Is PSA a good rifle?

[jamain]

HI Guys

Just bought my very first AR15 can you tell me is PSA a good riefl?


Thank you
Jeff

[VIPER 237]

It depends on what line of PSA you are looking at. The PTAC stuff is pretty terrible, the freedom line is decent, and their Premium line is pretty good, especially for the money. I hesitate to say they are as good as Colt or BCM but for the price point they are hard to beat.

[voodoo_man]

No.

[schambers]

Sounds like a question you should have asked BEFORE buying the weapon...

[John Moses]

Good stuff. PSA outsouces their CHF barrels from FN like all other top tier barrel "sellers" and they have other parts made by LW Shneider, Wilson, and AP. I think the Freedom Line is slightly better than PTAC (Practical tactical) line. They are also having Lowers made by FN as well. Their BCG's are 158 Carpenter, shot peened, etc etc. They make the Freedom and Ptac to offer an affordable gun to first time owners. The main difference is going to be a lack of Chrome lining in the barrel, and possibly standard feed ramps in the PTAC line, but they are offering a Phosphate finish. There really is no difference in a 7075 forged upper, or lower, so your only areas of concern ate typically BCG materials, and barrel materials along with who is assembling it for you. All PSA rifles are test fired before they are shipped. I have owned, or do own about half a dozen, and know a ton of people who own them without a single issue. It's a big company with a very reputable name in the industry. There are some haters because they are offering a good product at an affordable price. As long as it's made in the USA, I have no issues with what they sell it for.

[velocity2006]

I have had a few of their CHF CL uppers with FN barrels and I would put them up against any chrome lined BCM or Colt. I would stay away from the PTAC stuff as QC lacks from examples I have seen, but for Milspec components their prices are hard to beat.

[JHoward]

They're so hit and miss it's hard to endorse either way. I have never had a bad "Premium" upper and the Freedom stainless seems OK from the ones I have bought, but the Freedom melonite one I recently bought had trash melonited into the chamber and hung and gouged about 300 rounds until I gave up trying to "shoot out" the imperfection. A good friend of mine just bought a PTAC that looks and shoots fine, so like I said, hard to endorse either way.

[Stone]

See posts 3 & 4 above. There is a good reason why some rifles cost $600 and some rifles cost $2500. Long drawn out posts don't change the facts.

[BoilerUp]

See posts 3 & 4 above. There is a good reason why some rifles cost $600 and some rifles cost $2500. Long drawn out posts don't change the facts.

The military pays about $600 a pop for their carbines.

There are also some really bad reasons why some rifles cost $2500: Branding, low productions rates, expensive choices in raw materials that don't improve functionality (e.g., Ti), re- or over-engineering the existing proven design (e.g., piston guns) or protection of NSN pricing (you can't charge the government more than you sell something commercially) are all good examples of where you don't get what you pay for. I've never heard of $300 billet lower failing. I've never heard of $70 forged lower failing, either. Chrome lined barrels are more expensive to produce yet offer no advantage over melonite. And I won't even get into the whole "lifestyle" branding thing.

[Stone]

The military pays about $600 a pop for their carbines.

There are also some really bad reasons why some rifles cost $2500: Branding, low productions rates, expensive choices in raw materials that don't improve functionality (e.g., Ti), re- or over-engineering the existing proven design (e.g., piston guns) or protection of NSN pricing (you can't charge the government more than you sell something commercially) are all good examples of where you don't get what you pay for. I've never heard of $300 billet lower failing. I've never heard of $70 forged lower failing, either. Chrome lined barrels are more expensive to produce yet offer no advantage over melonite. And I won't even get into the whole "lifestyle" branding thing.

Everything has its pro's and con's. Just like opinions. If your not getting what your paying for then the saying "there's a sucker born every minute" holds true. Citing the US govt. and obviously over priced rifles is redundancy at its core.

