FAQ
If I place an order, how soon will it ship?
We ship the same or next business day. Since our website has a live inventory and we only sell things that actually exist on our shelves, we do not have lead times. At checkout you will see various shipping and carrier options up to and including Next Day Air.Â
Do you offer a military discount?
Yes, we offer a discount to current and former members of the United States military. Contact sales@grendelhunter.com and we’ll get you set up.
Will my upper come assembled and test fired?
Yes. You can certainly add individual components to your cart and assemble an upper yourself, but if you’re buying an AR-15 upper from up, it comes assembled and test fired. Â
Will my barrel receive a headspace check?
Yes. Regardless of if you’re purchasing a complete upper or just a barrel, we perform a headspace check. If you’re getting a barrel and bolt in the same order, we’ll “match” them. If you’re not getting them together, we still put gauges in the chamber and use a test bolt for the check.Â
What is the optimal barrel length?
It depends on how you define “optimal.” In theory, if it takes 24″–26″ to get 100% of the powder burn inside the bore (pretty typical for a Grendel or ACR caliber), then anything less is technically a compromise. But for most of us, carrying a “musket” in the field isn’t exactly optimal, either.
Ultimately, the right length comes down to your specific requirements. For example:
If you’re running a suppressor, getting in and out of a side-by-side, or trekking long distances, the portability of an 18″ barrel is hard to beat.
If you’re calling coyotes a couple hundred yards from the truck and shooting off a tripod, you might prioritize the higher velocity and flatter trajectory of a 22″ barrel over weight savings.
Choose the length that fits how you actually hunt, not the one that strangers on the internet tell you is “optimal.”
What is the performance difference between the various barrel lengths?
Velocity differences between different length barrels can vary somewhat depending on the caliber, load and how quickly a specific powder burns. In our testing, we generally see ~ 25 – 40+ fps of velocity gained per inch of barrel length between 16″ and 22″, but this is very dependent on caliber and load.
If a specific component I want is out of stock, can I place the order anyway?
Unfortunately, we do not accept backorders. It’s Grendel Hunter’s policy to only take a customer’s money for things that exist.Â
If a specific component is out of stock, you can go to that item’s individual product page and join the “Back in Stock” email notification list.
Will my AR-15 lower receiver work with your uppers?
Grendel Hunter uppers are designed to work with any regular AR-15, mil-spec lower. Even the vast majority of lowers with fancy, after-market parts have no compatibility issues. That’s one of the beautiful things about the AR-15 platform – Even with the thousands of companies making parts for them, they still play play well together 99.99% of the time. The one note in general on compatibility is that once in a while you’ll see one after-market part not work with another. For example, there are companies that have built in ambidextrous bolt catches into their lowers. That’s very cool, but they designed it for the basic forged uppers. This makes perfect sense, but it also means that it may not work with some of the nicer, billet uppers on the market due to the profile.Â
What length handguard should I choose?
When it comes to choosing a handguard’s length, a lot of it is personal preference. Here are a few things to consdier though:
- You will want 14″ or longer to cover a rifle length gas system. 13″ or less is best for mid length gas.
- The 14″v.2 and 15.3″v.1 & v.3 just cover the gas block on a rifle length gassed barrel, so that should give you an idea of how much barrel will be showing.Â
- For unsuppressed rifles, showing 3″-4″ of barrel is the most popular look. For example, a 17″ handguard on 20″ barrel. On suppressed rifles, since a suppressor almost looks like an “extension” of the barrel, a lot of guys go a bit longer, for example, a 17″ handguard on an 18″ barrel.Â
- Our 15.3″ handguards had that specific length chosen with two things in mind. First, to cover a rifle length gas system. Second, to still allow the direct threading of a suppressor when installed with a 16″ barrel.Â
Will Grendel Hunter AR-15 handguards fit my upper?
Grendel Hunter hand-guards will fit any mil-spec AR15 upper receiver and should fit nearly all billet receivers as well.Â