PSA Builds

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I bought and assembled a PSA kit on a PSA lower. It came with a Wilson SS 16" middy barrel. It shot well but it came with a carbine buffer and the extractor springs should be replaced as soon as possible. The PSA isn't a good beginner AR, but it is a good choice for an intermediate shooter with a basic understanding what parts are critical, knows what to look for, what parts are critical and doesn't mind tinkering. I liked my PSA carbine, but traded it for something I wanted more
 
I did a lot of business with PSA ( over $10,000) back when it took forever to ship up until recently when they ship quickly. Recently i ordered one of their daily deals that was an exceptional buy, ordered twice and had no problem, third time their computer did not like security code on CC....checked with issuing agent and was told card and code were ok. This was the same card i used on the other two orders, called PSA and after 45 min on phone waiting for a human that i never got i wrote an email ( i prefer to speak to a human rather than sanitize the contact with an email). Response by PSA was my i pad was not compatiable with their computer. They would not explain the $10.000+ i had spent using the same i pad, plus i was informed the special is over and they do not recognize past specials.
I now do business with Aero Precision, Faxon barrels and Brownells, PSA's rep had a " who cares" attitude.....i will say the products i received were always of exceptional quality ( i bought premium) and i did not need to return anything.
 
from ''The premium psa uppers have FN made barrels that are cold hammer forged. They usually start around 300 bucks.''

Are the FN cold hammer forged barrels a sufficient quality upgrade to justify the extra $$ ?

Also feedback re: their premium trigger kit, I think its $30 and plated with some sort of nickel/ teflon or whatever

Thnx!
 
Did you order any uppers? My order was placed 11.15. I got the small parts about 3 weeks ago but the upper was delayed, which they say is normal. 15 business days stated on the site.

I'm looking forward to the build though. Will be a 10.5" AR pistol with Anderson lower, PSA lpk, ALG trigger and a KAK blade and buffer tube. The lower parts kit I got from them went together great.

Edited to add: post #1000 Ha.
I ordered everything for the upper except for the upper receiver. I wanted an A2 and they didn't have that upper.
 
I bought my first (and last) full rifle from PSA, a "Premium" carbine length M4 profile 5.56. I have since freefloated it with an ALG rail and swapped the trigger for an ALG NiB coated FCG.

I have put together the following with mostly PSA parts (Trigger groups are all coated by ALG or PSA, furniture mostly Magpul):
-A 5.56 20" FN barreled rifle w/A2 stock
-A .308 PA-10 18" Rifle
-A 7.62x39 carbine
-A 5.56 Freedom Midlength 18"

My 9mm also has a PSA Stripped upper and lower, but BCG is CMMG, Barrel is RRA, buffer is from Brownells.

I like them all, with only a couple issues:
-The chamber of the .308 is very short throated. When new, it would not chamber 149gr ball safely. While I was waiting for customer service, I loaded some 125gr rounds. PSA offered to swap the upper, it shot the 125s so well I decided to keep it as is.
-The BCG of the first rifle I bought messes up gas rings. I am on the third set. Never caused a failure, but I have to put new rings in every 500-1000 rounds or so. I can easily fix it for a little money, but it's not a huge deal to me. I'll just get a Nickel Boron BCG for it at some point.
 
from ''The premium psa uppers have FN made barrels that are cold hammer forged. They usually start around 300 bucks.''

Are the FN cold hammer forged barrels a sufficient quality upgrade to justify the extra $$ ?

Also feedback re: their premium trigger kit, I think its $30 and plated with some sort of nickel/ teflon or whatever

Thnx!
I think that the FN chrome lined barrels are worth the extra $100 over the freedom line. The uppers usually run $299 on special. There is a debate as to how much more beneficial CHF barrels are for AR platform, but the CHF uppers with FN barrel are usually $399ish, do it's about $100 more for the CHF vs regular chrome lined FN barrel. They are both hpt/mpi tested and good values. I plan on getting the non CHF after the research I have done. I just don't think I will ever out shoot it and don't fire full auto.

I do like the polished trigger I just put it in an aero lower I built with JP yellow spring. It is much less gritty and less take up than the trigger in my factory PSA lower. Don't have a gage so not sure of the trigger weight difference, but it is noticable. The ALG ACT is good too but is around $60, same with BCM PNT. For 2 stage the Rock River for $85ish and the Larue MBT for 100 are good values without spending to much
 
To avoid confusion PSA premium uppers come with regular FN Hpt/mpi chrome lined barrels and they also have the CHF version which is usually $100 more
 
IMO if looking for a barrel I would avoid M4 style barrels.
In general stay away from carbines, fancy cuts (M4, spiral and/or deep fluting ) and 1/2" muzzle threads.
Those things should have never existed in the first place and there is no one single good reason to install them.
Also a quality SS barrel or melonited will potentially provide superior accuracy and very good barrel life.
Obviously, if those things are important for your purpose.
 
