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.
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