PSA PA-15 Inexpensive AR

[rushbo56]

I was hesitant to buy from PSA since many people report super slow shipping and poor customer service, but I took the plunge anyway because the products got good reviews and the prices were great. Luckily my experience turned out good.

On 3/13 I ordered a Blemished PSA PA-15 Complete Classic Edition Lower, with shipping and FFL the total cost was $171.99. My FFL called me on 3/19 to say the lower arrived. The only problem I had was that PSA emailed me the same day of the order to say that my FFL wasn't in their system. I called my FFL the next day and they got that straightened out no problem.

On 3/16 I ordered a PSA 16" Mid-length 556 1/7 Melonite Freedom Upper w/ BCG & CH. Total cost with shipping was $306.99. The upper arrived at my door on 3/24.

Both the lower and upper look good. I couldn't find any blemishes on the lower. I also have a S&W M&P 15 Sport and the PSA lower fit the S&W upper perfectly, and the PSA upper fit the S&W lower perfectly as well.

I ordered the upper and lower at different times in order to take advantage of PSA's daily deals. I then ordered a 30 round Magpul Pmag from aim surplus for $12.30 (free shipping) and a Magpul MBUS rear sight from amazon for $43.16 (free shipping). So the total price for the completed AR was $534.44. Now all I have to do is take it too the range and see if the damn thing works, which I plan on doing this weekend. All in all I think this was a pretty good deal.

 

[thefish]

I've built a few ar15s from Anderson lowers, psa branded parts kits, and barreled uppers. They all function fine. Some people complain about psa, but I've had nothing but good luck. Enjoy your rifle.

 

[justice06rr]

PSA sells some of the best bargains in AR15's and other things.

The cheapest AR I built was with a $199(shipped) complete Freedom upper, $99 BCG/Charging handle, and $150 Anderson complete lower for a total of about $450. For that price you cannot go wrong.

 

[NWcityguy2]

PSA has come a long way over the last few years. Even barreled uppers are shipping with in a week at times and very rarely does one read about QC problems that are recent.

 

[theothermike]

Good luck with your build! I have bought several of their ar kits, best price was $350, that's everything but a lower, mag and rear sight. They all work fine and are a great deal.

 

[W.E.G.]

I hope that whatever money people are saving, by buying the ABSOLUTE CHEAPEST rifle, they are putting toward ammunition to confirm that the rifle runs the way it should.

 

[NWcityguy2]

I hope that whatever money people are saving, by buying the ABSOLUTE CHEAPEST rifle, they are putting toward ammunition to confirm that the rifle runs the way it should.

People should be doing that regardless of the price of the rifle.

 

[MachIVshooter]

PSA is good to go. Honestly, the fit & finish and performance of even the PTAC line have surpassed my expectations, and I've been quite happy with the stainless "Freedom" uppers. I had a PTAC, currently own 2 16" Freedom stainless uppers and an 18" .308 SS upper. All ran 100% out of the box from day one. Several friends have bought PTAC and premium stuff from them, and I've heard of no trouble from them.

I cannot vouch for the CL uppers, as I generally avoid chrome lined bores because I am more concerned with accuracy than the barrel's ability to survive jungle environments and full auto fire, neither of which mine will be subjected to.

 

[68wj]

I hope that whatever money people are saving, by buying the ABSOLUTE CHEAPEST rifle, they are putting toward ammunition to confirm that the rifle runs the way it should.

50 rounds today say that I am on my way to trusting my el cheapo (mid gassed, melonite, freedom, 5.56). Didn't even need to adjust the front sight. Ordered and delivered in one week.

 

[Ibmikey]

68wj, I am among those who buys/ builds using quality components rather than seeing how cheap I can build a rifle. Firing fifty rounds at a sitting is probably within the capability of most AR's without experiencing a malfunction, however when I went to fire yesterday it was not fifty but hundreds of rounds that were cycled through my Carbine. I fire a lot of quick drills and double taps etc that render the barrel smoking while burning the oil off. When your rifle will stand up to heavy demands made of it and not malfunction then you can be confident it will not fail when needed most. Give it a try, you will probably find your "el cheapo" will handle the new demands made of it and give you additional confidence, plus it is one heck of a lot of fun watching milk jugs of water and cans being disintegrated before your eyes.
I have a dozen PSA builds and another dozen major brand named AR's and all are tested and given the " Mikey seal of reliability".

 

[68wj]

I wrote "on my way to trusting" intentionally. 50 rounds doesn't mean much but good for a sight in and some function checking. A full break down later and inspection shows that it is ready for phase 2.

 

[Tirod]

I hope that whatever money people are saving, by buying the ABSOLUTE CHEAPEST rifle, they are putting toward ammunition to confirm that the rifle runs the way it should.

One would also hope they were testing the absolute cheapest ammo was reliable, too.

I sell auto parts, and I get consumers in all the time about drivability issues and codes, when I ask what grade of gas they are using in their upscale car, it's always the cheapest.

You get what you pay for - an inexpensive car may not have all the bells and whistles, same as a plain jane gun. What you run it on has some effect, too. Plenty of stories of shooters having malfunctions with $1,000 guns running White box or Wolf.

The gun is just the launching platform for a bullet. We tend to be tool centric when the objective is to hit the target. If I use a Harbor Freight nail gun and Bosch nails what the next owner of my house sees is the skill level I used attaching the trim.

Nobody but me will care what nail gun I used or that the compressor fell off a truck. It runs and works. What we need to focus on is less the cost of the tools we use and more the level of craftsmanship we are trying to attain.

If all you can afford is a cheaper tool by all means wear it out - that's how you get better. A cheaper tool allows you to afford more ammo, and it's the constant repetition that attains skill.

A few malfunctions in the range train us to handle that, which puts an edge into our skill level. Just don't use cheap training ammo for SD and you improve your odds.

XM855 on the range, MK262 in the mag ready, so to speak. And what you have is a much more reliable combination because you fired more ammo thru it sooner because you could afford to.

Not everybody has the same income level, responsibilities, or disposable income. We all assess different levels of risk to our environments. We make decisions to purchase and train as we see fit. One guy might need twice monthly training to get to a reasonable skill level and maintain it, another could go 8 years not firing a shot from his handgun and yet easily qualify for his CCW after 24 hours of shift work and the class with no sleep.

Yes I kept that target.

 

[MachIVshooter]

One would also hope they were testing the absolute cheapest ammo was reliable, too.

I don't fault any rifle that won't run 100% with Tula. Any AR that is properly gassed with a chamber that's not at the max is likely to choke on that underpowered and often out of spec crap. Out of a case of 1,000, I had more than a dozen with oversize shoulders that wouldn't fully chamber, and were stuck so hard that the extractor ripped the rim off, requiring that the unfired rounds be driven out with a rod from the muzzle. This occurred in more than one rifle.

 

[Mike J]

I put together from an AR from their assembled upper & lower parts kit. The FFL that did the transfer for me & I couldn't find a blem on their blemished lower.

I did have 2 initial problems the first time I shot it though. I had a FTE & I had light strikes. A thorough cleaning of the chamber corrected the first. I ordered another hammer spring because I thought maybe the one I got was weak. When I broke the rifle apart to install it I realized the dummy that assembled it had installed the hammer spring wrong. PSA is fine by me. I did spring for the chrome lined FN made barrel but I bought a blem upper so it was very reasonably priced.

 

[MagnumWill]

Posted by Tirod: What we need to focus on is less the cost of the tools we use and more the level of craftsmanship we are trying to attain.

So good it has to be mentioned again. +1