Posts: 6,193
Threads: 170
Joined: Mar 2015
Hollis Wrote:My BCA Grendel upper is really nice (great look and feel, and cycles flawlessly) but doesn't shoot straight. I'm going to try to see if I can swap the Nitride (only out finish!) barrel out for a stainless steel. Those who say they are pleased with their BCA barrels seem to all be stainless steel. But since the Nitride barrels don't really provide protection of the bore, I see no reason to not have stainless steel.
If I can't get BCA to resolve my problem, I'll probably go with A5's advice and get a new group buy barrel. I do want a straight shooting 6.5 Grendel that I can use for longer distances, but do have budgetary constraints.
I think whoever at bca told you the inside wasn't nitrided is very mistaken.
I had their 16 inch and it was nitrided inside and out. It never got installed because the gas port was way left of the pin on the barrel extention, the crown looked like a one eyed hackles with a grinder made it and it failed the thumb and dump test of a live round horrible.
After they got raided for illegals working in their plant I wouldn't own a thing made by them.
I think your better off just dumping that barrel now and getting a group buy are one from the list of better quality producers.
Posts: 164
Threads: 8
Joined: Mar 2019
A5BLASTER Wrote:I think whoever at bca told you the inside wasn't nitrided is very mistaken.
I had their 16 inch and it was nitrided inside and out. It never got installed because the gas port was way left of the pin on the barrel extention, the crown looked like a one eyed hackles with a grinder made it and it failed the thumb and dump test of a live round horrible.
After they got raided for illegals working in their plant I wouldn't own a thing made by them.
I think your better off just dumping that barrel now and getting a group buy are one from the list of better quality producers.
Many of us are baffled by what BCA says to be the case regarding nitriding only the outer barrel and not the inner. If I am able to communicate with the tech working on my barrel (within 4 weeks due to backlog), I'll try to get more information.
I'm no metallurgist but from what I understand, nitriding is NOT a finish, but a treatment that effects the metal on a molecular basis. Yet BCA uses the term "coated" when they make the claim that only the outside of the barrels are nitride "coated." To me, finished and coated are synonymous in this context. Something doesn't jive here.
Posts: 149
Threads: 15
Joined: Feb 2019
Hollis, my experience with BCA has been the same as yours, but I have the stainless 24" barrel. I too wasn't bothered by the price because it was pretty close to the same price that I paid for my Radical Firearms uppers in 7.62x39, that was a few years ago. I was really surprised that my RF will shoot 20+ shots into a tight group as fast as I can get it back on target, but the BCA can't keep 3 shots on a piece of paper. I emailed BCA and got a return label but I haven't shipped it back because I'm about to leave for a new job and I don't have an address to ship back to. 4 emails back and forth and they can't understand that I can't provide them an address for 4 weeks into the future. Apparently, they are unable to notify me when it's ready so that I can let them know where I'm at. I wanted to give them an opportunity to fix their issues, but I'm thinking that I should probably just buy a good barrel and do it myself. I don't have the tools so it's going to be expensive but at least I'll end up with a long range rifle in the end. That's really the only benefit of buying a Grendel anyway after owning the 7.62x39.
Posts: 164
Threads: 8
Joined: Mar 2019
Update: Although I was told it would be a 4 week turnaround, I just received the following from Warranty department at BCA:
<<Your work order has been sent to inventory to ship out a new replacement item. Once it has shipped, they will provide you with tracking information>>
Not sure if they honored my request to swap out the nitride barrel with stainless steel or not.
My hope is that I have it back before Easter break so I can take it out to the ranch for lots of fun. I'll try to get some video and share it here.
Posts: 164
Threads: 8
Joined: Mar 2019
Wow! Got immediate reply back from customer service asking if the replacement would be stainless steel or nitride:
<<The manager has stated to pull work orders and send them out as new replacements of same item. My apologies.>>
It appears that the manager, in an attempt to reduce the backlog of returns under warranty, has decided to just replace items instead of individually inspecting returned items. That's fine with me if the new one shoots straight. I still would have preferred to swap out the nitride barrel with stainless steel, but that was not part of the warranty, so BCA is keeping with their end of the deal.
BCA has been super responsive with both my order and request for help. They seem to be kicking it in high gear to overcome the recent bad press with the raid.