I have the melonited freedom barrels on both of my uppers, paid around $200 for both of them. For me, the FN barrels aren't worth the extra money. I'm a recreational shooter and the 2 MOA accuracy I get with these is fine by me.

The one feature I want in my barrel is Melonite, better than chrome in my opinion.
 
I built this one in 2010 and it hasn't missed a beat. This is an PSA M4 complete rifle kit with a PSA receiver.

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My oldest jammed the muzzle of his 308 Ruger American into the dirt this season, we hunt in STEEP country. He asked about getting an AR style birdcage for it, thought it a good point that it makes a bore obstruction much less likely. Told him he could pay for the gunsmithing ;-)

Sorry to hear. I think threads are ok but 5/8" minimum. 1/2" threads are too small even for a .22 high pressure / high heat caliber.
1/2x28 would be ok for .17 caliber or even a 22LR. In the 35 caliber I am using 3/4" threads.
There are very short thread converters so better to prevent problems vs. looking for them.
M4 style barrels should have never existed in military carbines let alone going main stream in civilian guns.
 
I just finished a lower build on an Anderson receiver a few days ago, and have been tinkering around with a barrel and receiver swap between a psa upper and an old colt A2 upper set up for target work.
I bought one of their premium uppers just to swap the upper receiver out for a vltor Mur and stick it on my "$$$$" (range toy and bragging rights) build. I consider their premium uppers to be the equal of more expensive barrels and handguards Ive researched.
Between them and a few more psa builds I've done on various lower receiver;

The three PSA lpk's I've used have fit and functioned exactly the same as the spikes enhanced and cmmg lpk's I have used.
The stock triggers in the PSA premium classic lower build kits (only ones I've used) have been good for a stock mil spec trigger group, but not as good as an ALG coated trigger group, or a RRA two stage.
The premium classic butt stock is not as secure or well fitting as the vltor stock I have on another build. If the difference between my budget psa builds and my one high dollar build is apparent, so far it's in the butt stock.
The one free float tube I've taken apart on a psa upper that is a psa "hybrid" design (partial rails) is robust yet feels relatively light, and is secured very well with 8 hex screws through the guard into the barrel nut and loctited on.
The gas block I took off of that upper was secured by two hex screws and was screwed on and loctited very tightly, too tightly IMO...I stripped the rear one getting it off and will have to replace it. There is a pair of dimples stamped into the barrel corresponding to those screws, which should prevent the gas block from rotating or moving, so that was good to see.
The receiver end plate of a RRA coyote carbine has to be slightly enlarged to fit over the threads of a psa 7075 buffer tube.

The only issue I have encountered with a psa build was my last one, and that was simply a small burr in the Anderson receiver I had to knock off of the inside of the bolt release plunger/spring hole.

Overall, I find PSA to be a high value company that if/once they update their manufacturing capability to match the demand, will dominate their price point. I can't speak for their assembled rifles or receivers, but I am happy with their parts.
 
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I have had a few problems with out of spec parts and also no customer service. I don't think they have much if any quality control and less customer service. I am also suspect of all these pro PSA posts on every gun forum. No other maker does that.
 
I have had a few problems with out of spec parts and also no customer service. I don't think they have much if any quality control and less customer service. I am also suspect of all these pro PSA posts on every gun forum. No other maker does that.

Does what?
Earns a group of satisfied, vocal, and enthusiastic return customers? Every gun forum I've ever been on is full of gun owners enthusiastic about one gun or another.
I have had a "few" problems with out of spec guns myself from one particular manufacturer but I won't deny that Kahr has a lot of fans and the vast majority of their guns are reliable and a solid value.

It would be helpful if you detail those problems so we can judge for ourselves if there is a trend of poor quality with some of their parts.
 
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There are a couple of running threads on hobby grade parts on the P&S main page on Facebook, in the last couple of months they have posted a couple of miscut chambers, a broken gas key bolt, one that couldn't pass the accuracy requirements of an agency carbine class (they never said what the final determination of the cause of the problem was), lack of dimpling for a set screw-type gas block, and a couple of barrel nuts not torqued correctly. As far as coming up with any kind of percentage of what had problems I'd guess that would be impossible.

Personally, I've been around a couple of dozen guns that had PSA parts involved to varying degrees, I've seen a barrel nut loose and saw a lower that had to be sent back because one of the holes was drilled wrong.
 
