This is a follow-on to 6.5 Grendel Tactical Update 1 from around November 2005, which first announced Alexander Arms' plans to offer carbine-length barrels to complement their long-range models.




Alexander Arms now has two tactical models, the Tactical 16 (T16) and the Tactical 14.5 (T14). The T16 is a midlength rifle and the T14 is basically an M4 carbine clone chambered for the 6.5 Grendel.

Both rifles come standard from the factory with an M4-type stock, A2 grip, and an option of either clamshell or Midwest Industries railed handguards. The T14 has an extra option of a clamshell handguard modified with three rail sections at the 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions.

Flat-top receivers are mil-spec anodized.

Barrels are chrome moly vanadium with mil-spec chrome lining. Barrel profiles are basically M4, with an OD of .730" under the handguards, .750" under the gas-block (barrels are parkerized under the gas-block, by the way), and .730 at the T14 muzzle and .740 at the T16 muzzle. Both have grenade cut-outs.

The 6.5 Grendel, being a larger caliber, requires a larger threaded barrel dimension than 5.56. Barrels are threaded at 9/16-24, which allows standard 5.56mm flash hiders to be reamed and rethreaded for 6.5mm with common tooling. The T16 has a standard A2 birdcage, fully removable. The T14 has a lengthened A2 birdcage, permanently silver-solder attached, which gives a total barrel length of 16.1".

Both models have an F-stamped A2 front sight tower which is dowel-pinned. Alexander Arms takes the extra quality steps of both parkerizing under the gas-block and of drilling the gas-port hole before chroming, resulting in "chrome-through" of the gas-port.

MSRP for the Tactical 16 upper is $579.

MSRP for the Tactical 14.5 upper is $595 (price reflects the extra steps for the permanently attached flash hider).

In other news, the production of Wolf 6.5 Grendel ammunition is on schedule. Wolf has already decided to add another loading in addition to their 123gr soft-point and 120gr MPT (Multi-Purpose Tactical) OTM. They also will produce a 110gr FMJ. Wolf's 2006 catalog in PDF format can be downloaded here: www.wolfammo.com/Wolf_Ammo_Catalog2006.pdf.

Let's see, it's old news that AA 26-round steel magazines are available, so I guess that's all I can think of for now. Let's get to some more photos!















John

So.... how does it shoot? That is probably going to be my next build.. looks very promising and fun!

What level of accuracy are these rifles getting?

tag

DEER GUN!!!!!

Quoted: What level of accuracy are these rifles getting?

From 65grendel.com:

Quoted: Well Saturday is drawing to a close and I got to spend about 6 hours at the local range checking out the accuracy and durability of the Tactical 14 and Tactical 16 models, all using the new 24 round mags (they actually hold and run with 26 as I discovered today but I will stick with the 24 nomenclature so that the practice of dropping two rounds from the mag, still denotes the real capacity). Both guns run perfectly across the full spectrum of bullet weights with nice consistant ejection paterns although the 14 1/2 " gun is rotating the case a little more than usual with the light bullets and the edge of the neck contacts the shell deflector putting a very small flat on it. This might be annoying for anyone who is going to reload, so I will look to see if the extractor/ejector can be tuned to stop it. In the accuracy department both guns easily meet a 1 MOA requirement and on this limited sample I would have no problem giving this as the accuracy. The Tactical 14 was actually happily turning in groups better than 3/4" (This is one test mule that is not going into the general demo gun pile, it was putting three rounds into a cloverleaf every time the idiot behind it got his act together) and I suspect the Tactical 16 would do as well but I shot it later in the day so operator error was beginning to become a factor. Groups were shot from a prone position without a sling but with a glove. Got to admit beyond the accuracy testing these carbines are the most fun I had in an age. Having adopted (stolen) the Tactical 14 I set it up with a BML twin heat shield handguard with short rails, a Pentagon light and laser, on a LaRue QD mount and an EOTech. Zeroed with 90 grain TNT loads (Mv=2680 fps) you can smack styrene cups with enough velocity that they blow into little bits. Bad part is they don't degrade so you have to pick up the mess. Barrel heating from rapid semi auto strings of 26 rounds was slightly less than I have seen with the M4 profile in 5.56 and this simply reflects the slightly heavier profile. Bill Alexander

Will any AR15 FF fit on these, ie Daniel, LaRue, Samson, etc.? Thanks.

SHK, yes, all standard handguards and rails will fit. Non-standard parts on the Grendel are, obviously, the bolt, barrel extension, and 6.5 Grendel-specific magazines. The ejection port is enlarged a bit, also, but it's my personal opinion that it is by such a negligible amount as to be debatable.

Parts are not yet available as kits for the do-it-yourselfer, but customization and other specialty models are available through Arne at www.competitionshootingsports.com.

John

Why should I keep my AR-10 and not get one of those?  Well, change is bad, right?

very nice

Quoted: Why should I keep my AR-10 and not get one of those?  Well, change is bad, right?

Have both!!!  It's our way...

Anyone put it on a M16 lower yet?

John!!!!!!!!

What is the optimum 6.5G barrel length?

AND

When are the chrome-lined 20" barrels coming out?

Dave S

They sure look nice....though I also wish they would give up on the M203 cutouts....

I got no plans to mount a launcher under mine..

Quoted: John!!!!!!!! What is the optimum 6.5G barrel length?

87cm!!!!

Um, yea. This is going to be cool.

The 6.5 Grendel performs very well from a 19" to 20" barrel and shows very little velocity loss over the longer barrels. The two carbine lengths both 16" and 14.5" do drop velocity but at typically 2520 fps for the 123 grain bullet from the carbine this cannot be described as considerable and the gun performs quite admirably out to ranges of 900 yards. Free floating the barrel obviously assists the accuracy.

