My newest Grendel homebuild

[Hooz]

With the exception of a few minor accessories, my latest Grendel is finished! So, here it is...



It consists of the following:

- Square forge mark flat-top upper
- Seekins Precision 15" SP^3R forend
- 18" AR15 Performance barrel
- AR15Performance Superbolt
- NiB bolt carrier
- Rainier Arms Raptor ambi charging handle
- Syrac Ordnance adjustable gas block
- Spikes DynaComp
- ADM Recon 30mm scope mount
- Bushnell Elite Tactical 3-12x44mm (FFP, mil/mil, illuminated reticle)
- Umbrella Corp lower
- Spikes LPK
- Troy ambi mag release
- Tactical Link battery assist lever
- Jard 3# adjustable trigger
- BAD-ASS
- KNS pins
- Larue APEG grip
- Magpul ACS

Everything is Cerakoted in "Magpul Foliage Green".

[Drifter]

That's a beauty.

Especially like the color, and also the SP handguard.

I'm using the same LaRue grip. Liking it more and more all the time.

[LRRPF52]

Excellent blasters sir! A fellow Cerakote guy I see... Who did your Cerakote work? The color fills look good as well. I do the same.

Very interested to see your results with the ARP pipe/Super Bolt and some hand loads. Have you seen the Chrony Reports Thread from Bwild97? Try CFE223 and the heavier pills, but keep in mind you're in a bit different territory with the ARP chamber, although only slightly different.

Looking forward to more posts on accuracy, velocity, etc. That Seekins handguard looks great for riding bags, with the flat bottom. Where's a good source for them?

[Hooz]

A buddy of mine does some 'smith work for a local shop and started Cerakoting as a hobby. He's done a bunch of work for me and it all turned out great. I've got too many black rifles so I've been trying to mix it up a bit on the last few that I've done. I also started buying some novelty lowers (Zombie Defense, Umbrella Corp, etc) to add to the fun factor. They just beg for color-fill.

As for the Seekins rail... I got mine from Primary Arms, but Rainier Arms carries them as well as a few other retailers. In a pinch, you can order them directly from Seekins. I'm super excited about the rail, though. Glenn designed it around what he wanted and/or needed for the sniper competitions that he shoots. It's perfect for the role of this rifle. The 15" rail on the 18" mid-length barrel makes it a bit more difficult to adjust my gas block, but I don't know that I would get the 12" if I had to do it over again. The current setup is pretty freaking perfect otherwise.

[LRRPF52]

Have you noticed with the square forge uppers, that they don't seem to fit as tight as Anchor Harvey's? I usually look for Anchor Harvey's if I can help it. It should vary from machine shop, but squares have been consistently loose for me.

Get that sucker to the range and let's see how she shoots!

[Hooz]

It did fit a little loose, but the Umbrella Corp lower has the tensioning screw in it to take out the slack. Once I adjusted it, there is no play whatsoever.

I'm headed to North Carlonia next week for vacation, but I'm toying with the idea of taking the rifle with me and finding a range nearby. I don't golf, so when all the other guys go out for a day on the links, I could be shooting!

[txgunner00]

Sweet shooters!

[taggor]

That really is a beautiful rifle you have built there! Just a little side note, the Square forge mark is for Brass Aluminum. You can find many of the newer carry handles fitted to Colt rifles supplied by them. As for the fit, I find that they vary a bit but, that has been true for me from Cerro (keyhole) forge as well. Does your rifle seem off balance with the collapsable stock?

[Hooz]

Actually, I feel like it balances pretty well as-is. That might change when I add the bipod and (when my stamp comes back) the suppressor, but the ACS is not a light-weight stock by any means. Lighter than a PRS or UBR, yes. But not light-weight.

[LRRPF52]

+1 on the ACS being an excellent fit for an 18" or 20" AR15. They really balance the weapon well overall, and that is my go-to stock for those barrel lengths. There are a lot of ranges in North Carolina to shoot at, with the private ones being my favorite there.

[Hooz]

I just got off the phone with the owner of a range located 13.8 miles from the house we'll be staying in on the beach. They've got 25, 50, 100, 250, 300 and 500 yard berms, so the Grendel will be perfect to take with me. I've got a mix of Hornday, AA/Lapua and Wolf ammo to try. I'll also be taking a bunch of cleaning stuff because I'll have to "break-in" the barrel (and work on adjusting the gas block) while I'm there.

Unfortunately, the most direct route from the house to the range includes a 40 minute (each way) ferry ride across Cape Fear. No big deal... I've got nowhere else to be. It is vacation after all!

[LRRPF52]

Sounds like a perfect recipe for some great range photos, and a thorough review on the blaster. Skip the cleaning and shoot, would be my unwarranted suggestion. Bullets like to ride on copper, and if that barrel is Melonited, it won't foul anyway. Rockwell hardness on them is way too high for much anything to find anywhere to stick. I've taken metal files to my ARP barrels, and they just slide off without scratching.

Oh yeah, take a life jacket in case you see some storming!

[Hooz]

The barrel was bare stainless. I had the outside Cerakoted black, but the bore is raw. I'm not one to be super anal about breaking in a barrel. I usually shoot 5 and clean for the first box of ammo. After that, I clean after each range trip (maybe ).

I will have to tinker with the gas block, though. I'll shoot one round per magazine until I get it dialed-in and locking back on an empty mag. That will make for some slow shooting.

[Buster]

I don't golf, so when all the other guys go out for a day on the links, I could be shooting!

Take some golf balls with you and "shoot" a round of "Grendel golf" at the range...
Hope you have a good/safe trip

[Hooz]

The two rifles pictured in the original post made their debut at the range today. My nephew and I took them over to Ye Olde Gun Club & Shooting Range in Southport, NC.

I used Wolf 120gr MPT to get on paper at 50 yards, then we moved it out to 100 yards to "break it in" with some more Wolf. I didn't mess with the gas block because I was having some feed issues. It loosened-up a bit and started running a bit better after about 25-30 rounds of Wolf, but the groups were pretty bad. 2+ inches at 100 yards seemed normal.

I had a box of 123gr Scenar (AA) ammo on me, so I tried a few groups with it... Better than the Wolf, but not too impressive. I figured it was "new gun syndrome" or something. The gun still wasn't running 100%, and this was my first trip out shooting it, so I was still getting comfortable behind it.

Then I busted out the Hornady factory ammo. The first group was... SWEET! It definitely liked the Hornady best of the three loads I had with me to try. All subsequent groups were the same (1" or less).

I have some target pictures on my phone, so I'll upload them when I get a chance. Overall, though, I'm impressed. With the Hornady factory ammo, this build is a shooter!

[Hooz]

My nephew had a blast shooting both guns. This is him driving the Grendel (linked from Facebook, so let me know if it doesn't show up):



And here's the very first 5-shot group with the Hornady ammo.



I think I'll keep it!

[ricsmall]

nice shooting! hornady is good stuff.

[gunrestorer]

Wow,that is a thing of beauty. Love the color.

[bwaites]

That Seekins fore end is a sweet piece, maybe the ultimate 3 gun piece.

[Hooz]

Here are some general groups I shot with the new Grendel last week. They are just average groups with each type of ammo, not necessarily the best groups with each ammo... Note also that the different ammo types were fired at various stages of "break in". I just wanted to see how each ammo type shot.

All shots were from 100 yards.

Wolf 120gr MPT


AA 123gr Scenar


Hornady 123gr A-MAX


I need to give the gun a good cleaning and head back out to the range to try for some serious groups. It is likely to change a bit more though, because at only 80 rounds through it so far, the rifle is far from broken in.