6.8 SPC, 6.5 Grendel, .265 1*, etc.

[Grendelizer]

17poundr, I believe the 6.5 Grendel was first announced in the American gun press in a Shotgun News article by David Fortier in September 2003.

Also, I hadn't heard of any 6.5 Grendel setting a record at 600 meters. Could you please provide an independently verifiable source for that bit of news? Thanks.

MarcusL, when the military decides what terminal effects it requires from a 6.5mm bullet in 6.5 Grendel, a bullet can be engineered for those requirements. And, no, the "requirements" set forth by Gary Roberts for police work for the 6.8 SPC are not the same as military requirements.

Your mention of "feeding problems" is pure misinformation. Any 6.5 Grendel feeding problems, as with almost all AR feeding problems, can be traced to poorly dimensioned, poor quality-control magazines. It's the same situation with the 6.8 SPC cartridge. Haven't you read Roberts strenuously disclaim use of 6.8 SPC CProducts magazines?

There is nothing fundamentally "wrong" with the 6.5 Grendel cartridge dimensions as it relates to full-auto feeding. Any attempt to hint otherwise is some nasty "marketing" by 6.8 SPC fans. Fortunately, military testing of the 6.5 Grendel is way beyond the point that this "concern" would have any weight among those whose opinions matter.

Regarding the "belt-fed" option, please share your data from tests of a belt-fed weapon converted to operate 6.5 Grendel.

John

 

[HorseSoldier]

Fortunately, military testing of the 6.5 Grendel is way beyond the point that this "concern" would have any weight among those whose opinions matter.

For better or for worse, there's currently something very close to zero interest in the military, including the special operations community, in either 6.8 Rem SPC or 6.5 Grendel. How many SCARs have been kitted up for T&E of Grendel? I'm sure it's less than 6.8mm, and I know how small the number for that round is. It's fashionable to talk vaguely about "certain units are doing this or that, wink wink, nudge nudge" but having spent the last four+ years in the SOF community, I can say most of the ninja-tech stuff like Grendel just simply isn't out there anywhere but on the internet and the latest version of Ghost Recon or whatever.

Nor would one expect there to be. Grendel doesn't do much of anything a military service cartridge needs to do, and it only "shines" when you limit yourself to match grade ammo and restrict yourself to the AR magwell (and even then, in practical terms it doesn't do much of anything an SPR can't do at real world sniping ranges). In units liberally equipped with 7.62x51, 300 Win Mag, and/or 338 Lapua and a .50 cal or two for precision engagements it's an underperforming redundancy at long range, and doesn't do anything at CQB range that existing kit doesn't do effectively enough or better.

But it does have a cool name and a decent marketing campaign behind it.