Classic Firearms Grendel Barrel Review.

[rabiddawg]

How does anyone know if it’s a defect until he shoots it?

Playin devils advocate here.

[rabiddawg]

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.

How did this barrel shoot?

Did you ask them to correct the problem?

If so what was their reply?

Why not name this manufacturer too?

[klr]

How does anyone know if it’s a defect until he shoots it?

Playin devils advocate here.

I'm not trying to start a flame war or be sarcastic, but is this a serious question?

If so,

Bullet hits lands hard when round is chambered and is pushed back into brass raising chamber pressure. Crooked chamber causes brass to contact bolt face on one side and produces uneven pressure on bolt face when firing. Pressure also rises as bullet has to deform to change directions from chamber to bore.

Do you really want to test this with your body parts so close?


Back on topic. Classic has determined that this is a manufacturing defect and given me a full refund.

[Kswhitetails]

Well, the physical dimensions proven by taking a casting of the chamber are pretty convincing physical evidence of a defect. Pretty cut and dry sir. Don’t care about your reputation? Then why sell the barrel in the first place? Try selling a $100 tent stake instead.

I’ll play consumers advocate here.

Reasonable expectation of getting the item you paid for, with correct form and function are pretty much assumed. I’m with you that you get what you pay for, but I’d say that in this case, the buyer didn’t get something worth more than the metal would cost by weight.

[Kswhitetails]

Good to hear about the refund. Should have been done immediately. How many times did you have to make contact to get resolution?

[klr]

Good to hear about the refund. Should have been done immediately. How many times did you have to make contact to get resolution?

Four.

[Kswhitetails]

Not exactly inspired customer service. Alas, America, where the customer has become a liability rather than the priority. I’ve been watching this, and will remember it. Good luck with your next barrel.

[klr]

Not exactly inspired customer service. Alas, America, where the customer has become a liability rather than the priority. I’ve been watching this, and will remember it. Good luck with your next barrel.

Thanks. Hopefully my experience will convince others to check their parts and put together a better (safer) AR.

Here's a link to the $12 Cerrosafe:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cerrosafe-160-1...SwajVUSQAy

[98Z]

How does anyone know if it’s a defect until he shoots it?

Playin devils advocate here.

And... at that point, you voided any kind of warranty on it, in most cases. Casting it is smart.

Kudos to the OP.

[Randy99CL]

As someone else noted, we customers are the company QC these days.

On another forum it's been discussed that some companies are putting out product with some pretty obvious defects. It's been said that with the automated production lines today they don't inspect every piece, maybe 1 in 3 or 1 in 10 or 1 in 100 because inspections slow down the line.
Some bean counter has determined that it is cheaper to get your money, then replace or repair bad product than it is to stop it from going out in the first place. Might be a tax break involved that helps the company bottom line.

Company reputation be damned.

[rabiddawg]

My point thru this whole exchange has been you get what you pay for. Don’t expect quality, accuracy, warranty or customer service from the low cost leaders.

Klr I will ask again. Im curious, who made your “way more expensive barrel”

[Keef]

People buy 65K trucks that have problems right out the gate.......I seen many a 5-15k zero turn mower have parts break in the first year and 35k-50k tractors do the same. I don't know if bean counter or poor QC is to blame, some times shit happens.

[bj139]

How does anyone know if it’s a defect until he shoots it?

Playin devils advocate here.

Are you saying chambers and bores shouldn't be concentric? I never would have guessed it didn't matter.
BCA took back a barrel from me with grooves in the chamber and sent me a new one.
I shot a 0.9 MOA five shot group with the original barrel but it left stripes embossed on the brass.
I haven't gotten the replacement barrel broken in yet.

[rabiddawg]

Are you saying chambers and bores shouldn't be concentric? I never would have guessed it didn't matter..

Smh, did I say that?

Don’t think so.

Had he not cast the chamber it’s possible this barrel would have chambered and fired rounds to his satisfaction. In this case his diligence paid off.

All of my Grendel’s shoot to my satifaction. I don’t see any reason to cast my chambers. I am careful about who I buy my stuff from. The group buy Faxon is the cheapest barrel I ever bought. By paying a little more I would like to think I skew the odds in my favor that it is going to be right.

Over n out

[grayfox]

All of my Grendel’s shoot to my satifaction. I don’t see any reason to cast my chambers. I am careful about who I buy my stuff from. The group buy Faxon is the cheapest barrel I ever bought. By paying a little more I would like to think I skew the odds in my favor that it is going to be right.

+1, my thoughts also. My earlier comment was simply that "we've all been there; learn and move on." From whom you buy is of course your own free decision but buyer be aware...

I looked at the MSDS sheet for the casting alloy. One reason I took that extra step is I rarely see an ad for something for sale, saying "please read the MSDS"... anyway this alloy has several heavy metals in it, and the processes of cutting, particle-making or dust-making, as well as if it gets a little bit "overheated" resulting in fumes... I don't want to go there. Neither Cadmium nor lead is a healthy thing for your lungs; I've got asthma and don't want any deeper issues, plus I have young grandkids running around. Don't want the introduction of this into the house environment. So I won't be doing any castings of chambers. Heavy metals have a tendency to accumulate in the body, they don't get removed.
That's something to ponder, however to each his own.

[bj139]

The chamber is difficult to inspect. Without casting or a more expensive bore scope you would never know what you have.
I have added casting metal to my cart. I will take my chances with "chemicals known to the state of California to be hazardous to my health."

[Kswhitetails]

Need a thread on castings. A place for those that do to report the process and results. I like the idea of knowing for sure what the physical dimensions inside my Chambers look like, but I am more than a little intimidated by pouring molten metal into my barrels.

[alaska_guy]

Sounds like they took care of you. I have read a pretty recent thread on here where someone shot 5" groups with their BCA, they complained and received a refund. I don't believe shooting it voids the warranty. Seems this company does their best to make customers happy considering the price point of their barrel.

[grayfox]

The chamber is difficult to inspect. Without casting or a more expensive bore scope you would never know what you have.
I have added casting metal to my cart. I will take my chances with "chemicals known to the state of California to be hazardous to my health."

Understand Bj... I respect your choices.
But fwiw I didn't care what Calif thought about it, I know those metals from my nuclear days.

[Armadillo66]

I have a heavy straight flute 18" I bought from Classic Firearms. Looks good, I spent some quality time really scrubbing the bore and chamber before I fired it.
I had some feed and cycling issues, but today I installed a Wolff extra power carbine spring and a Stoner H2 buffer. Now it functions really good, throws brass out at 2-3 oclock, not mangling brass at all. Shot a nice 3/4" group dead center at 100yds with Hornady Black after the spring and buffer upgrade