PSA's new "Duty Grade" Sabre series [Archive]

Stickman

01-28-23, 13:34

I'm sure they'll sell a ton of these. Somehow, their "Sabre" logo reminds me of a Saudi Arabian insignia.:

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2023/01/27/shot-show-2023-palmetto-state-armorys-duty-grade-sabre-rifle-series/

No pics, no real info, and no reviews from anyone credible. On top of it only being a video, I'm tired of TFB auto running video popups so they can inflate their viewing numbers.

If someone else enjoys blindly watching videos, please feel free to post up intel that we can talk about.

Slater

01-28-23, 13:54

Just for you Stick, the link has pictures:

"PSA is bringing out another big line this year SHOT Show 2023 with the new Sabre Premium Ar-15s. The plan from PSA is to have the “best AR out of the box for under $1000″ with the new Sabre AR-15s. They will be coming out this February in a mix of forged and billet receiver options, except for one model that is still in the works as an accurized 20” AR-15."

https://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2023/01/25/shot-2023-sabre-premium-ar-15-psa/

1168

01-28-23, 14:15

I'm tired of TFB auto running video popups so they can inflate their viewing numbers.

+1. Its wicked annoying, especially since they switched to infinite scrolling. I miss the old TFB, that had long and technical articles, at a less frequent post rate, and no videos. Its become nothing more than forum posts and youtube plugs, except for a couple of the writers.

Jonnyt16

01-29-23, 12:22

Nope. Too much ambidextrous stuff for me as usual with a lot of these new rifles. Those handguards at first glance look a little strange to me as well, especially where it mates with the receiver as shown in that outdoorhub link. And skeletonized bolt carrier groups have always been a hard pass in my book.

Someone mentioned the logo...to me it looks like they kinda ripped it off from US Palm.

titsonritz

01-29-23, 12:32

Somehow PSA just doesn't sing out "Duty Grade" to me.

BufordTJustice

01-29-23, 14:16

I'm going the other way.

Hell I'm even staying away from Toolcraft after PSA bought them. MicroBest or bust, I guess. Lol

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

pag23

01-29-23, 16:52

I don't mind the quad Rail if it has cut out for an FSB..lol

Slater

01-29-23, 17:17

I'm surprised they didn't say "designed with Special Forces input".

1168

01-29-23, 17:23

I'm surprised they didn't say "designed with Special Forces input".

Its pretty clear they got input or beta testing from zero people that carry a gun for a living. They’ve confused “duty” with “Call of Duty”.

OutofBatt3ry

01-29-23, 17:25

You know how newer Kia/Hyundai are way nicer than they were in the 90's and 2000's.....

That's how I feel about PSA. Still won't buy one.
Maybe it's the stigma? The resale? I don't know.

I'm sure they're fine guns though, just can't bring myself to buy one, like a Kia.

mr h

01-29-23, 18:34

i do like the more heavily fenced mag release. as lefty, some lower have a tendency to pop the mag release for me when slung on my back

that overly bulbuls FA is gross though.

Hank6046

01-29-23, 19:48

Has their QC improved on this "duty grade" product? Quality components don't really matter if they don't inspect the product and build

hk_shootr

01-30-23, 05:14

Still won’t buy PSA.
Their reputation of poor quality and my experience of it has turned me away. The PTAC was a nightmare

Rifleman_04

01-30-23, 06:59

I'm going the other way.

Hell I'm even staying away from Toolcraft after PSA bought them. MicroBest or bust, I guess. Lol

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

It’s funny this new Sabre carbine has a MicroBest bcg.

jwfuhrman

01-30-23, 07:01

As a project, I ordered a PSA 10.5 "build kit" and a M4A1 lower. Milled out the lower for the M16 pocket, punched the third pin, dropped in the M16 trigger kit and filed the form 2.

First 10 rounds were on semi auto to see just how over gassed the thing was. Surprisingly, I've had Daniel Defense guns more over gassed. This PSA was definitely on the "plenty of gas to do the trick" but not as bad as Anderson or CMMG guns I've tested.

The next 300 rounds with the complete 10.5in PSA Nitride upper were on full auto and not one single hiccup. Even did another 300 with my Huntertown Arms Kestral 556 that I'm purposely trying to melt because its such a crappy suppressor that I won't use it for anything but this kind of thing. Definitely can tell its over gassed with that on there but still wasn't as violent as some other uppers.

