FAXON MATCH SERIES GUNNER PROFILE 18" MID-LENGTH 6.5 GRENDEL AR15 BARREL

Rifle Barrels › Match Series › 6.5 Grendel › 18″ Gunner, 1:8, Mid-Length  |  Works with: .750″ gas block • mid gas tube • 6.5 Grendel/ARC Type 2 BCG (.136) • 5/8x24 muzzle devices • .30 cal suppressors

Why 6.5 Grendel

6.5 Grendel puts a long, high-BC 6.5 mm bullet into a case that fits an AR-15. It is based on the .220 Russian case, so it needs a Grendel bolt and Grendel magazines, but it runs in a standard AR-15 lower and upper.

That is the appeal: real deer and hog energy and long-range wind performance from a gun the size and weight of a 5.56 carbine. Hornady’s 123 gr ELD Match carries roughly 1,000 ft-lb out to about 400 yards from its 24″ test barrel.

Go deeper: 6.5 Grendel vs 5.56 NATO • All 6.5 Grendel barrels

Why a 1:8 Twist

A 1:8 twist covers the popular 6.5 Grendel bullets, from 90 to 108 gr varmint and match bullets through the 120 to 130 gr hunting and match bullets most shooters run.

Velocity and Barrel Length

Factory velocities are published from 24″ test barrels. Expect roughly 20 fps less per inch of barrel.

Sources: Hornady (24″ factory figure) and the commonly cited ~20 fps per inch loss; shorter-barrel figures are estimates. Estimates, not Faxon testing.

The Gunner Profile and Mid-Length Gas

Faxon’s Gunner profile puts steel where a barrel needs stiffness, at the chamber and under the handguard, and trims it out front, so you get Government-profile durability with close to Pencil-profile handling. Mid-length gas moves the port farther from the chamber than carbine gas, for a softer, smoother impulse and less wear on the bolt.

What “Match Series” Means

Match Series is Faxon’s 416-R stainless line. 416-R machines cleanly and holds a consistent bore, and Faxon button rifles it with 5R rifling, five lands with sloped sides instead of sharp-cornered ones, which deforms the bullet less and fouls less. Then the barrel is salt-bath QPQ nitrided inside and out. Nitride is a diffusion treatment, not a plating: it hardens the bore surface and adds corrosion resistance while adding virtually nothing to the dimensions, a few ten-thousandths of an inch, roughly a tenth the width of a human hair. It needs little to no break-in.

How it compares to Faxon’s other lines: the Duty Series is 4150 CMV with the same nitride finish, the hard-use option; the MATCH-X Series takes 416-R further with a honed and lapped bore and an uncoated exterior; and the Combat Series offers classic configurations with chrome-lined bores and manganese phosphate.

What’s in the Box

How It’s Made

1. Drill and ream: The 416-R bar is gun-drilled and pull-reamed.
2. Button rifle: 5R button rifled, right-hand 1:8 twist.
3. Stress relieve: Stress relieved at the blank stage, then qualified true to the bore.
4. Profile, thread, crown: Gunner profile turned, .750″ journal held concentric to the bore, 5/8x24 threads cut, target crown.
5. Chamber: 6.5 Grendel chamber cut and CMM-checked.
6. MPI and nitride: Wet magnetic particle inspected, then salt-bath QPQ nitrided inside and out.
7. Port and extension: .078″ gas port drilled and reamed; NP3 extension torqued to 150 ft-lb, pinned, and 100% headspaced.
8. Mark and inspect: Laser-marked “6.5 GRENDEL 1-8T 5R 416R MPI”, then final inspection of the crown, feed ramps, chamber, and threads.

What Reviewers and Owners Say

Average ratings, out of 5 stars: 4.9 on FaxonFirearms.com.

Build It Out: Faxon Parts That Fit This Barrel

Compare Faxon Match Series 6.5 Grendel Barrels

Match Series 18″ 6.5 Grendel FAQs

What bolt and magazines does 6.5 Grendel need?

A Type 2 Grendel bolt with the .136″ bolt-face depth, such as Faxon’s 6.5 Grendel/ARC Type 2 BCG, and magazines made for 6.5 Grendel. The lower and upper receiver are standard AR-15.

Is 6.5 Grendel good for deer and hogs?

Yes, at sensible ranges with a hunting bullet. It carries around 1,000 ft-lb to roughly 400 yards with a 123 gr bullet from a 24″ test barrel, and many hunters use it on deer and hogs inside 300 yards.

What gas block and gas tube does it take?

A .750″ gas block on the 1.9″ journal and a mid-length gas tube. Faxon’s patented adjustable .750″ block is the recommended pick, especially suppressed. The gas port is .078″, reamed to size.

Will it run suppressed and unsuppressed?

Yes. A suppressor adds back-pressure, so Faxon recommends its patented adjustable gas block: tune it for your can and ammunition, then open it back up when you shoot unsuppressed. If you run a lightweight carrier, always pair it with an adjustable gas block.

How is Match Series different from Duty Series and MATCH-X?

Match Series is 416-R stainless with 5R rifling and QPQ nitride inside and out. Duty Series is 4150 CMV with the same nitride finish. MATCH-X is 416-R with a honed and lapped bore and an uncoated exterior. All are made in Greater Cincinnati.

Is the nitride inside the bore?

Yes. Salt-bath QPQ nitride is a diffusion treatment, not a plating, so it hardens the bore and exterior while adding virtually nothing to them: the surface grows by a few ten-thousandths of an inch, roughly a tenth the width of a human hair. It needs little to no break-in.

Does it come with a gas block, gas tube, or muzzle device?

No. It ships with the nickel-Teflon extension installed, torqued to 150 ft-lb, pinned, and headspaced. Gas block, gas tube, and muzzle device are sold separately; the muzzle is threaded 5/8x24.

Is it full-auto capable, and how much heat can it take?

Yes. Like every Faxon nitrided rifle barrel, it is full-auto capable. The barrel is stress relieved, magnetic particle inspected for flaws, and salt-bath nitrided at roughly 1,050°F, so the steel and the nitride are stable far beyond normal firing temperatures. What limits any barrel on automatic fire is heat. A good guideline, drawn from U.S. military guidance for the M4 carbine: about 12 to 15 rounds a minute can be fired indefinitely, and continuous rapid fire should stop at about 150 rounds so the barrel can cool. Push past that and throat wear speeds up, which shortens barrel life. If the barrel smokes or starts to glow, stop: near 1,000°F the steel is approaching the temperature it was nitrided at, where it can begin to soften and the nitride can lose hardness, and military testing has seen M4 barrels fail at about 1,360°F. A hot chamber can cook off a round in as little as 10 seconds, so clear it quickly or keep it pointed in a safe direction. And heat affects accuracy in every barrel: groups open up as it heats. Faxon’s stress relieving and machining keep point of impact from walking, but let it cool before you check zero or shoot for groups.

Where is it made, and what is the warranty?

Made in Greater Cincinnati, Ohio, and covered by the Faxon Lifetime Guarantee.

Full-auto heat guidance is general, based on published U.S. military rate-of-fire guidance and steel and nitride data, not Faxon testing; barrel life under automatic fire depends on rate of fire, ammunition, and cooling. Velocity, stability, and energy figures come from published ammunition-maker and independent test data, not Faxon testing; results vary with ammunition, barrel, and conditions. MuzzLok®, HARMONIX®, CORESYNC®, and Flame Fluted® are trademarks of Faxon Firearms. Know and follow all federal, state, and local laws.