Palmetto State Armory Nitride Freedom M4 Carbine Review

[Straight Shooter]

UPDATE ON MY PSA SS FREEDOM MID-LENGTH 16": 1490 rounds
Took it out again on Labor Day, fired appr. 360 rounds of 5.56 M193 & some Magtech 62gr using several different mags, including some 11-12 year old Lancers.
Using my Holosun RD, was hitting an approx. 5X5 inch metal square right at 100 yards every time I did my part. Rifle is sighted dead on at 50 yards.
Had three steel targets & two paper ones set up, and went thru the 360 fairly quick. Rifle was so hot I had to don gloves to even hold it. It was very hot out..upper 90's & I flat got too hot myself. This rifle has been 100% flawless to date. Really liking the Holosun..ran it w/o a battery just to check the solar panel..good to go.
Really liking the EPT trigger. As Ive said..I bought this rifle TO TEST & abuse in ways I dont/wont do my others. Im getting very acceptable accuracy with M193 & 62 gr stuff..havent tried any heavy or match type ammo yet.
Reliability has been 100%.
Locks back on every type of mag Ive tried 100%.
Ive not had a single problem yet...but will say the rifle is overgassed and am switchin to an H2 buffer soon, and will probably add a VG6 muzzle brake Ive got sittin around to help smooth it out.
What tests should I do on the rifle for those of you interested? Ill try to hit the range again later this month, ideas, thoughts, opinions welcomed.

[hazmatt]

I work with a guy (leo) who's personal guns are a sig 250 and a lmt variant. He's put zero rounds through either and has stated this to me on a couple occasions. He's also stated both are excellent. I guess someone told him that maybe. I dont shoot as much as I'd like. But if someone's got a psa or other budget rifle that they've vetted I'm not going to knock it.

[Cokie]

Referencing a post earlier about owning KAC’s and running only steel cased ammo through them, I would too. They’ll give you a new barrel and probably a bolt if you manage to shoot it enough to wear it out. Or you’ll spend so much on ammo you won’t care about the cost of a new upper.

I’d buy a psa or any ar I planned to not use for a shtf situation and run cheap steel cased through it. More training and more $$ for better guns.

[spence]

I may be late to this party, as usual, but whatever. When I was deployed in 05-07, it's pretty elementary, you get the rifle that's issued to you, along with every other sucker, and the ammo you're issued, and if it doesn't work you take it in and get it fixed. Everybody's got the same thing. So I went through my rather short enlistment with the same rudimentary knowledge of the M16A2 and M4 that anybody else in that era did. Our unit got a deal from DPMS and I had one of their AR's for a very short time, but I didn't know squat about one outside an M4, and didn't even run a couple hundred rounds through it. I traded it when I got married during Obama for a pair of WASR10s. Then had kids, started a business, blah blah blah. Gun anything took a back seat.

Last year I got back into shooting again, switched from .40 to 9mm, and bought a couple guns. Walked in the farm store and Ruger ARs were on sale for $480, i wound up buying one on a whim simply because I had the cash in hand to do it. I went the rounds with it for a while due to poor optics that I acquired who knows when. Didn't shoot it for a few months, even after getting a significantly better optic.

I got suckered into thinking maybe I could save some dough and get greater volume shooting with steel case. Gun has right around 900 rounds through it now, maybe 250 of it steel case. I don't know if that's the cause of my most recent problems or what. I posted here a while back on mags, and took it out today with new mags and brass cased (Armscor 62 gr and Federal 55 gr) .223. Still issues after cleaning and with brand new mags.

I ain't nobody special, just Joe Schmoe with a cheap AR. I'd love to go to more training, but I live in the true definition of BFE, and got six and seven year old kids. Plus I like to shoot. Probably one of the best things I ever did was finally pick up a 92 platform pistol. My M9 and 92 Compact have taught me a couple of things, like I indeed can tinker some on my own, doesn't require a degree in rocket science, and that better quality gear can be a really good thing. I'll shoot less 5.56 to ensure the gun doesn't quit me. If my taxes come out to an advantage after this year, I may well upgrade to a mid level AR. I can't justify a $1500 gun, but $800 and a $200 red dot aren't out of the question. If I can get my Ruger sorted out, it'll get run harder. I run in cycles. Shoot a lot of pistol every week to two weeks, got a CZ 527 in .223 that's accurate as hell, and I'm working on mastering how to stick those little pills where I want them at 300 yards through the differing wind conditions. It makes monthly trips out, at least. The AR gets out about as often, depending on whether I'm shooting at 50 yards and under, or 100-300.