PSA definitely isn't KAC or BCM but its absolutely not bottom grade or even bottom of the mid tier pack. For the Mid-Tier crowd, its on the top of that grade.

I appreciate what PSA is doing. Their mission goal is "An AR15 in every home" so its undeniably "In Common Use". That right there is why I buy lowers and other things from them.

Along with the fact that they are producing everything (other than their "premium barrels") in house and selling direct to consumer for their AR15 and AR10, plus the Jakyl, their AK line has improved dramatically in quality and everything but the injection modeled parts for their handguns are made in house. I applaud them for what they are doing.

Their ammo line AAC ammo is some pretty good stuff too.

JR TACTICAL

01-30-23, 08:30

I completly agree. I have a friend of mine that bought a complete PSA AR-15 last year and over the course of the year we shot approx. 1500 rounds while out doing drills. Keep in mind this guy had never owned a AR before, actually I think this was his first firearm and that PSA had not 1 problem. Hell, he never even luricated or cleaned the thing! He picked it up from his FFL and juts started shooting the thing and other than being a bit overgased I was very impressed. Im actually lookng at picking up a PSA AR-10 as I have never owned an AR-10 before as I have heard great things about them as well. As stated PSA are not top tier but his rifle has ran just as good as my Geissele Superduty that I spent 2k on. jwfuhrman, I did not know that thier misson was " An AR15 in every home" but I support that for sure and they will be getting my busniess soon.

HKGuns

01-30-23, 10:57

No pics, no real info, and no reviews from anyone credible. On top of it only being a video, I'm tired of TFB auto running video popups so they can inflate their viewing numbers.

If someone else enjoys blindly watching videos, please feel free to post up intel that we can talk about.

Yep, I don’t even pay attention to them any more. I’ll keep my other opinions about them in my mind.

I don’t own any PSA stuff, but they’re on our side and I am rooting for them to make as much money as they can.

I also have a soft spot in my heart for S. Carolina since I was stationed there for a number of years.

Hammer_Man

01-30-23, 13:08

I don’t think I’d buy one, but I’m glad they’re doing it, as it’s another choice on the market for the working man. Not everybody has $2k sitting around to spend on DD, LMT, KAC, etc. plus optic and ammo. I figure one of these on a Black Friday deal, plus 1,000 rounds of surplus green tip, and an Aimpoint PRO would set somebody up pretty good without exceeding the cost of a top tier rifle without optic. Lastly PSA seems to support the 2A, so kudos to them.

gaijin

01-30-23, 14:01

I’ve used a few of their lowers. All were in spec and worked without issues.

B Cart

01-30-23, 14:25

Personally i like seeing companies like PSA, Holosun, and Primary Arms being super successful. It's good for the industry and the gun community, and all 3 of those companies have come a long ways improving their quality over the years, and are now putting out some cool stuff.

Yes the early PTAC and Freedom lines of PSA sucked, and so did the early Holosun stuff and even some Primary Arms optics. But now Holosun is one of the go-to pistol optics on the market and one of the few companies innovating and pushing new advancements with red dots. Primary Arms is making a lot of really good scopes, especially in the LPVO department, and PSA has a lot of reliable guns in a LOT of American homes and constantly putting out new types of guns.

If you only want to run KAC/Noveske/LMT/BCM/Colt stuff, awesome, but you can't argue that PSA has stepped up their game.

1168

01-30-23, 14:41

but you can't argue that PSA has stepped up their game.
I absolutely agree.

My hangup with this is in the definition of “duty”. When I see aluminum swivel cups, faddish cuts on the front of the handguard, and aesthetically-oriented billet receivers, I don’t think “minimum cost and weight to reliably and durably achieve specific requirements and goals”. Will it work? Probably. Will most users be happy? Certainly. Does PSA further the 2a? Yeah, I think so. But I think for a lot of people “duty gun” has come to mean “cool” and “upgraded” or “it goes bang”. I think its likely that these rifles will fit that.

titsonritz

01-30-23, 15:07

but you can't argue that PSA has stepped up their game.

