Duramag (CPD) 6.5 Grendel Magazines

[Delta3Two]

I have been a long-time lurker @ 65g.com. This is my very, first posting. Thought I'd share a positive experience.

I started shooting ARmalite platform Grendels about 2 years ago. Purchased a Palmetto State Armory, 6.5G with 12" barrel. Had to decide which magazines to purchase/use.

My initial mag purchases were basically a waste of money. Until I found the DURAMAG/CPD magazines. The AR15 type 6.5G magazines I initially found were based on the 5.56x45 cartridge taper. Each brand had feed issues, capacity issues (less capacity than advertised) and durability issues. At the time I considered DURAMAG/CPD mags for my Grendel. However, the Duramag Grendel mags were not to be found.

After my frustration with the marketed 5.56mm mags rebranded as 6.5 Grendel magazines, I kept gravitating toward using the advertised, yet unavailable Duramag Kalashnikov 47-style mags. Belatedly I researched the development of the 6.5mm Grendel round. I discovered to my surprise the 6.5G was developed from the 7.62 Soviet/.220 Russian cartridges. In turn, the 6.5 Grendel had the same cartridge taper as the 7.62 Soviet round ! No wonder they were far from reliable in magazines developed from a 5.56x45 cartridge taper.

In desperation, I decided to try the available Duramag 6.8 SPC 20 round magazine, having the well-known curvature of the 7.62x39 cartridge. "Why not ?" I thought. Has to work better than rebranded 5.56 mags.

Upon receiving my two 20 rd, 6.8 SPC mags, I opened one up. Tore open a box of Wolf 100gr, 6.5G. Then proceeded to see how well they would fit in the 6.8 SPC magazines. All 20 rounds filled the 6.8 SPC 20 round magazine. No magazine bulging. No having to force feed the Grendel rounds into the 6.8 SPC mag. No bent feed lips. Nothing except a perfect fit of all 20 rounds in the mag. So far. So good. Now, to get to the range.

A few days later I was able to get to a range and test the Duramag 6.8 SPC mags loaded with 20 rounds of 6.5 Grendel ammunition. Upon sending rounds downrange the 6.8 SPC mags worked perfectly. Before I ended my range session I
used both magazines to fire 100 rounds each. The magazines fit the magwell without issue. I had not a single feed issue. After firing the last round the bolt locked back. What a great range trip ! I now had dependable magazines for my Grendel.

Since then Duramag has made their 26-round Grendel magazines readily available. I bought 1/2 dozen of the 26-rounders. All work fine. Also, added three more of the 20 round, Duramag 6.8 SPC magazines to my stock.

For those wanting a dependable, metal magazine for your Grendel I cannot recommend the DURAMAG/CPD mags enough. Their 26-round Grendel marked magazines work perfectly. For those wanting a shorter, 20-round magazine their 6.8 SPC branded magazine also works perfectly with Grendel ammunition. BTW....DURAMAG/CPD announced on their Facebook page that they will have 20-round Grendel magazines this summer, 2020.

There you have it shooters. My experience with 6.5 Grendel using Duramag magazines.

FWIW.

[A5BLASTER]

Thanks for the report sir.

[Wanderson]

Might have to give that a try. I run the CPD/Duramags in 6.5G, 7.62x39 & 5.45x39, all run well with steel case.

But CPD doesn’t have a 20 round mag for 6.5G so I run Elander 17s. ASC 15s aren’t 100% reliable beyond 12 rounds.

I’ve got a bunch of CPD gen III 20 rnd 7.62x39s that are flawless with steel 7.62x39, none of them run a full load of 6.5G in either of my ARs.

[Bronz]

I use my ASC mags as 20 rd. The CPD/Dura mags are great. Mine say 28 rd on the package.

[A5BLASTER]

I use my ASC mags as 20 rd. The CPD/Dura mags are great. Mine say 28 rd on the package.

So did all of mine but they wouldn't hold more then 27 and most times wouldn't feed properly with more then 26 rounds.

These are the grendel CPD mags, at 26 rounds they work perfectly, best of the metal grendel mags I have used.

[SHORT-N-SASSY]

A couple recent reports on the issue:

< https://www.thegunzone.com/65-grendel-magazines/ >
< http://www.gunpros.com/best-65-grendel-magazines/ >

[StoneHendge]

Does anyone have the dimensions of the 20s? I'm most interested in how far it protrudes , ie measurement from the rear of the magwell to the rear heel of the mag (if anyone is bored!), and if they get in the way while on a bipod.

[VASCAR2]

The 20 round CPD/D mag is approximately 3 1/8” from the juncture of the mag well and trigger guard on my Anderson (Poverty Pony) lower. My seventeen round E-Lander are approximately 2 3/4” measuring the same way. A ten round E-Lander sticks below the edge of the mag well 3/4” and an ASC ten round sticks out 1” below the mag well.


There are pictures of the various 6.5 Grendel mags in the linked thread.

https://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthre...mag-review

[VASCAR2]

Just for comparison in case anyone is curious about the E-Lander twenty four round mags which are essentially the same overall size as the ASC twenty five round 6.5 Grendel mags.


Here is a picture of a twenty four round E-Lander 6.5 Grendel mag next to a 30 round 5.56/223 NHMTG magazine.



The twenty four round E-Lander 6.5 Grendel mag is essentially the same size as the mil spec 30 round 5.56/223 aluminum mag but the E-L mag is heavier. This picture shows the base of aligned E-L mag next to the NHMTG 30 round mag.



I don’t have any CPD/Duramag twenty six round 6.5 Grendel mags for comparison.

[Old Bob]

6.5 Grendel Mags: The top mag is a Duramag 26 rounder. The lower mag is a Stoner (ASC) 25 rounder. I have two of these 26 round Duramag magazines. This particular Duramag will easily hold 27 rounds but the other one I have holds 26... can't squeeze in number 27.

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[StoneHendge]

Thanks VASCAR! So it's pretty much flush or maybe slightly less with the bottom of the pistol grip like here? (With the curve, of course)

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[VASCAR2]

Here are two more pictures of the 20 round CPD/Duramag in the well of my 6.5 Grendel pistols. The first picture is a PSA 12” upper with 20 round CPD/D mag and the second picture is a 12” Monster barrel upper build with a 17 round E-Lander mag in the well. I have no trouble shooting off a bipod or prone with with the 20 round CPD/D or 17 round E-L.







Here is the same Monster barrel upper with a CPD/D mag in the well.

[JASmith]

The DuraMag (and the Grendel) just got a nice review in Shooting Illustrated: https://www.shootingillustrated.com/arti...l-magazine

[A5BLASTER]

The DuraMag (and the Grendel) just got a nice review in Shooting Illustrated: https://www.shootingillustrated.com/arti...l-magazine

Dont get me wrong duramags are great grendel mags. In fact I personally feel they are the cream if the crop for metal grendel mags.

But this us the second article I have seen where they propaganda that stupid idea of leavt over ammo or throwing away away by accident leavt in a box.

Are people really that stupid and lazy?

[VASCAR2]

These mags have been on the market quite a while without any changes (IMHO). These last two articles are paid advertising as far as I’m concerned.

[A5BLASTER]

These mags have been on the market quite a while without any changes (IMHO). These last two articles are paid advertising as far as I’m concerned.

Yea I bought some when they first came out as well, intact I bought them not long after you started this thread.

I just dont get the marketing strategy they keep pushing with the ammo. Just seems stupid to me.

[hill37]

I thought the old Dura mag 20 round mag was fairly straight. And the new one was a shortened 26 round.https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021...uramag-ss/