PSA Question...

[Slater]

Is PSA just an assembly house or do they manufacture some of their own components?

[Five_Point_Five_Six]

And here we have one of the many reasons I won't do business with PSA any longer. I just don't have the desire, time or patience to be their end user quality control.

[26 Inf]

Is PSA just an assembly house or do they manufacture some of their own components?

I googled what components does Palmetto State Armory actually manufacture and came up with this:

FREEDOM OVER PROFIT.
Since its inception, Palmetto State Armory has focused on providing the best quality AR-15 parts and accessories for the best price possible. Following year after year of exponential growth, Palmetto State Armory’s core principle remains the same, and our commitment to freedom before profit remains unwavering. The idea is simple:

SELL AS MANY GUNS TO AS MANY LAW-ABIDING AMERICANS AS POSSIBLE.

Putting guns into "common use" is an important legal defense established by the Supreme Court that safeguards the rights of the people against tyranny by prohibiting restrictions on firearms found to be "in common use". Putting any gun into "common use" protects against any attempt by the government to further infringe on the Second Amendment right of all Americans.

OUR MISSION IS TO MAXIMIZE FREEDOM, NOT OUR PROFITS. WE WANT TO SELL AS MANY AR-15 AND AK-47 RIFLES AS WE CAN AND PUT THEM INTO COMMON USE IN AMERICA TODAY. OUR FOCUS ISN'T TO MAKE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF MONEY BUT TO SPREAD FREEDOM AS FAR AND WIDE AS POSSIBLE. OUR LEGACY WILL NOT BE ABOUT MONEY; WE WANT OUR LEGACY TO BE ABOUT MAXIMIZING AMERICAN FREEDOM. AND WE WORK EVERY DAY TO DO JUST THAT. WE MAKE HIGH-QUALITY FIREARMS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES FOR EVERYONE! THEN WE BACK THEM WITH A FULL LIFETIME WARRANTY.

100% LIFETIME WARRANTY.

Palmetto State Armory firearms are covered by an industry leading 100% LIFETIME WARRANTY. This extends beyond the original purchaser. We want the person who bought a great quality firearm at an excellent price to have comfort in knowing that no matter what, the firearm can be fixed at no additional cost.

THIS INCLUDES SHIPPING BOTH WAYS.

We strive for excellence all the way through production and hope customers never have to use this warranty but we also pride ourselves in 99% non-repair/return ratio. It is there for peace of mind so that the consumer can be confident in their purchase. Should the consumer ever need to contact us regarding a repair under the warranty, simply use our contact form for the fastest response.

INDUSTRY EXPERTS

The family of companies to which Palmetto State Armory belongs includes: DC Machine in Summerville, SC; Ferrous Engineering in West Columbia, SC; Special Tool Solutions in Jacksonville, FL; Spartan Forging in Lincolnton, NC and Lead Star Arms in West Columbia, SC.

With the combined expertise and experience of this robust family of manufacturers and innovators in the firearm components and accessories industry, Palmetto State Armory is able to have ownership in every step of the process of its firearms - from the first forging of the receivers to the last twist of the muzzle brake.

Making it ourselves allows us to keep the price low, the quality high and stay strongly invested in researching and developing new products. And on top of that, we back our product with a 100% Full Lifetime Warranty. If it has our name on it we will back it up. Whether you’re the first, second or tenth owner, we guarantee our quality. Ten years from now or thirty years from now, we guarantee it. We want this to be fun, and it’s only fun if it works.

As founder Jamin McCallum remembers his time on deployment in Iraq. He says his time on the ground there helps motivate the mission of Palmetto State Armory to this day:

"I’VE SEEN WHAT A SOCIETY LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT FALLS APART. IT’S REALLY, REALLY BAD. THAT’S WHY OUR MISSION IS TO MAXIMIZE FREEDOM, NOT OUR PROFITS. WE WANT TO SELL AS MANY AR-15 AND AK-47 RIFLES AS WE CAN; NOT TO MAKE A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT TO PUT THEM INTO COMMON USE IN AMERICA TODAY.

I DON’T WANT MY LEGACY TO BE THAT I MADE A LOT OF MONEY, I WANT IT TO BE THAT THIS COMPANY PRODUCED THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF FREEDOM. AND SO WE WORK EVERY DAY TO DO JUST THAT. MAKE HIGH QUALITY FIREARMS AT A PRICE THAT MAKES THEM AFFORDABLE TO THE MOST PEOPLE POSSIBLE. THEN WE BACK THEM WITH A 100% FULL LIFETIME WARRANTY.
IF WE CAN DO THAT, I CAN SLEEP AT NIGHT."

Palmetto State Armory continues to pursue its founding principle every day by building firearms in Columbia, SC that carry a 100% Full Lifetime Warranty and a price point that makes them accessible to as many people as possible.

My take:

I don't know if this is merely a marketing strategy, or a firmly held belief.

Was not aware of the extent of their warranty.

I used PSA lowers on my second and third builds, quit buying them because I don't like their logo, same with Anderson. Likewise I used several of their LPK's before I populated my parts bin enough to put together my own LPK's - it doesn't make sense to buy LPK's when about the only thing you use are detents, detent pins, detent springs and pivot pins. I do buy other stuff from them on their daily deals and have no complaints in that regard.

Would I buy a complete rifle from them? Why would I? At this point I've never bought a complete, in the box rifle. I have two rifles that are made of complete factory parts - a LaRue and a Colt; the LaRue I put together using an ultimate upper kit, and their lower; the Colt I bought an upper, and a complete lower at separate times. Come to think of it, it's not a complete Colt - it has a ToolCraft BCG and a Giessele charging handle.