I might have sprung for a better rifle to start with, but it was spur of the moment. I stopped over the noon hour, saw them on sale, went back to work for a while, and went back for one after I was done for the day. It wasn't on my radar at all, really. I was looking for 9mm ammo and cat food.

[hazmatt]

I may be late to this party, as usual, but whatever. When I was deployed in 05-07, it's pretty elementary, you get the rifle that's issued to you, along with every other sucker, and the ammo you're issued, and if it doesn't work you take it in and get it fixed. Everybody's got the same thing. So I went through my rather short enlistment with the same rudimentary knowledge of the M16A2 and M4 that anybody else in that era did. Our unit got a deal from DPMS and I had one of their AR's for a very short time, but I didn't know squat about one outside an M4, and didn't even run a couple hundred rounds through it. I traded it when I got married during Obama for a pair of WASR10s. Then had kids, started a business, blah blah blah. Gun anything took a back seat.

Last year I got back into shooting again, switched from .40 to 9mm, and bought a couple guns. Walked in the farm store and Ruger ARs were on sale for $480, i wound up buying one on a whim simply because I had the cash in hand to do it. I went the rounds with it for a while due to poor optics that I acquired who knows when. Didn't shoot it for a few months, even after getting a significantly better optic.

I got suckered into thinking maybe I could save some dough and get greater volume shooting with steel case. Gun has right around 900 rounds through it now, maybe 250 of it steel case. I don't know if that's the cause of my most recent problems or what. I posted here a while back on mags, and took it out today with new mags and brass cased (Armscor 62 gr and Federal 55 gr) .223. Still issues after cleaning and with brand new mags.

Not sure what issues your having but I’d think Ruger would stand behind their product. Might want to reach out to their c/s give them a chance to figure it out before you give up on the gun.

[spence]

Not sure what issues your having but I’d think Ruger would stand behind their product. Might want to reach out to their c/s give them a chance to figure it out before you give up on the gun.

Definitely not giving up on the rifle, just looking to add another to the stable at some point in the future that’s set up for close up stuff specifically. While the Ruger is no frills, I’ve been really happy with how it shoots.

[JDH1]

Never knew I was a fudd but yes I do own a PSA or two. We have a coyote problem out here in the woods. Instead of bouncing the Colt around on the tractor letting it collect dirt, dust, and grime the PSA draws coyote bounty hunting duty.

The second was built as part of the local groups budget contest, build a functional basic m4gery with all new parts on a virgin lower then fire a full mag with no hitches at 100 yards. After sight in any shot outside the 8 ring added $10 to the price of your build. I came in second because one of the other guys got his brother to do the transfer and saved $25.

Then again I do own both Colt and RIA 1911s so what do I know?

[Uni-Vibe]

Definitely not giving up on the rifle, just looking to add another to the stable at some point in the future that’s set up for close up stuff specifically. While the Ruger is no frills, I’ve been really happy with how it shoots.

Get a Colt 6920 or SOCOM, set it up for seriousness, and plink with poo poo ammo through the Ruger.

[spence]

Get a Colt 6920 or SOCOM, set it up for seriousness, and plink with poo poo ammo through the Ruger.

It may not be a Colt, but I was thinking something along those lines when the shortfalls of this rifle began to be more apparent.

[HawaiianBob]

I wish everyone could afford really nice rifles. But they can’t so better to have something then nothing I guess. Even if someone shows up to a class with meh equipment at least they put their hard earned money towards training. Even if someone’s stuff goes down in my experience, one of us nuts have back up gear and back up to the back up gear on hand that people are nice enough to to lend.