PSA UPPERS

[Tony617]

I bought my first PSA 18” CHF mid-length upper. Had a spare charging handle and BCG. I have only shot about 200 rounds but no complaints. Built my lower with an inexpensive Anderson lower. Nice rifle for even though the CHF was more expensive the nitride or melonite upper.

[ViniVidivici]

Another positive report on a PSA upper: buddy of mine just got one in (this man knows ARs inside and out). Basic cheap 16 inch carbine length.

Passed inspection with flying colors, shoots perfectly reliably and is accurate.

[BuzzinSATX]

I have not been through every post in this thread, so I apologize if this is a repeat, but I find this post on TOS very compelling:

From the "High Rond Count AR/M4...thread, posted by Ron from Henderson Defense (Battlefield Las Vegas Range)

"Posted: 2/25/2018 2:59:22 PM EST
I don't have the time to browse the forums like I used to but didn't recently read some posts about the hate for PSA products while on FB. I don't get a discount from them and we order online just like everybody else and owe them NO favors but I can tell you from our experience, those cheap complete uppers just run and run. I know that there are several subcontractors who make parts from them and I am not a liberty to discuss the details but I don't understand all the hate for PSA? Is there something that I've missed?

V/R
Ron"

https://www.ar15.com/forums/AR-15/Hi...ge=30#i7622476

[Five_Point_Five_Six]

It's not hard to get an upper to run reliably when you drill a gas port that you could stick your finger in. I shot a brand new PSA 16" middy on my go to Colt lower over Thanksgiving and in comparison to the 11.5" 6933 upper I typically run on it, the PSA was way over gassed. I'm running the stock spring and H buffer in the lower and with the PSA upper it was slamming the bcg to the rear with the same ammo that shoots smoothly in the 6933 upper with a proper sized gas port. I'm tempted to pull the fsb off the PSA and measure it.

[RHINOWSO]

When your idea of "running" is minimal failures and accuracy at 25 ft for mostly non-gun people to shoot while in Vegas, that's not a high bar to jump over.

[BuzzinSATX]

When your idea of "running" is minimal failures and accuracy at 25 ft for mostly non-gun people to shoot while in Vegas, that's not a high bar to jump over.

That’s a fair point...this ‘users’ POV is clearly not a “1 size fits all” situation. I’m not banging on the PSA drum...only bought from them once (Black Friday upper) and haven’t even had a chance to shoot it yet, so no opinion from me yet on my sample of 1.

But if a high volume rental range attests to the durability/longevity of a certain brand of AR upper, that has merit for what it is, and adds credibility to the brand. If the gun will “run and run” and that’s what the buyer is looking for, at a price point half the “board certified” brands, more power to them.

Time will tell for me, but the Henderson Defense testimony was a net positive to me.

[Five_Point_Five_Six]

When your idea of "running" is minimal failures and accuracy at 25 ft for mostly non-gun people to shoot while in Vegas, that's not a high bar to jump over.

Yeah if I were them I'd stack those $159 PSA uppers on the shelves and just let the Canadian and Asian tourists burn through them.

[RHINOWSO]

Yeah if I were them I'd stack those $159 PSA uppers on the shelves and just let the Canadian and Asian tourists burn through them.

Which I’m sure they do. If I ran that business the FA ARs would all be PSA uppers to be run hard and put away wet on a full auto lower. Why burn up a Colt / BCM / Daniel Defense (unless the customers are paying do). But for a generic Full Auto AR, it would be cheap PSA all day long.

And I’m not knocking some of the lower shelf AR makers like PSA - I’m sure they make a range serviceable AR, even more so when you send them to BF Vegas and certified armorers inspect, QC them and maintain them. For finger banging out to 100yds I’m sure 90% of the AR public would be fine with them, especially when they go to the range twice a year.

[MistWolf]

My first AR carbine was a PSA with a stainless steel barrel. I ran that puppy hard to see if it would hold up. It did. Once the extractor spring was replaced with a Colt spring, it was always reliable. During a typical Saturday, we'd put 300-500 rounds through it. I ran that PSA hard enough to turn the stainless steel barrel brown from the heat. I traded it to one of my little cousins and he's still shooting the snot out of it. I've since acquired a Colt, which I like better, but that PSA proved to be good rifle.

[Caduceus]

Apologies if I posted already.

I've had several reliable (all sub 500 round, yes that'snot a high round count) AR uppers, usually bought as a "trial of that model." In other words, a cheap way to try a dissy or some other model.

I had a 6.8 upper that I sent back (gas tube) and just requested a RMA for AR47 upper.

I'm starting to shy away from them in variant calibers.