As far as remarks about quality, and QC, from what I've heard, this has been steadily improving. It will take them a while to outrun the early problems.

[Slater]

Googling one of their subsidiaries in your response (DC Machine) seems to show thatthey make their own barrels, barrel extensions. and lowers:

http://www.dcmachine.net/services/

I've only known a couple guys that have bought their complete guns, but they seem happy with them.

[Straight Shooter]

Googling one of their subsidiaries in your response (DC Machine) seems to show thatthey make their own barrels, barrel extensions. and lowers:

http://www.dcmachine.net/services/

I've only known a couple guys that have bought their complete guns, but they seem happy with them.

I bought two- one has been a safe queen..one is a testing piece.
Its a 16" middy SS WYLDE chambered. Before firing, as best I could, I went over it and saw nothing that looked wrong.
Its been 100% reliable for over 1600 rounds. Shoots very nicely and is as accurate as most any AR. Time will tell, and I make NO claims of superiority. It is WELL worth what Ive got in it, and after I get my range stash replenished..Ill start testing again.
They ARE improving, they DO & HAVE had issues, but if you get one where the stars lined up and it was assembled correctly & parts are as they should be, youve got a decent AR well worth the cash.

[RonaldOO]

The whole point is no matter what they try and do, it doesn’t change the fact we have a right to it. We didn’t get the rights because someone wrote it down. We’ve always had these rights. Always will. I've been just writing an essay on this topic using this link. The government can say that we don’t, but that doesn’t change the facts. We need to spread that message, not telling people “you only deserve guns if you don’t hand them in”

No. You have a RIGHT to guns, and arms. Doesn’t matter what the government says or does.

[Straight Shooter]

I bought two- one has been a safe queen..one is a testing piece.
Its a 16" middy SS WYLDE chambered. Before firing, as best I could, I went over it and saw nothing that looked wrong.
Its been 100% reliable for over 1600 rounds. Shoots very nicely and is as accurate as most any AR. Time will tell, and I make NO claims of superiority. It is WELL worth what Ive got in it, and after I get my range stash replenished..Ill start testing again.
They ARE improving, they DO & HAVE had issues, but if you get one where the stars lined up and it was assembled correctly & parts are as they should be, youve got a decent AR well worth the cash.

Since this thread has been resurrected from June..Ill update.
My test rifle now has over 1800 rounds and continues to run & shoot flawlessly.
Just told someone a couple days ago I wish I woulda bought 10 instead of two. The other one I sold to a member here, last I heard was running fine, but he can chime in on that if he wants.

[AndyLate]

I picked up the PSA 16" middie from SS and it has been trouble-free. I installed an H-buffer in place of the standard carbine one and replaced the extractor spring with a Sprinco XP as a matter of course. It has a FSB and we barely had to move the windage dial on the rear sight to zero.

Full disclosure - I got it right before the ammo dried up so it has not been run terribly hard.

Pre-panic, the PSA Freedom guns were running around $600 vs $900 and up for Colt, LMT, Sionics, BCM, etc. They do honor their warranty by all reports and they are doing MUCH better at assembly than say 6 years ago.

In my humble opinion (and opinion only) they certainly hold their own compared to the Ruger or S&W ARs that are their realistic competitors.

Andy

[Screwball]

PSA isn’t too bad...

My AK-P is awesome. Accurate, reliable, and was a good buy for a compact AK. That is their GF3 line, and from what I’ve heard... the GF4 and GF5 are just as good with better barrels/parts. Do they have teething problems, like the AK-V? Yep... but they seem to square stuff away professionally.

I did grab a 11.5” pistol build kit, and one of their lowers, for my Heat build (tossed in a binary trigger for s***s/giggles). Not their Premium line, but was Nitrided. No issues with it.

Would I buy more? Depends on the situation. I’m sort of ARed out, as I have my 8th waiting on a parts kit (one of those KE polymer lowers, and a lightweight DoubleStar upper). I kind of want an 18” or 20” upper for another lower that is built, but not really set on a brand. If PSA has one that I like, for a good price, when I’m looking to spend the coin... I’d consider them.

Not interested in their Dagger, being I am issued a Glock 19 (no need for a cheaper clone... I’d just grab a Blue Label). Might consider their MP5 clone, if it ever comes out... but then it is another platform that I have multiple other firearms that are similar enough (Glock magazine AR pistol, Beretta CX4, and D/I .45 AR). Shy of that, nothing really blows my skirt up.

[Straight Shooter]

I picked up the PSA 16" middie from SS and it has been trouble-free. I installed an H-buffer in place of the standard carbine one and replaced the extractor spring with a Sprinco XP as a matter of course. It has a FSB and we barely had to move the windage dial on the rear sight to zero.

Full disclosure - I got it right before the ammo dried up so it has not been run terribly hard.

Pre-panic, the PSA Freedom guns were running around $600 vs $900 and up for Colt, LMT, Sionics, BCM, etc. They do honor their warranty by all reports and they are doing MUCH better at assembly than say 6 years ago.

In my humble opinion (and opinion only) they certainly hold their own compared to the Ruger or S&W ARs that are their realistic competitors.

Andy

Andy-
The absolutely will hold up against Ruger, S&W, Springfield Armory, ect. Thats a great comparison.
Had a guy wanting to buy mine last Sunday...coulda made a quick buck but I was like NO WAY.
For those who got them pre-panic..hang on to them. They will be pretty dang good investments.