Posts: 164
Threads: 8
Joined: Mar 2019
Jeepster18_88 Wrote:Hollis, my experience with BCA has been the same as yours, but I have the stainless 24" barrel. I too wasn't bothered by the price because it was pretty close to the same price that I paid for my Radical Firearms uppers in 7.62x39, that was a few years ago. I was really surprised that my RF will shoot 20+ shots into a tight group as fast as I can get it back on target, but the BCA can't keep 3 shots on a piece of paper. I emailed BCA and got a return label but I haven't shipped it back because I'm about to leave for a new job and I don't have an address to ship back to. 4 emails back and forth and they can't understand that I can't provide them an address for 4 weeks into the future. Apparently, they are unable to notify me when it's ready so that I can let them know where I'm at. I wanted to give them an opportunity to fix their issues, but I'm thinking that I should probably just buy a good barrel and do it myself. I don't have the tools so it's going to be expensive but at least I'll end up with a long range rifle in the end. That's really the only benefit of buying a Grendel anyway after owning the 7.62x39.
Yes, it sounds like our experience is similar in many ways. I really love my Radical Firearms that shoots so well, but who would have thought that my 7.62x39 shooting cheap steel ammo would be more accurate than my 6.5 Grendel shooting Match ammo! Oh well. I'll keep you posted on how my BCA replacement works out.
I also don't have the tools for a barrel replacement, but I'm getting more and more hooked into the hobby of firearms which includes tinkering and working on my guns. So getting more tools for this may be inevitable. Good luck on getting your Grendel working for long range.
Posts: 6,193
Threads: 170
Joined: Mar 2015
Hollis Wrote:Wow! Got immediate reply back from customer service asking if the replacement would be stainless steel or nitride:
<<The manager has stated to pull work orders and send them out as new replacements of same item. My apologies.>>
It appears that the manager, in an attempt to reduce the backlog of returns under warranty, has decided to just replace items instead of individually inspecting returned items. That's fine with me if the new one shoots straight. I still would have preferred to swap out the nitride barrel with stainless steel, but that was not part of the warranty, so BCA is keeping with their end of the deal.
BCA has been super responsive with both my order and request for help. They seem to be kicking it in high gear to overcome the recent bad press with the raid.
That should tell you something is very bad wrong with the production, qc and their products in general, when they just send replacements so they can cut down the amount of backlog of repairs.
Posts: 164
Threads: 8
Joined: Mar 2019
A5BLASTER Wrote:That should tell you something is very bad wrong with the production, qc and their products in general, when they just send replacements so they can cut down the amount of backlog of repairs.
Yep. That was the same thing I was thinking. Now my hope is that I hit the BCA "good barrel" lottery - every so often, a BCA barrel is good from my research.
Posts: 83
Threads: 5
Joined: Jan 2019
I may have been told the by the tech wrong but I asked 2 different techs and got the same answer. No ID. But not all barrels are I'd Treated and many do not recommend doing this to the SS. I think the problem is it take care to do the inside correct by many.
I know I I told them my build up was the nitride build up. They both said not it was crap left in the chamber prior to heat treatment. I'll just stick with my SS. Could be wrong.
Posts: 184
Threads: 5
Joined: Dec 2018
Hollis Wrote:Wow! Got immediate reply back from customer service asking if the replacement would be stainless steel or nitride:
<<The manager has stated to pull work orders and send them out as new replacements of same item. My apologies.>>
It appears that the manager, in an attempt to reduce the backlog of returns under warranty, has decided to just replace items instead of individually inspecting returned items. That's fine with me if the new one shoots straight. I still would have preferred to swap out the nitride barrel with stainless steel, but that was not part of the warranty, so BCA is keeping with their end of the deal.
BCA has been super responsive with both my order and request for help. They seem to be kicking it in high gear to overcome the recent bad press with the raid.
Be careful, I got one of these new replacements a little over a week ago, my upper did not come with the normal 3 test cases. They may be rushing production, It appears they did not test fire the upper, it had high pressure signs shooting factory ammo.
http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthrea...nge-Result
Posts: 164
Threads: 8
Joined: Mar 2019
Jimla Wrote:Be careful, I got one of these new replacements a little over a week ago, my upper did not come with the normal 3 test cases. They may be rushing production, It appears they did not test fire the upper, it had high pressure signs shooting factory ammo.
http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthrea...nge-Result
I read the thread you mention. I'll keep this in mind. My impression is that they are rushing the returns and replacing with the equivalent. That is good from the perspective that I don't want to wait 4 weeks to get my upper back. But if I get the same thing I started with, I'll be out more money on ammo and back to where I started. But my hope is that I do win the BSA "good barrel" lottery, and the one they send me this time is a straight shooter.
I should have it back early next week and I'll take it to the ranch and video as much as I can and share the results.