[cjd3]

Congrats on your new rifle. Absorb all the great stuff you read here, and beware the stuff you read else where. Well, actually, you should be wary on what you read on these here internets. That being said, learn your rifle. Take it apart, put it back to gather. Dry fire it (but never without an upper receiver attached), rack it, then take it apart and repeat. Don't be that guy at the range who can't lock the bolt back during a cease fire (I taught a guy how to do that today). What you may find out, is that the PSA may be a great rifle for you. Time will tell. If you only shoot it once a year, and all your shots make it down range, with no mechanicals, you may have picked up a good rifle. But as you run it, and I hope you do, you may start finding some shortcomings. This is when this site is great. I've had a lot of help from the folks on here. Replacing or upgrading a part here and there could help your PSA down the line. The fine folks here know a lot about every part.

I lurked and learned a lot. And I keep coming back.

[BoilerUp]

Everything has its pro's and con's. Just like opinions. If your not getting what your paying for then the saying "there's a sucker born every minute" holds true. Citing the US govt. and obviously over priced rifles is redundancy at its core.

I think you missed my point. I'm saying that a quality mil-spec carbine is cheap (at least, right now it is). You can get a very good rifle for well under $1K. You hit the point of diminishing returns pretty quickly. A good barrel and quality bolt get you 80% of the way there - everything else is just there to hold and operate those two parts.

To the OP, as some of the more thoughtful responses have pointed out already, PSA has a few different product lines and offerings, the quality of which varies from line-to-line. They FN produced barrels have a good reputation and their Premium line gets good reviews. The PTAC and Freedom lines cut some corners (materials, quality control) to keep prices low but PSA has a good reputation for standing behind their products in case something fails.

For your first AR, it's a reasonable entry point. Spend some time getting to know it and you might figure out what, if any, upgrades you may want down the line. Enjoy!

[MoxyDave]

Sounds like a question you should have asked BEFORE buying the weapon...

Funny how folks want confirmation of their purchases after the fact.

[Jerry R]

Don't really have anything to add to answers already provided, but ...

Welcome to WEVO - glad to have you here.

[jamain]

I didnt ask for a smart ass awnser I asked if they were any good

[jamain]

Thank you John I have the Freedom rifel

[jamain]

Thanks for the help guys some of you come off kinda rude for a newbi on here sorry for any inconveance
I may of caused you and you know who you are

REgards
Jeff

[alamo5000]

Asking if any rifle is 'good' is kind of a leading question. Good for what? Good compared to what? It all depends on what you like and what you do.

If you shoot a box of ammo twice a year odds are anything works. But if you're asking a guy who kicks in doors for a living you will get a different answer.

If it's sheerly for enjoyment go shoot the thing and find out. If it goes bang every time and that's your criteria then so be it.

But if you ask people who are hard on gear and have worn out weapons and shot out barrels you're going to get a different and often direct answer.

Being direct is not necessarily the same as being an asshole. From the perspective of a person who could or would break an average rifle within a few weeks or less don't be shocked if they tell you directly what they think when asked a direct question.

[DutyUse]

I'm not familiar with the freedom line from PSA. Are they the ones running FN sourced parts?

[Dstrbdmedic167]

I'm not familiar with the freedom line from PSA. Are they the ones running FN sourced parts?

No that's the premium line. The freedom is their mid grade level. And ptac is their entry.

[UWone77]

Avoid the PCrap Line. The premium line is the only items from PA i would personally run.

[Joelski]

Shooting is a sport (or activity, or profession) that IMO, everybody can truly enjoy. It can be a release, or an obsession. Shooting can be competitive, it can facilitate survival, it can be purely a passtime, or it can be just another small use of one's time. Nobody is born into expertise; its all acquired over time and in time, if you choose to do so, you will have the ability to make your rifle do whatever you specifically want it to, so that it serves all of your needs in a firearm. Enjoy your new rifle. As you grow, the shine wears off and eventually, you will want something more, something different, or better or fancier, or plainer, depending completely on you. One thing will be constant for you as a member here; you will move ahead in your knowledge and skills as a result of your association with the members here. No place else has a more approachable group of people. There are some personalities, but that's true everywhere. Don't take a sour taste from one experience.