M4 style barrels should have never existed in military carbines let alone going main stream in civilian guns.

Interesting you'd say that about military carbines, as so much testing was done to determine what worked best for them, including shoot-to-failure tests. I believe the recommendations for the M4A1 included a thicker barrel than the M4.
 
Aside from the poor decision to implement a carbine port we have seen failures due to the minor diameter ahead of the chamer.
even w/o failures barrels are cooked faster.
A barrel should never be of less diameter than the gas block section.
Carbine barrels, fancy M4 style cuts and 1/2" threads are a big mistake.
Some units with power and money have ordered before with a bit more comon sense but still lots of room for improvement.
Again, I don't find any single reason for buying M4 style cut barrels but several reasons to stay away from them.

Lilja barrel with larger section and fluting w/o compromising the minor diameter. Special order from the Navy seals.


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Personally I think the profile is great but I like mid port and 5/8 threads for added accuracy. Lothar Walter will cut you one with
a matched bolt for less money. ARP has something very similar called socom better price but w/o flutes but then melonited that is nice too. Either way much better than chromed barrels. Also with 5/8 threads. the 1/2" threads should be always avoided.
People spend all sort of cash in expensive handguards and gas blocks, fancy stocks when a barrel is so important for accuracy and reliability.

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A barrel should never be of less diameter than the gas block section
There are plenty of good barrels with profiles smaller in diameter than the gas block section.

The reason for the M203 cut on the M4 barrel was due to thickening the A2 barrel ahead of the gas block on a mistaken premise. It was thought that A1 profile barrels were being bent. Barrels were tested for straightness by dropping a close tolerance rod down the bore from the muzzle. The rods were catching in the barrel before getting past the gas port. The recommendation was made to use a thicker profile. Turned out the rod was catching due to gas port erosion or some such, but by then, the recommendation for a thicker barrel was implemented and it was too late to change the change. The Marines wanted the barrel diameter increased along the whole barrel length, but that idea was nixed because of the requirement to mount the M203. So, the A2 profile remained the same as the A1 under the handguards. When the barrel was shortened to make the M4, a section had to be turned down to accept the M203 grenade launcher
 
I didn't mean they could not be good barrels like that but they go against long established directives for accuracy and reliability.
They might be ok for a ranch carbine and moderate use but the minor diameter sometimes is too much specially for a military service barrel.
We have seen countless times that section ahead of the chamber to be critical point of failure even before gas blocks, bolts or gas tubes give in.
Even before that critical point of failure, bores swell beyond recovery, accuracy goes to hell and barrels are cooked for good.
Not unusual for an armorer to replace the barrel 4 or 5 times in the same tour. Perhaps sometimes not 100% necessary but I see no
one single reason for a civilian to buy one. ...only to get cheap prices I guess. I think people should start asking for a more appropriate and
robust design. In terms of machine time it is actually easier and potentially less expensive to produce a better barrel (less cuts).
IMO they should have changed the design of the M203 launcher bracket vs. settling for lesser quality in the battle rifle. But you know... those thinking heads how they do.
 
I didn't mean they could not be good barrels like that but they go against long established directives for accuracy and reliability.
They might be ok for a ranch carbine and moderate use but the minor diameter sometimes is too much specially for a military service barrel.
We have seen countless times that section ahead of the chamber to be critical point of failure even before gas blocks, bolts or gas tubes give in.
Even before that critical point of failure, bores swell beyond recovery, accuracy goes to hell and barrels are cooked for good.
Not unusual for an armorer to replace the barrel 4 or 5 times in the same tour. Perhaps sometimes not 100% necessary but I see no
one single reason for a civilian to buy one. ...only to get cheap prices I guess. I think people should start asking for a more appropriate and
robust design. In terms of machine time it is actually easier and potentially less expensive to produce a better barrel (less cuts).
IMO they should have changed the design of the M203 launcher bracket vs. settling for lesser quality in the battle rifle. But you know... those thinking heads how they do.
I heard they have changed how the grenade launcher mounts.

The M4 barrel profile doesn't make much sense, but there you go.

I've yet to see a pencil barrel be a problem on a civilian AR, even one that's been shot a lot. Barrel quality has more affect on accuracy than barrel profile. Yes, a skinny barrel gets hotter with fewer rounds, but balances better. Just slow your rate of fire a bit. If you're in a fight, your life is more important than barrel life.

The original M16 used a skinny barrel profile and it worked well. A lot of guys love the skinny barrels. They don't last quite as long the heavier profiles, but it takes extreme conditions before they suffer catastrophic failures. Barrel profiles are tradeoffs, not a choice between "good" and "bad".

I do agree that some barrel profiles are better choices than others
 
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