I think most lower tier AR manufacturers have stepped up their compared to 10-15 years ago, still plenty of room for improvement with many.

titsonritz

01-30-23, 15:10

I absolutely agree.

My hangup with this is in the definition of “duty”. When I see aluminum swivel cups, faddish cuts on the front of the handguard, and aesthetically-oriented billet receivers, I don’t think “minimum cost and weight to reliably and durably achieve specific requirements and goals”. Will it work? Probably. Will most users be happy? Certainly. Does PSA further the 2a? Yeah, I think so. But I think for a lot of people “duty gun” has come to mean “cool” and “upgraded” or “it goes bang”. I think its likely that these rifles will fit that.

I'm not going to buy a duty gun just because someone what to call their bullshit "Duty Grade", for all I know that misspelled "dooty".

B Cart

01-30-23, 16:08

My hangup with this is in the definition of “duty”. When I see aluminum swivel cups, faddish cuts on the front of the handguard, and aesthetically-oriented billet receivers, I don’t think “minimum cost and weight to reliably and durably achieve specific requirements and goals”. Will it work? Probably. Will most users be happy? Certainly. Does PSA further the 2a? Yeah, I think so. But I think for a lot of people “duty gun” has come to mean “cool” and “upgraded” or “it goes bang”. I think its likely that these rifles will fit that.

I'm not going to buy a duty gun just because someone what to call their bullshit "Duty Grade", for all I know that misspelled "dooty".

I agree with both of these statements. A lot of companies like to throw around that term, and it doesn't necessarily mean something is solid. I also am not a fan of the aesthetic cool guy stuff, but i personally appreciate some ambi features companies are starting to apply.

33XRAY

01-30-23, 17:09

PSA is love, hate, love for myself. In terms of their 556 they're awesome, and I'm proud of them. I guess these guys are trying to put their name out there next to HK, and Knights Armament.

C-grunt

01-30-23, 17:12

Ill see if I can find the video where one of the PSA guys was interviewed about the Sabre line. But from my understanding the Sabre line is their top of the line which includes the "duty guns" but that doesnt mean all of them are "duty" rifles. The duty rifle they talked about had normal receivers, FN hammer forged chrome lined barrel or a nitrided one, their new handguard, and a Microbest BCG.

They also had a Sabre rifle that was a gamer type gun with a hydraulic buffer system, billet receivers, and a skeletonized BCG. But I dont think he referred to that one as a duty rifle.

As far as PSA in general, I know they had some issues early on but I havent seen anything bad recently. Ived used a few of their lowers and they have been fine. Several other misc parts as well. I know guys with several of their complete rifles and they run fine.

I wouldn't trade in my Colt or Daniel Defense duty rifles for one at this time. But for my non "serious use" rifles, I have no issue buying from them.

1168

01-30-23, 17:25

. But from my understanding the Sabre line is their top of the line which includes the "duty guns" but that doesnt mean all of them are "duty" rifles. The duty rifle they talked about had normal receivers, FN hammer forged chrome lined barrel or a nitrided one, their new handguard, and a Microbest BCG.

Its possible that I’ve misunderstood.

C-grunt

01-31-23, 15:09

Its possible that I’ve misunderstood.

Who knows, maybe I did. I cant find the video on YouTube now. We will find out when they are released. I do know the rifle I described the guy said was the "duty gun". Whether he said the same thing about the fancy rifle, I cant confirm since I cant find the video anymore.

kirkland

01-31-23, 15:53

PSA and "duty grade" go together like toothpaste and orange juice.

Slater

01-31-23, 18:33

Who knows, maybe I did. I cant find the video on YouTube now. We will find out when they are released. I do know the rifle I described the guy said was the "duty gun". Whether he said the same thing about the fancy rifle, I cant confirm since I cant find the video anymore.

This is one of several videos on this rifle lineup. But I think you're probably already seen it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1meKxCavCs&t=2s

Eazyeach

01-31-23, 19:18

For the poors’ tax refunds.

Hammer_Man

02-01-23, 08:15

For the poors’ tax refunds.

Poor people need a means for self defense as well.

Hank6046

02-01-23, 09:22

Poor people need a means for self defense as well.