Cheers

[jeffk14]

Hi, I'm brand new here but I'll chime in. I just bought a PSA Freedom upper, specifically because I wanted to try out a Melonite barrel. After reading much about the properties of Melonite (black nitride treatment) vs chrome-lining, I was intrigued. I already have AR's with c/l barrels, so this one will be an interesting experiment. I got the upper on sale for around $200, minus BCG and CH, so I'm not too worried. Here's a little more info on the process that I found on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/RgutOkCv89Q
As far as PSA being good, I recently caught a couple of their "blemished" complete lowers (with Magpul MOE furniture) on sale. They arrived in perfect condition and are very nice. So nice, in fact, that I chose one of them to mount my new, somewhat high-end BCM upper onto.

[Former11B]

No that's the premium line. The freedom is their mid grade level. And ptac is their entry.

PSA sells PTAC but it's not their in-house brand of parts. Its like Primary Arms selling BSA scopes, but not being affiliated with them otherwise.

[Dstrbdmedic167]

PSA sells PTAC but it's not their in-house brand of parts. Its like Primary Arms selling BSA scopes, but not being affiliated with them otherwise.

Last I heard psa had bought them out. I understand that's how it was originally but thought it had changed. :shrugs:

[Former11B]

Last I heard psa had bought them out. I understand that's how it was originally but thought it had changed. :shrugs:

Just read they "absorbed" them a while back (made the relationship official?). Not sure if that means PTAC is still independently producing their stuff, or if it's being made side-by-side where PSA's stuff is and they're just getting stamped with different rollmarks/labels.

I still feel PTAC is intentionally on a lower price and quality point for entry-level consumers who might fire 500 rounds in the life of the rifle and don't need (and won't notice) the difference a quality rifle makes.

Did a little more research...PTAC's CEO is Jamin McCallum (and is also the registered agent of PSA's Training division), and the registered agent of Palmetto State Armory, LLC is Josiah McCallum. Guess they were one in the same the whole time.

[Dstrbdmedic167]

Just read they "absorbed" them a while back (made the relationship official?). Not sure if that means PTAC is still independently producing their stuff, or if it's being made side-by-side where PSA's stuff is and they're just getting stamped with different rollmarks/labels.

I still feel PTAC is intentionally on a lower price and quality point for entry-level consumers who might fire 500 rounds in the life of the rifle and don't need (and won't notice) the difference a quality rifle makes.

Did a little more research...PTAC's CEO is Jamin McCallum (and is also the registered agent of PSA's Training division), and the registered agent of Palmetto State Armory, LLC is Josiah McCallum. Guess they were one in the same the whole time.

I had assumed they were the whole time despite PSA trying to say it was a different company and they were just selling parts.

I wouldn't be surprised if ptac is jaut parts that didn't meet the premium it psa level QC... A way to get rid of your blems without calling them blems...

[Bronco75]

You have to manage your expectations. If you just want to buy a few boxes of 55gr and go out and shoot minute of man a few times a year...then a PSA is a fine choice. If you are looking for a SHTF weapon system that has been tested in combat...probably not where you want to go. Define your intended use and let that guide you. AR's are like Lay's Potato Chips...you can't have just one...so know it will multiply into another...and another...

The "PSA barrels are made by FN" comment is always comical to me. FN has the tooling for which PSA provides the specs. PSA is trying to hit a price point...that is their business plan. You cannot assume all FN barrels are equal just because they leave from the same factory. That is like when Daimler bought Chrysler and everyone thought they would be the next Mercedes or BMW. Totally different customer. You can buy a complete FN AR-15 for $850. If everyone wants to tout FN so much...why not just buy their rifle and avoid the markup PSA is putting on the parts?

Manage your expectations and you are good to go.

[ssgballistics]

I own a PSA premium 14.7 in mid length that has proven to be a great rifle. I would have no problem running in to a gunfight with it (or my BCMs or DDs for that matter). My PSA was probably the best value for $ of any AR15 I have purchased. Its been through several high round count classes and gets run hard on a regular basis without any issues to note.