6.5 Grendel Variants, Good or Bad?

[96superflow]

Tactical Ammunition has it in stock for 70. That is the plan on where to get it from. I would have held off it I couldn't find where some one actually posted specs on how deep the cut was made.

[tackdriver]

I had a type 1 bhw and it ran like a top with a model 1 sales 7.62*39 bolt. I have recently put one together with the SAA BHW barrel but it hasn't been to the range yet.

[danm]

Tactical Ammunition has it in stock for 70. That is the plan on where to get it from. I would have held off it I couldn't find where some one actually posted specs on how deep the cut was made.

I got my 7.62X39 NiB from Hamlund Tactical for the same price and it runs good but only have 50 rounds on it... I have an NiB BCG so it only made sense...

[96superflow]

I got my 7.62X39 NiB from Hamlund Tactical for the same price and it runs good but only have 50 rounds on it... I have an NiB BCG so it only made sense...

Thank you for that info. My shop is getting ready to carry BPM NIB BCG and I was actually going to look this morning for a NIB Bolt.


Edit: Just checked their site, and couldn't locate it. I sent them an email to see if they could assist.

[danm]

Thank you for that info. My shop is getting ready to carry BPM NIB BCG and I was actually going to look this morning for a NIB Bolt.


Edit: Just checked their site, and couldn't locate it. I sent them an email to see if they could assist.

Yeah, just looked... no bolt on their site anymore... weird.

[pinzgauer]

One issue is that we really haven't defined what the Grendel is.

Is it the cartridge? If it is, then all the rifles that fire that cartridge are Grendels. In its most basic form, I think this is the case.

Is it the chamber? If so, then the SAAMI chamber and only the SAAMI chamber is a Grendel. Anything else is a variant.

Is it the entire system, a SAAMI cartridge fed into a SAAMI chamber? In that case, only SAAMI chambers fed by SAAMI compliant ammo is a Grendel. Everything else is a variant.

From a practical perspective, independent of throat/neck nuances, if a rifle is designed for and can safely shoot known good SAAMI spec ammo, then I'd call it a Grendel.

If it requires special loadings, dies, or treatments different from SAAMI ammo, then it is not.

This is the historical approach with other calibers. Remember .280 Remington vs 7mm Express vs 7mm/06. The name is immaterial.

Likewise, there are probably more throat & neck variations in bolt guns mfgs in common calibers than the nuances we are talking about. Even headspace differences.

A long throated military 8x57 optimized for 220g bullets is still a 7.92 Mauser, just as a modern Ruger/Browning/Win/Rem mfg one would be with a far shorter throat and tighter neck for modern bullets.

Even in .308 bolt guns there is variation.

I'm not keen on the way some of the grendel variants came about, but if they can safely and accurately shoot factory SAAMI (Hornady Grendel, AA brass, AA Steel, etc) I'd call it a grendel.

If someone starts making Grendel II loadings which only work in sloppy throated rifles or custom chambers, then I'd call it a wildcat variant. Just like .280 AI, 8mm/06, etc.

Just my view. I think we may be a bit too sensitive on this since it's entangled with the old mfg issues and the recent Liberty mis-manufacture of short throats.

[hydrotech]

+1 on the grendel cats thread! I'd like to have more information on them....specifically which will shoot factory ammo for the sammi spec chamber, which chambers work best for which bullets. A description of how the chamber came to be and why...sounds great! Maybe someone could make a spread sheet showing how they are the same or different than the sammi 6.5 grendel for different criteria.

[Redraider]

My personal opinion...............I think the human frailties of greed, envy and ego, all came to bear on this cartridge. Had they not, we would not be having these huge discussions and complaints and problems. And yes, I do feel there are real problems involved with this cartridge ( in it's variations)! I believe I have one, as I have not had the time to verify, I can only surmise at this point. But, think back at all the discussions that have arisen due to "problematic" rifles and how many of those were NOT the Grendel.

Just my opinion, but the variants should never have been, period

Thanks for listening

Redraider

[LRRPF52]

There are always going to be people who want to tweak with designs. That's why we addressed this in the 6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks. http://ar15buildbox.com/Sitemap.html

As long as you know what chamber you have, and what it will or won't eat, and how to load for it if you hand load, you're on solid ground.

It's easier for reamer makers to use a conventional throat, so I understand why there are variants.

[PrecisionFirearms]

We have 7.62x39 bolts or otherwise called Type I. These are available in Black Nitride or Nickel Boron. Made from 9310 Steel.

Just like our 6.5 Grendel Bolts but with a .125 Bolt Face Depth.

Price is 75 for Black Nitride, 85 For Nickel Boron.

[stanc]

One issue is that we really haven't defined what the Grendel is.

Is it the cartridge?

Is it the chamber?

Yeah. I really, really hate these kinds of threads. :mad:

When some people talk about "the Grendel," it's often hard to tell if they mean the cartridge or the chamber. Some mean the cartridge, but it sounds like they mean the chamber, and vice versa.

There oughta be a forum rule forbidding use of "the Grendel" phrase by itself. It should be mandatory to either use "the Grendel chamber" or "the Grendel cartridge" as appropriate.

[koden]

I have been around since the original forum and owned a Grendel chamber, BHW type 1 and 2 chambers and currently have a barrel with a LBC .264 chamber (yes, I know its essentially the same as one of the BHW chambers).

If I am BUILDING a rifle all of these chamber details are very important to me in order to get the correct bolt for the barrel.

I referred to all of them as "My Grendel". They all shot the same round and use the same dies to reload.

IMHO the difference in accuracy between the various chambers are insignificant. If a quality barrel maker made say 12 barrels and used 4 different reamer specs to make 3 of each chamber and you shot them side by side I bet there would not be a measurable difference in accuracy across the sample group.

When I talk to people the last thing I want to do is turn them off the CARTRIDGE by confusing them with all the different variants in the barrel chambers. Just get a rifle that shoots the grendel CARTRIDGE and call it a Grendel. If you have to discuss replacement bolts then be chamber specific.

It's a great round but people come here and see all this controversy over which chamber is the best and it's a real turn off.

Pick a quality barrel or a rifle from a trusted source and shoot the thing.

[se3388]

I bought a Grendel barrel and bolt combo (Liberty ?) from Midway USA earlier this year, I believe it was after the brewhaha about the chambers they were selling. Not sure what it is called but it says 6.5 Grendel on the side of the barrel. It doesn't really matter that much to me I guess unless I ever had to have it worked on. This thing has shot some unbelievable groups. I had IT&D Custom Gun barrel a Mini MkX in 6.5 Grendel also and it shoots even better, not sure what that is other than a 6.5 Grendel. I am more than happy with mine, lets all just go shoot and have some fun.

Steve..........