PSA Lowers for $39.99

[vicious_cb]

Spending the extra $40-60 to make sure everything is correct on a serialized part that literally will never wear out sounds like a good a deal to me. Its like those people who refuse to buy the $12 insurance that covers you for $250k in damages on a rental car.

[26 Inf]

Has anybody changed anybody's mind this go round?

[390ish]

The only out of spec lower I have run across on an AR build was from Spikes and that was pre Newtown. Have built a few Anderson’s and Spikes since and they have been fine. Have a few PSAs bare so I don’t know.


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[HelloLarry]

The 2 PSA lowers I've had were very good and the finish matched my Colt upper. They were cut low shelf too in case you want to do a registered auto sear or whatever.
Everything else I've had from PSA, blems included, was GTG too. They even spent the extra nickel's worth of labor to stake a castle nut on a stock.

I'd jump on that deal if I needed another lower.

[Zirk208]

Assuming the lowers are both in spec, what possible difference could you discern between a KAC, PSA, Colt, Noveske, Stag, Spikes, etc standard lower beyond the aesthetic differences between logos and types of finishes? Or are you just concurring that PSA might have a higher chance of being out of spec? I personally call BS on there being any functional difference between standard forged lowers. I'm also well aware that the high dollar name brands don't guarantee to be perfect spec. The Noveske lower I used on my 300BLK is almost certainly out of spec. It's so tight that I have to use a tool to remove the takedown pins. The same upper fits fine on all of my other lowers.

I won't argue that there are finish differences. My PSA lowers seem to be more of a flat finish than my Noveske Gen1 lower and other lowers I have.

Noveske (slick shiny finish):


Noveske (more of a matte finish; note tool marks from removing rear takedown pin):



PSA (more of a matte finish):



Bunches of lowers, variety of finishes....


I personally don't mind spending the coin on an expensive lower. I have several Noveskes, but I don't pretend that they're functionally any different from cheaper ones. I'd rather skimp on the rollmark on the lower and buy a nice trigger and nice upper. I am, however, by no means advocating for polymer lowers.



I've had a couple Aero lowers. Not sure why you'd pick them over PSA for twice the price. They're the same thing with different logos.

What process do you go through to ensure your lowers are in spec? What measurement are you taking?

EDITED to cut the pics out

[RHINOWSO]

Spending the extra $40-60 to make sure everything is correct on a serialized part that literally will never wear out sounds like a good a deal to me. Its like those people who refuse to buy the $12 insurance that covers you for $250k in damages on a rental car.

Except when you are already covered by your personal or company auto insurance policy.

Rental car insurance is where they RAKE in the $$$. It's almost pure profit.

[26 Inf]

What process do you go through to ensure your lowers are in spec? What measurement are you taking?

I don't know about wct097, but I just assemble, function check, and use. If the lower gives me trouble I would either go through the return process, or scrap it if I couldn't fix it. Not going to cry over an inexpensive lower.

I don't care how much the lower cost, or who made it, if you are going to SBR it, you need to assemble it and use the lower before sending in a Form 1.

This is what slays me about these discussions - everyone repeats the dogma they have adopted.

Sure, ANY manufacturer can have some QC issues get by - and yes, some manufacturers/assemblers actually have better QC controls in place than others - I suspect that some manufacturers who are reputed to have above and beyond QC actually have normal/average for the industry QC protocols.

But, given modern manufacturing technology, as long as the base material is proper, it ain't rocket science to put the holes in the right place. If the holes are in the right place and the dimensions are correct, then the lower will function regardless of whose roll mark is on it.

Are some going to look better? Sure. That was noted in a post above.

[Outlander Systems]

This is funny.

It’s almost like you have a pecuniary interest.

wct097 = Correct

You might get away with posting that sort of garbage on other websites, but expect to get called out on it here. You are absolutely wrong.

Quality control is alive and well with some manufacturers, and with others, it doesn't exist at all.

Under no stretch would I say that every lower or product PSA makes is a disaster, but their level of QC, and what they consider acceptable is below minimum standards when compared to the rest of the market. They exist for those persons looking for the cheapest price possible, and they serve that niche fairly well evidently.

[docsherm]

I am calling BULL SH!@ on this.

A working lower is a working lower. They either work or do not. I have about 8 different brands and they all work the same. As long as everything lines up they are good. I will tell you that I have 4 PSA lowers and they work just as good as my Noveske Lower. I have seen BCM Uppers and Lowers that were so far out of SPEC that they would not work at all. How about all of the retarded expensive Knights stripped lowers that were WAY out of SPEC? Hell, I have 5 Anderson Arms lowers that are SBRs...... Guess what? They too work just fine.

Are some parts different when It comes to quality, most definitely yes. Barrels are one of the most important parts and should be the best quality you can afford. But a lower........ NOPE. It is not like these companies are having people make the lowers by hand...... most of the companies have a completely automated process. Is the QA/QC process important? Yes it is. But sometimes there is a diminishing point of return. Here is a deal for you..... go buy a complete BCM lower or you can buy 4 PSA lowers, a quality LPK, a super cool trigger, and buffer system....... odds are that one of the lowers will work just as good as the BCM and you can take that extra $100 you saved and buy some ammo and train........ The Most Likely scenario is that you will have a good complete lower and also have three more stripped lowers that work just fine.

If all you want is a pretty roll mark or are running around saying I have a Colt or BCM, or what ever is the "Cool" LARP brand of the day then you are missing a great deal. If brand name dropping is what you want, then make 100% sure you know why Mr. Cool Guy likes it.


Remember that everyone has ulterior motives........ I even have them for this post...... Mine is to stop seeing people fight about stuff that does not matter at all.

[Vegas]

So QC issues that get reported on low end brands are just made up? I don't think anyone is saying that if you get a lower end brand lower that is in spec, it's garbage. The issue is, a higher % of gear is out of spec at the bottom of the barrel. Do you want to take that chance for saving an extra $60 - 100 or so? Only the individual can answer that. It's easy really.

On this site, just expect to be called out. Unless you are new here, that really shouldn't come as a surprise.