I guess I should have been aware that the parts were on sale cheap for a reason. An upper I bought from them months ago was fine.
I can confirm that it was the parts. I would have to drill out roll pins to show parts, I am not doing that just to show skeptics something they might not be able to tell from a pic anyway. The thread is useful as it was recently asked in another thread about PSA parts. I think the take away is that you have to beware of the bargain parts.
There should be no question that they're cheap for a reason. Specifications, quality control, and sources are big drivers in cost, and with PSA, it's a race to the bottom. They might very well source from Gov't suppliers, but those parts may not pass dimensional specs, hardness tests, etc. and therefore are available at a lower cost.
Don't sweat the apologists. Two years ago I received a "premium" PSA upper that was assembled very poorly. They made no effort to properly secure the gas block (no dimples and no loctite). They did not follow the manufacturer's instructions for the free float handguard installation. The advertised full auto bolt carrier with HPT/MPI bolt turned out to be a semi-auto carrier and the bolt was marked MPI, but not HPT.
I shared this info, complete with pics. I thought I was helping fellow shoppers, but instead I was accused of just trying to smear their "good name" as if I had waited 10 years on the forum to besmirch a company that didn't yet exist. Folks demanded part numbers, order numbers and receipts.
"Why don't you let PSA fix it" or "Did you call them?" etc.
Some folks will defend PSA to protect the name for various reasons. They may be trying to protect the image of the products they've invested capital in. They may work for PSA and engage you to wash away the info you're trying to share. They may just simply be trying to justify their own purchase decisions.
In my opinion, when we spend our own cash to buy a product, we have every right to share our experiences with it. Whether or not they are willing to fix it is immaterial. The thread was not titled "PSA Customer Service Review." If they sent you crap, then that's a relevant data point. On the other hand, I don't expect many gun magazines and commercial online reviewers to give the the down and dirty facts. They get free stuff and there's also advertising dollars to secure.
The reality is that PSA either doesn't know what they don't know, or they don't really care, instead counting on the end user to be dialed in to their business practices. They had some serious growing pains with AR assembly since the beginning. They moved to AR10s, and that was a disaster. They moved on to AKs, using cast garbage parts, improper heat treat, etc. Sure, they have made an attempt to learn and correct these things, but at whose expense? The paying customer has been doing all their R&D for some time now.
In a broad strokes, they offer some serviceable stuff at unbeatable price points, I'll say that much. Thanks for sharing your experience. It is helpful to those of us who may be interested in throwing together an
inexpensive rifle in the current market.