Classic Firearms Grendel Barrel Review.

[klr]

I bought a 6.5 Grendel barrel from Classic Firearms. It was a 20" SS heavy with 5r rifling. It looked good on the outside, but I did a chamber cast and found it was chambered crooked.

Here are pictures of opposite sides of the chamber cast.





My email for a refund was ignored for a couple of days until I responded to their request for a review on their website and I submitted that mine had a crooked chamber.

Yesterday I received a partial refund. I immediately emailed that I expected the full amount, but haven't heard anything yet.

They did publish my review.

[alaska_guy]

I am guessing here... You used melted aluminum to create the cast? Did you shoot the rifle and were having issues prior to making the cast? It looks like on one side the rifling goes all the way to the barrel extension and the other does not... I assume that is what you are referring to?

[klr]

I am guessing here... You used melted aluminum to create the cast? Did you shoot the rifle and were having issues prior to making the cast? It looks like on one side the rifling goes all the way to the barrel extension and the other does not... I assume that is what you are referring to?

I used Cerrosafe for the chamber cast. It melts at a low temp and then contracts as it cools for a brief period of time. This allows it to be removed easily.

It was a new barrel and I'm not going to use a bad barrel to build an accurate rifle. I sent it back immediately.

The rifling goes all the way to the case mouth on one side, yet has a generous leade on the other side. This means the bullet start off crooked or with heavy contact on one side.

[CVCOBRA1]

Rifling that bad and that close to the throat should be visible to the naked eye with a bright bore light. I would have sent it back also.

[rabiddawg]

Two barrels made from the same steel. One goes to Lilja the other goes to Classic. One sells for $450 the other for $100.

What do you think the difference will be?

[LRRPF52]

How do you even do that?

My next question is, if you have the materials and know-how to do chamber casting, why are we messing with the lowest price barrels on the market? Just thinking out loud.

Thanks for the heads up though.

Forums apparently are the new QC for the industry. Sad...

[mdewitt71]

I have bought off of Classic Firearms often; I would never expect anything they sell to be "Precision"...
I have to 2nd LRRPF52 comment, why mess with the low grade when you are chamber casting to see perfection?

[Keef]

How many different barrels have you made castings from?

[Clarence]

Good quality cerrosafe casting. Barrel was obviously chambered with an un-piloted reamer to have a chamber several thousandths off-center, or a grossly undersized pilot. About what one would expect from a bargain basement barrel.

[Wabbit87]

I have a 20" ss 1/8 5r barrel from them as well but I inspected mine with a light and looks good and shoots damn good so hit and miss ..

[alaska_guy]

I own their 18" 5r fluted, i checked with a light before assembling and mine looked fine as well. I need to shoot the thing to see if its a keeper or not.

[grayfox]

probably everyone's gotten a tomato stake-barrel at one time or other.
Important thing is, don't do it again.
Sean Connery: "Here endeth the lesson."

[Sean Boburk]

My understanding is that classic firearms barrels are BCA barrels. I ordered one of their barrels when they were on sale. I have not built on it yet (its kind of a backup...IE don't want to miss the sale purchase). I do have three other BCA barrels in builds...two of which have been fired. I have been happy with them so far. I have never tried to do a quality check on any of them prior to building on them.

I use them on hunting/plinking guns. I just need MOA out of them. Not a long range precision build. They are not machined, priced, or marketed as precision barrels, but to have their MOA guarantee on 16" or longer barrels.

Sean

[Randy99CL]

I don't understand those giving the OP a hard time for making a chamber cast. It's the best way to get a look at the chamber and throat, why does it matter what the barrel costs?

Material costs $15 at Midway. It's reusable, melts at fairly low temp and is extremely accurate. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/100702...loy-1-2-lb

I'm buying some and making casts of all my guns, why not?
For example, I'll be able to see the differences between the chambers in my target 10/22s and my regular 10/22.

[Keef]

I think its cool. Never heard of the stuff before today. Planning to order some. Would like to see some pics of other chamber castings if yall have any.

[Wabbit87]

Not giving him a hard time at all infact I'd like to do a cast on my barrel just to make sure and cast my ar47 barrel to see if there is any wear from shooting all that steel cased bimetal bullets. Plus that's a pretty nice way to see just how far the lands are

[klr]

I don't understand those giving the OP a hard time for making a chamber cast. It's the best way to get a look at the chamber and throat, why does it matter what the barrel costs?

Material costs $15 at Midway. It's reusable, melts at fairly low temp and is extremely accurate. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/100702...loy-1-2-lb

I'm buying some and making casts of all my guns, why not?
For example, I'll be able to see the differences between the chambers in my target 10/22s and my regular 10/22.

Thanks. I don't understand why someone wouldn't want to make a cast. $12 delivered to your door, stuff a cleaning patch in the bore, melt it with a heatgun in a minute or so, and pour it in. It gives you a great look at your chamber and helps in bullet seating.

For the, "you learned a lesson buying junk" crowd, here's a cast from a premium "hand-lapped match-grade" barrel I bought before I tried this cheapo Classic Firearms barrel. This AR barrel cost waaay more than the CF barrel and the group buy barrels offered here. You can put a straightedge on the cartridge and see the barrel bore misalignment.








I also did a chamber cast for my brother's $99 Anderson Grendel barrel. It looks good and shoots into an inch @ 100 with stuff it likes.
Also chamber cast a .223 cheapo JSE barrel and a PSA .223. Look good. JSE barrel shoots under an inch with ease. Never shot the PSA barrel.
And I've cast a number of non-AR rifles. I've never seen any crooked chambering like this.

If you don't want to buy Cerrosafe, use some soft lead and make an impact cast. Here's one for a 30-30 I did when I was experimenting with cast bullets.





So this year I'm two for two on getting bad AR barrels. One expensive and one cheap. I'm going to continue to inspect, measure, and test whatever I get.

But back to the original topic. I presented the facts about a barrel I purchased from Classic Firearms and my subsequent customer service experience. I'm still awaiting an email response about why I didn't get a full refund. Hopefully someone finds my info useful when making a decision.

[bj139]

The barrel casting is a great idea. Thanks for posting.

[rabiddawg]

I’m not trying to give the op a hard time, rather coming at this from a business owners perspective.

You want me to stand behind my work? Pay for it.

You want the cheapest price? (I send them down the road) Be prepared for some issues.

If I sell a $100 barrel, you get what you get. If I sell a $450 barrel and care about my reputation I’m answering his email and making it right.

Most of us never cast a chamber. I only worry about how it comes out the other end. What would be wrong with shooting the thing and then reviewing the barrel?

You can’t have both. The numbers just don’t work.

[bj139]

I think anyone buying a barrel has a right to expect a resonably concentric chamber and bore.
This is obviously a manufacturing defect.