The grenade cuts in the barrel were included to allow the use of grenade launchers but were also found quite strangely to make the barrel slightly more accurate.

Fully automatic function was tested and signed off before the units were released.

Bill Alexander

I WILL have one of those!  That's gonna be one helluva nutria killer!

Tag.

Quoted: I WILL have one of those!  That's gonna be one helluva nutria killer! hr

My thoughts exactly!!

I thought them nutrias won't go down for nothing less than a .50 Beowulf!

John

Quoted: The 6.5 Grendel performs very well from a 19" to 20" barrel and shows very little velocity loss over the longer barrels. The two carbine lengths both 16" and 14.5" do drop velocity but at typically 2520 fps for the 123 grain bullet from the carbine this cannot be described as considerable and the gun performs quite admirably out to ranges of 900 yards. Free floating the barrel obviously assists the accuracy. The grenade cuts in the barrel were included to allow the use of grenade launchers but were also found quite strangely to make the barrel slightly more accurate. Fully automatic function was tested and signed off before the units were released. Bill Alexander

You know me from the 6.8 threads.  I will buy one of your chrome-lined 20" uppers if/when they become available.

Dave S

Ok...

IS this feaeable?

16" Remove FSB, install Midlength FF tube, add YHM sight/gas block?


-JAred

Quoted: The 6.5 Grendel performs very well from a 19" to 20" barrel and shows very little velocity loss over the longer barrels. The two carbine lengths both 16" and 14.5" do drop velocity but at typically 2520 fps for the 123 grain bullet from the carbine this cannot be described as considerable and the gun performs quite admirably out to ranges of 900 yards. Free floating the barrel obviously assists the accuracy. The grenade cuts in the barrel were included to allow the use of grenade launchers but were also found quite strangely to make the barrel slightly more accurate. Fully automatic function was tested and signed off before the units were released. Bill Alexander

Bill, any plans to offer a 14.5" version w/o a perm attached stretched A2?

how much does a box of that wolf stuff cost?

That thing looks like a lot of fun. I know the .50 Beowulf is

Quoted: Ok... IS this feaeable? 16" Remove FSB, install Midlength FF tube, add YHM sight/gas block? -JAred

Quoted: SHK, yes, all standard handguards and rails will fit. Non-standard parts on the Grendel are, obviously, the bolt, barrel extension, and 6.5 Grendel-specific magazines. The ejection port is enlarged a bit, also, but it's my personal opinion that it is by such a negligible amount as to be debatable. Parts are not yet available as kits for the do-it-yourselfer, but customization and other specialty models are available through Arne at www.competitionshootingsports.com. John

So I'm gathering that YOU can do all of this, I just don't know if they're going to come from the factory that way. I'm no expert so hopefully someone will chime in but I hope it helps.

I'm waiting for the 18 inch for possible SPR look

The only obstacle to stripping the uppers and changing out parts is that the front sights are pinned in place. I have used 1/8" parrallel dowels for this as they are a lot easier to fit and remove, as I anticipated that a lot of these will become "projects" and the easier it is to do the work the better the results will turn out. The problem is that removing the FSB will leave the dowel pin cuts on the bottom of the barrel and certain gas blocks may not cover them so the result might not look good.

It is actually easier and cheaper to offer the 14 1/2" Tactical 14 model without the perm attached flash hider, but I wanted an option to offer a true M4 type set up to those who do not want to struggle with SBR regulations. The build for the Tactical 14 upper would cost the same as the Tactical 16 ($579) in this format, barrel hreads are 9/16-24 RH and just about any of the existing 5.56 muzzle dohikies can be reamed out and rethreaded.(make sure that the through hole is reamed out to at least 0.278")

I am talking to the Vortec and the Vortex people about doing a factory thread to fit this. I will probably just buy and convert a couple of hundred YHM phantoms for those who do not want to do their own and obviously the A2 is a wash.

One of the builds I was considering for fun was to use a 14 1/2 with a low profile block and a phantom. I was then going to fit a LaRue mid length and run the furniture in battleship grey. Don't know how it would look finished up, any suggestions on a stock, if it looks good I will sent it to a writer.

Bill Alexander

Put a skeleton stock on it.

Quoted: One of the builds I was considering for fun was to use a 14 1/2 with a low profile block and a phantom. I was then going to fit a LaRue mid length and run the furniture in battleship grey. Don't know how it would look finished up, any suggestions on a stock, if it looks good I will sent it to a writer.

For the most sex appeal, you'd have to sweet talk Magpul out of a prototype UBR.  

tag

Is there any magazines over 17 rounds  yet?    I like it better then 6.8 so far.  762

Quoted: Is there any magazines over 17 rounds  yet?    I like it better then 6.8 so far.  762

25 round mags are available from Creative Products.  

The high capacity mags made by Creative Products run happily with 26 rounds and have the same profile as a standard 30 round 223 mag. To ensure that they feed reliably we designed in an anti tilt follower right from the start and they use a chrome silicon spring to avoid long term storage problems. The first batch has already sold out and the next set will be available in between one to two weeks. Bodies are spring grade stainless steel with a black anti stick finish.

Now we have the 26 round model finished up we are working to build two other offerings. I hope to have a 10 round version using the same body and follower types, finished in the next couple of months and this will also be available with a block to drop the capacity to four rounds for hunting. Creative are also working with CSS to build a 20 round model. This will obviously be a touch shorter than the 26 and should be a better option for match and prone shooting.

Bill Alexander