like Alexander Arms for around $800 or can I save $$ money and build my own? I have an AR already I would like to fit the upper on.

I'm no gunsmith, but can do light repair and modification work on my Glocks. I'm also an avid reloader and bullet caster.

How hard is it to build an AR upper in 6.5 Grendel and can I save money to make it worth it?

Thanks!

[Drillboss]

How hard is it to build an upper? It's really not hard at all. Since you reload, I suspect you have all of the mechanical skill necessary. You will need a few tools such as a bench vise, receiver vise block or reaction rod, barrel nut wrench and torque wrench. You'll probably also want a receiver lapping tool to square the front face of the receiver. You could probably gather this stuff up for around $250 or you may be able to find a local forum member who has the tools.

Can you save money? Probably not, but you'll have exactly the components you want in your upper. I added up the cost of a complete upper, using a $200 barrel, an $80 bolt, and $150 free float hand guard and then checked Midway USA for their lower range costs on all the other parts. My total came to about $670. The folks that are selling assembled uppers have to be getting their components for much lower prices than we can.

With that said, there's quite a bit of personal satisfaction to be had from building your own, and you end up with a better feel for how the rifle works.

Welcome aboard and good luck choosing!

[rabiddawg]

I will take the side of buying.

I fix and rebuild cars for a living. I am a one man paint and body shop; I do it all. There is no doubt I could build an ar and it might shoot and run as well as a store bought gun. However, if it doesn't I will be right here on the net searching for a solution. I don't have time for that.

When I find something that works I tend to stick with it. I have two ALexander Arms guns and two Precision Firearms. If I need a part I know exactly where to go for it and there will be no confusion about what chamber or bolt I need. That alone is worth a few bucks to me.

To save money my best advise is to be patient and watch the classified adds. I have only bought one new Grendel (PF)and I have almost as much in it as I have in the first two (AA)I bought. However, the best valued rifle I have is the PF Ibought used. My point is the cheapest one isn't always the best value.

From the length of this post, you can tell it slow in the shop right now.

[LRRPF52]

The biggest things new builders to the AR screw up are:

* Gas block alignment
* Gas tube alignment with carrier key
* Purchasing the cheapest parts possible from new vendors with no reputation
* Applying torque to the barrel extension via the barrel
* Improper Fire Control Group installation (hammer spring upside down, no disconnector spring, etc.)

With proper guidance, these can easily be avoided, but prepare to invest in a few hundred in tools as mentioned. You'll never be able to touch the $680 price from scratch, and will often end up with sub-standard components that don't have the engineering and longevity of the AA uppers, unless you source all your parts from them.

[bwaites]

Building uppers is a joy, but one that comes with inherent risks. Do you have the ability or desire to troubleshoot your own build if it doesn't run the way you want or expect it to? I've seen guys spend a lot of money on high end barrels and parts and then find that they shot like crap, no matter what they did. When that happens, you are the backup, the guy that has to fix the issue.

I've built my own, but if it is a "has to run and has to run perfect, and has to shoot tiny groups" I rely on uppers built by people who know what they are doing and back their product up. Alexander Arms and Precision Firearms are both in that group.

With the prices of uppers from those two places, I find it very hard to recommend that anyone build their own, especially the first time around. It's much easier to start with a 5.56/.223 and work that up until you are 100% comfortable that you can do all that trouble shooting. Otherwise you may end up with a very unsatisfactory experience with the Grendel.

[Beerswimmer]

If you aren't on a timeline, then you can easily keep it under $800 by building it yourself. Wait for seasonal sales, use coupons, etc.

[glackin88]

I would say, build it. if you do your research its not that hard and its part of the hobby (at least for me). I don't think you'll save money by building it though.

[din]

Buy one so you have it to hand, build another as finances allow.

[dfp23]

Build it! You will become more familiar with your weapon system and It will make you a better shooter in the long run. There are plenty of guys here that can get you out of jam if you mess up. If you decide to buy, then definitely go the AA or PF route. Both companies have solid reps and build quality uppers. I have a PF upper that is rock solid and can drive tacs all day long. I have not had any issues with 2000+ Rounds down range. Good luck either way...