Bet-your-life reliability in a 6.5 Grendel AR15 platform?

[LRRPF52]

So, based upon the comments in this thread and what I've read in others about 65G performance out of short barrels, I've decided to go ahead with this project. Unfortunately, short 65G barrels seem to be rare and expensive. I did come across this 11" complete upper from AA http://www.shopalexanderarms.com/AR-15_U...Upper.html but I only want the barrel, which is not listed on their website. So I just called AA and was informed by customer service that AA will not sell the 11" barrel for that upper separately. The customer service representative could not explain why and just said it was policy. Strange, huh?

Since I've been pleased with the Bear Creek complete upper I already own, and don't want to spend a fortune on this pistol, I might just get another complete BCA upper (shortest they sell is 16") and have the barrel cut down and threaded.

Ballistic Advantage http://ballisticadvantage.com/ar-parts/a.../65grendel
Faxon
Precision Firearms https://www.precisionfirearms.com/m8/6.5...arrel.html
Lilja

[calvarez]

I've never had a single issue with my BCA upper and cheap Wolf steel ammo. Mags are both CPD and Alexander. I've got about 500 rounds through it now. Reliability is not an issue.

[AZHTfreak]

Ummm, how about the currently open 12" group buy on this forum?

[Drift]

Let me tell you what I bet my life on last month. The power/water/cell phones had been off in Central Florida between Orlando and Okeechobee for 5 days. The roads were open,but the just-in-time supply system was not coming into the county. So I made a run up toward Orlando with a dozen empty gas cans for generators. About 45 min north I found a gas station just opening up. I got in line. I was maybe the 50th in line and quickly about 200 cars pulled in back of me -on the right of way. (we have learned to keep the distance between cars close or a biker will force his way in and bring in all his buddies)..
5 cars in front of me 4 guys got out; late teens early 20s-hats on wrong-2 smoking glass(crack) pipes. Could not keep their pants up They went to the car in front of them..toward me. I could not get out of line. I could have grabbed my tactical tomahawk..I didn't. I could have pulled out my S&W Shield..I didn't. I did grab my Grendel pistol. Story ends there.. thugs went back to their car. I got my gas. 2 days late the Guard deployed. Power came back on.

[bj139]

Great story Drift. The Grendel pistol does work.

[LRRPF52]

The appeal to a Grendel pistol for SHTF car gun is that you have better than AK ballistics from a 10.5" barrel by 75yds, and better than a 20" SKS by 125yds.

Within those distances, you have more than enough energy and terminal performance on soft targets to put threats down quickly, while still being able to turn cover into concealment, even on cinder blocks.

A 123gr 6.5mm target bullet even decimates cinder blocks.

To be able to fight out of your vehicle with something that compact, which can also bust through hard targets with authority, that has more muzzle energy than any 20" 5.56 even, and also works as an excellent intermediate range weapon beyond the normal engagement range for military service rifles says a lot about the capabilities of 6.5 Grendel, which have not really been fully explored in the SBR/pistol format.

Several people have already seen what it can do at distance, on game, and on barriers like vehicles and hardened construction materials. As more discover this capability, the pistol/SBR Grendel will really gain in popularity.

[Dcommoncents]

Ballistic Advantage http://ballisticadvantage.com/ar-parts/a.../65grendel
Faxon
Precision Firearms https://www.precisionfirearms.com/m8/6.5...arrel.html
Lilja

Thanks for the links. I know those barrels aren't really expensive in the scheme of things, but still a bit expensive for my present purposes. If I go the BCA route, I can get a complete upper for about the same price as those barrels alone (plus of course the cost of having the BCA barrel chopped and threaded, which I admittedly have no idea what that will cost).

[Dcommoncents]

Ummm, how about the currently open 12" group buy on this forum?

