I am considering ordering the entry model with an upgraded shilen barrel, and the giessele trigger package...Wondering if anyone on here has this combo, or has any experience with it. I was going to just build one but after i added up the cost...it were more than i expected, and a little more indepth than i expected. And is the shilen barrel a cut rifling barrel? and also are the compensators necessary, if so which is most beneficial....Will be doing mostly hunting with the rig
Have you talked with anyone at AA? Call or email your questions and your intended usage and see what they have to say.
I've talked to people there before; they're knowlegeable and friendly.
Bill Alexander reads and posts here regularly.
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Joined: Mar 2011
I've got a 16" barrel with CAR handguard, A-2 front sight and Phantom flash hider. My 6.5 G has more recoil than a 5.56 but for target shooting or hunting I haven't seen a need for a compensator/muzzle brake. Muzzle brakes/compensators due make the report louder.
i talked to them about the wait time of the rifle and that was it.
I ordered a 6.5 barrel last month and they couldn't give me a ETA of delivery. So it might take a wile to get they just said at least 6 weeks. SAD
Yep, they are a long ways out, I wanted a new one in december and it was backed out a ways, once they are in I will be ordering something though.
I have the 19.5" entry upper with the Shilen barrel. I have it on a Noveske lower with PRS. This rifle shoots .5" groups average. have shot some 5 shot groups in the .4's. I have never shot any factory loads through this rifle, all have been my reloads. This is a very nice upper but is a little heavy. I use this as a long range rifle. Don't really need a compensator. This is a very nice shooter and have banged steel to 800 yds. It took about 1 month to get and that was over a year ago.
Until that day,
Darkop
It sounds like wise choices to me. You would have a very good hunting rig with more than sufficient accuracy. The Shilen is a very good hand lapped barrel but it is button rifled. Button rifled barrels can be and usually are as accurate as cut rifle barrels of the same quality but will have a shorter accuracy life by around half. If a cut rifle barrel delivers 8,000 rounds of acceptable accuracy, a button rifle barrel may deliver around 4,000 rounds before it's time to change it out. This a generalization and not exact. I have a cut rifle barrel with over 9,000 round on it that will still hold .5 MOA at 100 yards but it is no longer accurate at 600 yards as an example.
Bob
I have the AA 19.5 inch Shilen barrel on an upper built by Alexander Arms and am quite happy with it. It is mounted on a lower that was not made by Alexander Arms, but the lower does have the complete JP trigger group in it. When shooter uses decent ammo, the rifle will shoot .65-.75 inch groups easily. I suppose with a higher power scope, or a benchrest shooter pulling the trigger it could do better, but I'm quite happy with the results I get.
Joseytheoutlawwales
Unregistered
I recently ordered several stripped lowers, as well as a 24" bead-blasted (one pass) stainless steel barrel with bolt, and WCI cross-drilled brake.
All are of outstanding quality, and all customer service I received from Bill and Alexander Arms in general was also superb.
I have not yet fired the rifle, so cannot comment yet on the MOA.
I would buy from them again in a heartbeat.
I Was also told 2-6 weeks lead time on the upper I purchased from AA, But with all the companies that sell impostures; I feel that the wait is worth getting a SAAMI spec chamber!
I ordered the AA 24" barrel, bolt, standard flash hider and stripped upper combo. I ordered various components that I researched and assembled it. I did the barrel break-in 1/10 clean each shot, 5/20 clean after every 5th shot, and than 10/30 clean after every 10th shot. Initial shots were at 50yds. Once The break-in was completed I completely stripped and clean the rifle. Reassembled and sighted in to 600 meters. Accuracy is outstanding: 100yd zero 3/8th's inch -10 shot group. 600 meters 1.5 inch - 5 shot group. Then stripped and cleaned it.
After competing a a long range shilouette match. I shot a 20 rd series, 5rds each at 200m, 300m, 400m and 500m. I shot 20/20 ist round hits.
However, even with the heavy 24" barrel there is some barrel flip/lift which takes you off target for fast follow-ups. I ordered a "Millennium Compensator". It arrived today. But it's raining! So in a few days I'm going out to test the rifle with the new break.
I built a Mauser 98 in 308 that I added a muzzlebreak to and it shoots extremely well.
Good Luck with your build.
I'll be curious as to how the Millennium works for you. As I look at the site and debate on 20" vs 24" I'm curious as to why you went with the 24?
C2
