I waited for one year to finally get my 18" AR-Stoner 6.5 Grendel barrel. First thing that I did was to check the head space and that was OK. I checked the cartridge overall length for a 123 grain A-Max bullet and the OAL was only 2.236". Since factory A-Max cartridges averaged out to slightly over 2.25", I did not want to have my bullets forced into the barrels lands. I sent that one back and they sent out a new one. The new one has an OAL of 2.246" which is only slightly better. I figure that I can safely fire the factory Wolf Gold 6.5 Grendel and any A-Max reloads that I load to around 2.23" Should I send this barrel back too? Hopefully, the 2 Lilja barrels that I ordered will have the proper chamber and I will not have to go through this bull. Anyone else having this experience with their AR-Stoner Grendel barrels?
WildBill3/75
Unregistered
Send it back...try sending it back to the manufacturer this time. Looks like they got a whole lot of bad barrels then if you got a 2nd bad one.
Posts: 107
Threads: 8
Joined: Nov 2013
If the head space is right ,then the reamer is made wrong .The throat is too short . I real good gunsmith could use a throating reamer and fix this but if the chamber reamer is not made right ,all the barrels will be wrong .
are the liberty barrels in the group buy the same as the AR stoner barrels? I though someone said AR stoner was selling them as thier own on midway....I have not checked mine with a dummy round yet...waiting on reloading supplies.
Posts: 504
Threads: 7
Joined: May 2013
LongRanger Wrote:I waited for one year to finally get my 18" AR-Stoner 6.5 Grendel barrel. First thing that I did was to check the head space and that was OK. I checked the cartridge overall length for a 123 grain A-Max bullet and the OAL was only 2.236". Since factory A-Max cartridges averaged out to slightly over 2.25", I did not want to have my bullets forced into the barrels lands. I sent that one back and they sent out a new one. The new one has an OAL of 2.246" which is only slightly better. I figure that I can safely fire the factory Wolf Gold 6.5 Grendel and any A-Max reloads that I load to around 2.23" Should I send this barrel back too? Hopefully, the 2 Lilja barrels that I ordered will have the proper chamber and I will not have to go through this bull. Anyone else having this experience with their AR-Stoner Grendel barrels?
Since you got it so recently, I am wondering if that was the run that Satern made that also produced the Group Liberty buy barrels. If so, Forum members may have that issue as well on their Liberty barrels.
Wonder if the reamer got worn down.
Maybe just a few turned out short throated.
For long bullets it would be better to have a longer throat,some mags allow seating to 2.300.
XcountryRider
Unregistered
I load my SST pills to 2.265 in my two Liberty barrels.
Posts: 32
Threads: 2
Joined: Apr 2011
I hope this isn't the case for all of the recent barrels available at Midway (the 16" and 18" as well as the Group Buy)...
I ordered 3 16" barrels from Midway to build some uppers for friends/family. I'm crossing my fingers now. This could be a nightmare for all parties involved. I do know that if I have a problem I will be contacting Lindsey and/or Maranda at Satern ASAP.
Posts: 504
Threads: 7
Joined: May 2013
hydrotech Wrote:are the liberty barrels in the group buy the same as the AR stoner barrels? I though someone said AR stoner was selling them as thier own on midway....I have not checked mine with a dummy round yet...waiting on reloading supplies.
As I understand it, the Midway puts their AR Stoner name on Satern 5R button barrels; which Satern sells as Liberty. Same barrel, with a different name.
Posts: 504
Threads: 7
Joined: May 2013
01-17-2014, 08:51 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-22-2014, 07:51 PM by Sputnik.)
Well, so far so good...I think. For a very quick cursory check; I put my 123 SST dummy round in my 16 inch Liberty barrel. I inserted the bolt and rotated it until the lugs locked. I think that tells me my head spacing might be ok. I pulled it out and the extractor removed the round and I saw no scratches on the ogive. So, I guess it did not touch the lands. I don't know how far it is from the lands, when I get more time, I will try to determine that. I hope this comforts a few of us.
Posts: 783
Threads: 65
Joined: Apr 2012
XcountryRider Wrote:I load my SST pills to 2.265 in my two Liberty barrels.
Those would be your older Liberty barrels. Have you checked the new ones?
I need to get my buddy back over here with his 18" Stoner and measure his chamber. My Shilen is tight too. No jump at all (using 123 Scenars).
Posts: 430
Threads: 19
Joined: Nov 2012
They may not have used a reamer with the compound throat angle. The wider initial angle would allow the bullet to go in further.
XcountryRider
Unregistered
rickOshay Wrote:Those would be your older Liberty barrels. Have you checked the new ones?
We put a bunch loaded to 2.265 through my sons new 18in Liberty barrel two weeks ago and functioned just fine.
Maybe the OP has something off in his reloading system and causing the bullet to hang up.
Could be an isolated thing that won't effect the other barrels.
I think I"ll polish my chamber with flitz before I build.
Sometimes chambers come out a little rough.
My 450 bushmaster was when new.
Posts: 50
Threads: 4
Joined: Jun 2012
I rolled the dice on one of the 18" Stoner barrels from Midway and just got. I think I've got a bad one.
I don't have any headspace gauges but I removed the ejector from the bolt and tossed a factory 123gr AA Scenar HP in the chamber. The bolt won't get anywhere close to locking. No markings on the jacket. No markings on the brass. The round measured 2.266 (on a very sketchy caliper).
Should I get a set of gauges or was this method of headspacing adequate?