I do have to say though that the customer service folks at BSA treated me wonderfully. Nina from the warranty department tried her best today to honor my request to swap out barrels from the nitride to a stainless steel. The only thing available though in stainless steel was a 24" barrel. So they shipped it out with an equivalent of what I purchased (20" nitride), but did tell me to contact her directly if this one gave me any problems and she would make sure I was made happy.
I have nothing but praise for their orders and warranty department folks. I just need to get this thing to shoot straight!
Posts: 14
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2019
I was told the same thing. Emailed them on the 9th and they sent a call tag the next morning. I was emailed today that I would have it on wed the 17th with a new replacement.
Posts: 14
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2019
I received the replacement upper today, so out to shoot it Friday. Storming here tomorrow and I will see if I won the lottery.. LOL
Posts: 164
Threads: 8
Joined: Mar 2019
I received mine today also. Cleaned it thoroughly. The upper was fouled with black residue - rounds have obviously been shot through the barrel; hopefully just some basic testing and break-in and not someone else's return. Will try to shoot and get some video this weekend if time and weather allows.
Posts: 14
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2019
Wolf shot a ten shot group of 1.12 inch at 50 yards. Which would make it around 2.24 inch at one hundred yards. I only had 3 shells left of 123 SST's, so I shot a group of .68 MOA. No signs of high pressure or any other bad stuff. A lot better than before. I now have to get more ammo to go shoot now.
Posts: 164
Threads: 8
Joined: Mar 2019
04-21-2019, 06:32 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-27-2019, 04:33 AM by Hollis.)
I spent most of my first day out at the ranch Friday shooting my "rev'ed-up" Remington 770 .243 and that thing was awesome. Then I switched to my Grendel for initial break-in. I bore sighted and zeroed scope at 33 yards with first and second shot being very different then I shot a couple more that were somewhat consistent to my scope adjustments. I did a thorough bore cleaning with copper remover per recommendations for barrel break-in. I moved out to around 95 yards and shot about a 2 foot (or more) group. It was really a safety hazard how far those shots were off from where I was aiming. I thought it might be that my scope was loose and walking on me, but it appeared to be very tight. I cleaned the bore again and by that time the sun had set. I was going to dedicate Saturday to breaking in the Grendel and figuring all that out, but I got a call for an emergency project for a client and I had to head back to town. It was a shame since the weather was perfect for shooting, filming and just enjoying myself with my guns. I do have some videos that I'm going to have to view, edit and try to figure out what happened.
I'll swap out scopes with the one I use on my .243 since I know there are no issues with it and get out and try again as soon as I can.
Update: I believe the scope may have loosened slightly and may have been cause of the flyer more that a foot off from Point of Aim.
Posts: 164
Threads: 8
Joined: Mar 2019
Stolivar Wrote:Wolf shot a ten shot group of 1.12 inch at 50 yards. Which would make it around 2.24 inch at one hundred yards. I only had 3 shells left of 123 SST's, so I shot a group of .68 MOA. No signs of high pressure or any other bad stuff. A lot better than before. I now have to get more ammo to go shoot now.
Thanks for the update. Sound promising. Was the 0.68 group shot at 50 or 100 yards? I put a lot more stock in a 1" group at 100 yards than a 1/2" group at 50, and then a lot more yet in a 2" group at 200 yards or, even better, a 3" group at 300 yards. All are 1 MOA, but the 3" group at 300 yards gives me a heck of a lot more confidence than a 1/2" group at 50 yards.
Posts: 149
Threads: 15
Joined: Feb 2019
Stolivar, let us know how it does when you move out to 100 yards or more. Mine was one holing at 50 yards and shotgunning at 100. I have no idea what could cause that because I've never experienced anything like that before without key holes or something indicating an obvious problem.
Posts: 164
Threads: 8
Joined: Mar 2019
Stolivar - sorry if I missed it, but how long is your barrel and is it stainless steel?
Posts: 14
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2019
Hollis Wrote:Thanks for the update. Sound promising. Was the 0.68 group shot at 50 or 100 yards? I put a lot more stock in a 1" group at 100 yards than a 1/2" group at 50, and then a lot more yet in a 2" group at 200 yards or, even better, a 3" group at 300 yards. All are 1 MOA, but the 3" group at 300 yards gives me a heck of a lot more confidence than a 1/2" group at 50 yards.
shot at 100 yards. but I had no more good ammo to shoot it at 100. going to get more sst and elds and maybe some fusion and see what it will do at 100 yards
steve
|
