PSA 20" Freedom Kit review pre-shooting

[Flatlander35]

Hello all,

I placed an order during the post Black Friday sales at PSA for the melonite 20" freedom kit. The kit was $399, ended up at $417 with shipping. Today it arrived thanks to the brown truck of joy. After the order was sent, it only took three days to arrive in MI.

First off, the packaging is great. They even had a zip tie to hold in the BCG/Charging handle while in transit. Everything was there in great shape. In a snap I threw it together on an Anderson lower with a CMMG LPK I built a few weeks ago.

The buttstock was great, no major gaps or wiggles. I did have to remove some of the blue loctite on the screw but that is to be expected. I added one wrap of electrical tape around the buffer tube to ensure a tight fit but I am not sure how much this was actually needed. With just a light wipe down of oil the stock went from light grey to black. Perfect. I added a few drops of oil into the buffer tube to reduce the noise of the spring and the buffer itself seems good to go.

The charging handle was fine, the standard as you could expect. The bolt carrier group was staked great, and I replaced the bolt with an MPI/HPT marked bolt just because. I know the bolts in the Freedom rifles are tested for something but the marking was missing on mine.


The handguards are TIGHT, I cannot get them off myself but plan on eventually replacing them with the Knights Armament M5 RAS to further clone this as my first issue rifle back in 2006 on Sand Hill.

The barrel looks great, a bit shiny rather than parkerized but my understanding is that is from the metal treatment. It is marked 5.56 NATO 1/7 PSA

T marked upper, function checked and everything is smoothn The feed ramps are pretty darn near perfect for both the extension and the upper.

So for a complete rifle had I used the original PSA lower parts kit, their unmarked bolt, and the receiver I bought the cost is a whopping $468.00 rounded up with all taxes, shipping, etc.

Sure, it's not chrome lined. Melonite isn't terrible in my eyes. Yeah, it's not a Colt or a BCM, and I didn't expect it to be. That said, it sure beats the hell out of the M16A4 I was issued. All I need is a carry handle, a black "silent sling", and the M5 RAS and i've got a true brand new rifle that hasn't been shot to pieces and abused by privates. Win/Win.

Ill get some pictures later but for the cash it's hard to go wrong with this one.

[MistWolf]

Sounds good, so far and they shipped it quick!

Just keep an eye on the springs, particularly the extractor, action and hammer springs

[B52U]

I assisted my brother in building his first carbine using a PSA M4 freedom kit and it was also very acceptable for a sub-500 dollar first rifle. Staked well, passed on the field gauge, upper and BCG were assembled well (this after hearing horror stories of mushroomed roll pins on bolts), and nice tight barrel nut. It shot great, perfect ejection with 55gr 223 ammo and only needed a very small adjustment of iron sights for zero.

[Flatlander35]

I just put 40 rounds of 55 grain American Eagle through it with brand new Okay Industries USGI magazines, and while this isn't a test by any measure it sure ran better than both of the Bushmasters I used to own. Very smooth. The Bushy's had issues from round one. One was a Patrolmans Carbine, the other was a 20" A2 Stainless match. FTE's, double feeds galore, etc.

I didn't have a carry handle to zero so I was just checking for function but all is well. I'm looking forward to using 62 grain and testing for actual realistic accuracy but honestly as long as it functions better than both civilian AR's and better than the Army issue M16A4 and two M4 carbines I will be more than happy.

[C-grunt]

You had problems with your A4s? Ours ran like ****ing tops if you kept them lubed.

[Flatlander35]

All of ours in 06' were shot to pieces. There was a mobile armorer who showed up at all of our quals and live fire ranges. Busted gas rings, broken bolt lugs, loose gas keys, you name it. The senior drill sergeant had showed us how to clean our M16's with barbasol shaving cream. Not just the shaving cream brush, actual shaving cream and hot water because CLP collected dust. If it could break, us infantry privates would break it. Ironically our M16's were spotless during inspection.

[B52U]

All of ours in 06' were shot to pieces. There was a mobile armorer who showed up at all of our quals and live fire ranges. Busted gas rings, broken bolt lugs, loose gas keys, you name it. The senior drill sergeant had showed us how to clean our M16's with barbasol shaving cream. Not just the shaving cream brush, actual shaving cream and hot water because CLP collected dust. If it could break, us infantry privates would break it. Ironically our M16's were spotless during inspection.

Basic training weapons are inherently abused and the Army is famous for lack of preventative maintenance on small arms. All our deployment weapons went through inspection/overhaul with civilian contractors (Raytheon IIRC) stateside prior to going overseas in 2004 (in my case, at Ft. Bliss). Not really reflective of the quality of materials or assembly, more just institutional neglect.

[Stickman]

A review without use, while using the absolute cheapest parts you can find, but it is better than the FN or Colt you were issued.

Perfect.

I'm sorry, but posts like this will continue to be called out until the board owners / admins or staff force me to stop. You will find great love on another AR board for buying the cheapest stuff possible and singing its' praises without actually using it, but it isn't here. This board is a better place, and deserves better. Go put a minimum of a thousands rounds through it and document what you do, and how it runs, and then there might be some amount of interest, but this sort of post is beneath you.

[Iraqgunz]

Not sure when you were in the military, but there must have been some serious failures in leadership and training.

Additionally I wouldn't use the military maintenance of weapons as an indicator of anything. Often times maintenance and repairs aren't being done the same way across the board. The wrench turner also has to give a phưc about their job.

All of ours in 06' were shot to pieces. There was a mobile armorer who showed up at all of our quals and live fire ranges. Busted gas rings, broken bolt lugs, loose gas keys, you name it. The senior drill sergeant had showed us how to clean our M16's with barbasol shaving cream. Not just the shaving cream brush, actual shaving cream and hot water because CLP collected dust. If it could break, us infantry privates would break it. Ironically our M16's were spotless during inspection.

[mlberry]

Stickman, do you mean that PSA uses inferior parts?