#6.5Grendel

Welcome everyone to the 224th edition of ‘Hot Gat or Fudd Crap?’, one of our many series here on TFB. If you’re new to the series, this is where we look at the most obscure firearms that are actually for sale and ask the question – is this Gat a sweet deal or only have Fudd appeal?  Each week the TFB staff weighs in with their thoughts, but readers get the final say in the poll at the bottom of each article.

Back in November of 2020, ODIN Works introduced their first complete AR-15 pattern rifle called Odin Tactical Rifle or OTR-15. Recently the company announced the release of the second rifle in the Odin Tactical Rifle line, the OTR-15 6.5 Grendel. As its name implies, the main difference from the first 5.56/223 OTR-15 is that the new rifle is chambered in 6.5 Grendel. Let’s see what features this new ODIN Works rifle packs.

6.5 Grendel has been a popular hunting caliber since its introduction but hog hunters looking to assemble a 6.5 Grendel AR rifle have often found that there are feeding issues when using modified AR-15 magazines. However, a large complaint by AR shooters using 6.5 Grendel, has been the odd magazine capacities that 6.5 Grendel magazines tend to be made in (usually 5, 10, and 25 rounds).  DuraMag has just introduced their 20 Round 6.5 Grendel DURAMAG SS magazines. The new magazines claim to solve feeding issues from longer length 6.5 Grendel loads while also providing users with a more leisurely experience with the simplicity of a 20-round mag, eliminating half-empty boxes of ammo.

Hornady, one of America’s top quality ammunition manufacturers, has had success with their BLACK line of ammunition geared towards MSR platforms for a number of years. I’ve had great luck with their 7.62×39 loading, as well as with their excellent BLACK SBR 5.56 offering.  Recently, I purchased some of the Hornady BLACK 6.5 Grendel 123gr ELD Match loads to try out.  I have a compact 16″ barrel medium game rifle chambered in 6.5 Grendel, so I’m always on the lookout for different ammunition to try out in this gun.  Let’s see how the Hornady BLACK 6.5 Grendel did.

Yugoimport is a Serbian state-owned company that showcases at IDEX, under a single umbrella, a variety of defense-related products from the country. The firearms at the booth are manufactured by the well-known Zastava Arms company, although the models showcased usually aren’t the ones exported for the civilian market.

Hot on the heels of announcing their Resolute and Endeavor series rifles will be available in the new 6mm ARC round, CMMG has announced that the Resolute and Endeavor series will also now be available in 6.5mm Grendel. Both rifles are based on CMMG’s Mk4 lowers which allows for greater compatibility with other Mil-Spec AR15 parts and accessories. CMMG says the 6.5 Grendel chambering makes the rifles viable hunting options out to 600 yards.

Amend2 Magazines have announced that their 6.5 Grendel 10-round AR-15 magazines which were earlier shown in past industry exhibitions, are now available for purchase. The Amend2 6.5 Grendel magazines have a unique double to single stack construction that is designed to increase the reliability with the 6.5 Grendel cartridge.

Evocatus Strategic is a relatively new company specialized in building AK pattern rifles. If you visit their website, you’ll see that they are focused on building rifles chambered in non-mainstream AK calibers such as the 6.5 Grendel and 9x39mm Their latest project is the GalilMoor – a Galil rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor.

You know how it goes, you’ve seen a few AR-15 builds, you’ve pretty much seen them all… until today!  We truly do live in strange times, when someone can build an AR-15 made to accept AK patterned magazines made to hold 6.5 Grendel cartridges, with the added feature of a side charging handle on the left side like the FN FAL. This particular AR-15 build was completed by Redditor Glenn but inspired by AP Smizzler’s thread on the 65Grendel.com forum.

Welcome to the TFB Field Strip series. The AR-15 pattern of rifles hardly needs any introduction. While Eugene Stoner’s iconic design may sometimes be the focus of unwanted attention, this sometimes spurs a newly-acquired desire for people to learn more about it. Thus, I have put together this edition of field strip, looking at the AR-15. This is for the newbies, who will be starting from an experience level of zero – maybe having held one in a video game once, or not even having held one virtually.

TFB’s First Firearm Series is dedicated to those that haven’t yet taken the plunge into firearm ownership, or for the particular firearm at hand. So, if you’re looking at getting your first AR15, I hope we can ease any confusion you may have. The current market for the AR15 pattern rifle has heavy aftermarket support and affordable price ranges on rifles and accessories alike.

Alexander Arms has introduced a NEW family of AR-15 pistols dubbed the Highlander Series with each pistol in a unique caliber and you get to choose your own special colored finish. These new offerings can be bought in 6.5 Grendel, .300 AAC Blackout or .50 Beowulf depending on the application you intend to use it for. Let’s take a look at each one and see their subtle differences.

The fifteenth Installment of Build of the Week was contributed by DJ.  I personally have no experience with 6.5 Grendel. One of the things I am enjoying about this series is seeing the variety of not only modifications but platforms. DJ has provided one of the more detailed write-ups for his build.

CMMG has announced the release of its all-new MkW ANVIL XLR2 chambered in 6.5 Grendel.  We had previously covered their other models; this version features a 22-inch medium taper barrel.  The  new ANVIL is capable of delivering knockdown power at longer distances (out to 800 yards). The rifle includes:

With the development of wildcat calibers that eventually become more common and less wildcat over time it is difficult for reloading companies to keep up with published, verified data. Nobody knew 10 years ago that the 6.5 Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor or 6.5 Grendel would be as popular as they are today, but here we are.