I have been asking around and can never get a straight answer so i will try on here.  when it comes to a 6.5 grendel ar can i use a .223 ar upper and lower or does the upper have to be changed out to?

Everything is the same except-

thanks for the info...some people say that upper is not compatible and others say they dont know...thanks for the clarification

Are you asking if you can put a 6.5 Grendel bullet through a .223 barreled upper?

Not just those parts.   You need a 6.5 grendel bolt which is really the same as a 7.62X39 bolt but further hardened.  You need a 6.5 grendel barrel (.223 barrel is too narrow), you should use an H2 buffer (not required but recommended), a new gas block to fit the grendel barrel (not the same as .223), new magazines with Grendel followers (not 6.8 mags, just get the 6.5 C-products stainless mags).  

The stripped upper from a .223 can be used and is the same dimensions as the 6.5 grendel factory uppers.  It is the .50 Beowulf that requires modification of the ejection port area to allow it to be widened out for better ejection.  The 6.5 works fine with no mods.

The grendel round is awesome and has a lot of accuracy and power in a smaller cartridge.  

Ok, I assumed he knows he needs the barrel.

Careful what you are saying, the 6.5 Grendel bolt is NOT the same as a 7.62x39 bolt!!!  The Grendel uses a deeper recess than the 7.62x39 bolt.  Some of the variants out there use a 7.62x39 bolt, but not all of them.

as for the question of this thread, yes they use the same upper, barrel and bolt of course are different.  All other parts are interchangeable, other than mags.  Mags are readily available for the 6.5, I noticed the other day when I forgot my Grendel mags when I went to the range, that my 6.8 mags worked well, however I did not load them up, only 5 rounds at a time.   You can swap lower to the upper you build, in the upper the bolt carrier and upper receiver are all the same, but as said the barrel and bolt are specific to the Grendel and/or other variants.  I have both the 6.5 Grendel and .264 LBC, I prefer the chamber on the .264.

which mfg's use the 7.62x39 bolt?

My Bolts were provided by Satern, whom made my barrels.

You can buy bolts from Alexander Arms.

Just buy your barrel and bolt together and you'll be fine.



I have two AA Grendels with AA's purpose built Grendel bolts. Both came with the barrels.



I just ordered an ARP 264 LBC barrel, and it is headspaced to ARP's 7.62x39 bolt. So, I bought that bolt with that barrel.

I think Model 1 does

Model 1 uses standard bolts, though the gun shoots just fine with the AA bolt and a Model 1 upper.

Looking forward to your report on the ARP .264 LBC.  Do you hand-load?  I wonder what pressures the ITS Super Bolt can handle for 5,000rds.

AR15 Performance

ya i knew i needed the new barrel i was just making sure the upper assembly minus the barrel are the same.