Thanks, I hadn't realized there was an open group buy here http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthrea...mp-H-12-20. I think last time I looked at the group buy it was the closed faxon buy from last year. I'm seriously considering getting on the wagon for this buy, but depending on what machining costs will be I'm still inclined to go the BCA route because then I won't have to either buy more upper parts/cannibalize one of my existing uppers, or deal with head spacing which is a PITA because I don't have any gauges for 65G.

[Dcommoncents]

The appeal to a Grendel pistol for SHTF car gun is that you have better than AK ballistics from a 10.5" barrel by 75yds, and better than a 20" SKS by 125yds.

Within those distances, you have more than enough energy and terminal performance on soft targets to put threats down quickly, while still being able to turn cover into concealment, even on cinder blocks.

A 123gr 6.5mm target bullet even decimates cinder blocks.

To be able to fight out of your vehicle with something that compact, which can also bust through hard targets with authority, that has more muzzle energy than any 20" 5.56 even, and also works as an excellent intermediate range weapon beyond the normal engagement range for military service rifles says a lot about the capabilities of 6.5 Grendel, which have not really been fully explored in the SBR/pistol format.

Several people have already seen what it can do at distance, on game, and on barriers like vehicles and hardened construction materials. As more discover this capability, the pistol/SBR Grendel will really gain in popularity.

My thoughts exactly. The more I look at the ballistic tables the more I realize it would be silly (no offense meant to others) for my purposes to go with 300 blk or even 6.8 spc. And while I certainly wouldn't want to be on the business end of a 5.56 pistol, that cartridge isn't even competitive. I see no reason to build a pistol that, while primarily intended for close in work, is limited to that role by selection of an inefficient low BC cartridge. A 65 G pistol will do it all.

[The Profit Joseph Sith]

My thoughts exactly. The more I look at the ballistic tables the more I realize it would be silly (no offense meant to others) for my purposes to go with 300 blk or even 6.8 spc. And while I certainly wouldn't want to be on the business end of a 5.56 pistol, that cartridge isn't even competitive. I see no reason to build a pistol that, while primarily intended for close in work, is limited to that role by selection of an inefficient low BC cartridge. A 65 G pistol will do it all.

I was about to build a 300blk myself even purchased a FN CHF barrel. But something didn't look right in the chamber kinda looked like the chrome was flaking around the case mouth shelf area. I sent it back. Return took like 2-3 months through PSA in the pre election scare. Got my return just in time to get in on the GB. So happy to jump through those hoops.

[LRRPF52]

There are some excellent ammunition options out there that make 6.8 SPC and 300 BLK formidable as well from very short barrels.

The ammo costs quite a bit more unless you compare it to 129gr ABLR or other premium Grendel loads, but it seems to perform. The 300 BLK Barnes 110gr VOR-TX and 110gr Nosler AB Double Tap 6.8 loads are nice, but are $1.37 to $2.01 per round.

There are some exciting developments going on with pistol/SBR AR15s that will peel open people's eyes as to what they can really do, and the 6.5 Grendel is the cartridge to beat when looking at affordability balanced with utility across a wide range of applications.

If you look at the KAC PDW in 6x35 and what it was supposed to do, providing a certain performance requirement at 300m from a very short, compact system, the 6.5 Grendel exceeds that by almost a factor of 3.

If we spit a 123gr Scenar from the 11.5-12.5" Grendel at 2280fps even, we're still supersonic to over 875yds using the G7 model at sea level.

At 375yds, we still have more retained energy than the hottest Buffalo Bore .357 Magnum 8" barrel load at the muzzle, with its impressive 804 ft-lbs. The SBR Grendel has 820ft-lbs at that range still.

The 11.5-12.5" SBR Grendel with a 123gr has more energy at 200yds (1069ft-lbs) than a 300gr Cor-Bon JSP .44 Magnum does at the muzzle (1041ft-lbs).

We have more energy at the muzzle than a 20" AR15 shooting .223 Rem at lightning speeds of well over 3100fps. Makes a 20" 5.56 seems pointless if energy and barrier defeat are what you seek.