I'd rather have an Aero upper and lower, or more over the IWI AR is well appointed for around $850

Hammer_Man

02-01-23, 10:17

I'd rather have an Aero upper and lower, or more over the IWI AR is well appointed for around $850

That’s totally fine by me. Like I said earlier, PSA isn’t for me, but I’m glad they’re another viable option for the working man. The more AR15s in the hands of well intentioned, law abiding citizens the better.

Hank6046

02-01-23, 10:20

That’s totally fine by me. Like I said earlier, PSA isn’t for me, but I’m glad they’re another viable option for the working man. The more AR15s in the hands of well intentioned, law abiding citizens the better.

Completely agree

Eazyeach

02-01-23, 19:31

Hank6046

02-02-23, 10:39

I get it. I am a poor. It’s the only reason I made the joke. I actually have a PSA premium upper and it’s been great. Just a range toy though. To fully fall into the poors stereotype I have 3 primary arms optics

I have 3 PA optics, who cares. You gotta start somewhere. I still love the time I took a class with 18 people, 15 SWAT guys, most of whom where the training officers for their departments, and just 3 of us who weren't LEO. Everyone had, BCM, DD, ADM, Noveske, Triarc etc. and the guy who dominated everyone was a 22 year MN National Guard guy with a Springfield Saint and second hand holosun, and a stock Gen 3 G19. I'm not saying that what he had was "just as good" but he obviously made the most out of what he had, and that counts a whole lot more then the fat guy with high-end "X"

HKGuns

02-02-23, 18:03

I guess these guys are trying to put their name out there next to HK, and Knights Armament.

Say what? Not by a long shot.

Slater

02-03-23, 12:20

Even UTG Leapers is trying hard to be a player in the AR components market, and I used to think they were Airsoft only.

Stickman

02-04-23, 14:49

Even UTG Leapers is trying hard to be a player in the AR components market, and I used to think they were Airsoft only.

They are finding it very hard to be taken seriously in todays AR market. I wonder if it would have been better for them to label it "UTG REAL STEEL" or something similar so people would know they aren't buying airsoft stuff. I don't dislike airsoft, and I don't dislike their parts, but I think people need to know there is a time and place for real weapon components.

joedirt199

02-04-23, 21:06

I have several sets of the UTG PRO scope rings on my air rifles and they are pretty well made. Probably overbuilt for pcp airguns but for the price they are nice.

hotbiggun42

02-07-23, 21:44

Very innovative company.

sandsunsurf

02-07-23, 23:24

I'd rather have an Aero upper and lower, or more over the IWI AR is well appointed for around $850

Yes on the IWI but no on Aero. I’ve been more and more dissatisfied/disappointed with Aero over the last two years and would get a PSA instead.

lysander

02-08-23, 06:10

I'm sure they'll sell a ton of these. Somehow, their "Sabre" logo reminds me of a Saudi Arabian insignia.:

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2023/01/27/shot-show-2023-palmetto-state-armorys-duty-grade-sabre-rifle-series/

That palm tree with the crossed sabers does show up a lot in SA . . . .

https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E0BAQFZWXN6Z5ySSA/company-logo_200_200/0/1641799892371?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=zoAFQuoJvzd-5cagAbGzl5uwlq3Q1HowTmsuWyED4ME

robbins290

02-17-23, 09:51

Sidneyious

02-17-23, 11:15

They are finding it very hard to be taken seriously in todays AR market. I wonder if it would have been better for them to label it "UTG REAL STEEL" or something similar so people would know they aren't buying airsoft stuff. I don't dislike airsoft, and I don't dislike their parts, but I think people need to know there is a time and place for real weapon components.

The sad part is most of their furniture didnt even fit airsoft stuff, And most people dropping coin on the high end stuff was making clones and not using utg parts. Most of airsoft stuff is aimed at clones of military stuff.

UTG and condor and the like are in the middle, they make comparatively cheap stuff that can fit both groups.
Hell some airsoft branded soft gear are actually over built.

Maxpedition makes an awesome dump pouch but refuse to make anything in camo and I wanted a small rollypoli and the brand at the time was called phantom gear and they made one and I will be damned, it was $10 and Its the only one I kept when I was forced to leave airsoft because everyone left.

Just checked back and maxpedition is doing a bogo sale of them, and now condor is taking up filling in where phantom used to be.
They made great clones and now condor is going to ruin it.