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Thread: Are ALL the basic PSA lowers drilled and tapped for a standard Tensioning Screw?

  1. #11
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    I have the grumpy joe PSA lower and i dont recall a tension screw.
    I tried to follow the science but it simply was not there. I then followed the money, thats where i found the science.

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by SearchMe View Post
    Thanks for the warm welcome.

    What's yer problem with PSA?

    What's yer problem with Tensioning Screws?
    To answer your original question: None of the PSA lowers I possess are drilled and tapped for tensioning screws. These lowers range from 2012ish to within the last year. If you google PSA upper tensioning screw you get several hits on AR15.com (called TOS - 'the other site' on this forum) which indicate at least some PSA lowers have been drilled and tapped.

    I looked in my box of lowers which haven't been built yet and this is what I found:

    DRILLED FOR TENSIONING SCREW: Aero Precision; Battle Arms Development (BAD); Cross Machine and Tool CMT). I'm thinking the Aero would be the least expensive of these.

    DON'T BOTHER LOOKIG AT THESE, THEY AREN'T DRILLED: Geissele; Wilson Combat; Alexandria Pro-Fab*; Noreen Firearms*; Anderson Arms; PSA.

    * these two are my favorite 'no logo' lowers.

    The reason folks are saying you don't need a tensioning screw is that it doesn't improve accuracy:

    Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President... - Theodore Roosevelt, Lincoln and Free Speech, Metropolitan Magazine, Volume 47, Number 6, May 1918.

    Every Communist must grasp the truth. Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. Our principle is that the Party commands the gun, and the gun must never be allowed to command the Party Mao Zedong, 6 November, 1938 - speech to the Communist Patry of China's sixth Central Committee

  3. #13
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    It doesn't improve accuracy but a rifle that flops like a rag doll is something I don't care for.

    I have an Aero with it and appreciate it.
    I don't utilize the BHO screw or take down detent though.
    That seems a bit much.

    Over size PSA take down pins turned to fit makes them tight.

  4. #14
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    I have had dozens of psa lowers without a problem. They were no better or worse then lowers from other more reputable plans. None of them have tensioning screws.

    Soli Deo Gloria

  5. #15
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    I agree that an excessive amount of play is annoying, but the tension screw is just another unneeded fastener that could move/come loose. And if you remove it, it's an open access for debris. It's just not needed.

    And I don't know of any issues with PSA lowers. The should be machined to spec.
    "What would a $2,000 Geissele Super Duty do that a $500 PSA door buster on Black Friday couldn't do?" - Stopsign32v

  6. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by markm View Post
    I agree that an excessive amount of play is annoying, but the tension screw is just another unneeded fastener that could move/come loose. And if you remove it, it's an open access for debris. It's just not needed.

    And I don't know of any issues with PSA lowers. The should be machined to spec.
    Agree on all points... I do have an Aero lower with the tension screw and the only reason I didn't throw it in the scrap metal bucket when I was assembling the lower was so that it would act as a plug for the unnecessary hole in the lower. Otherwise (like you said) it's just an open access for crap to collect.

    I was a bigger fan of Aero lowers when they didn't have this feature and now I avoid them because of it.
    Last edited by 556Cliff; 03-30-23 at 13:09.

  7. #17
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    The tension screw needs to glued in as well or it will back off.
    I opted for a set screw on top of it.
    Due to tolerance of the threads I had to find the sweet spot.
    Adjust loose and tighten the set screw then check pin tension.

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by hotbiggun42 View Post
    I have the grumpy joe PSA lower and i dont recall a tension screw.
    Thanks for ANSWERING the QUESTION.
    Last edited by SearchMe; 03-30-23 at 11:28.

  9. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by 26 Inf View Post
    What problems have you had with PSA lowers? YOU, not guys parroting you or the late Will Larson. [...] So to sum it up, the AR lower is a much simpler CNC machining task than say an aerospace manifold. As the material is correct, just about any brand will work.
    Thanks for your post.

    I'm new to the AR platform, but not new to building military arms. The kind that you can't just assemble with your hex key. I have always put my faith in .30cal and my rifle of choice has been the FN FAL. I recently purchased an inexpensive AR15 just to have something chambered in 5.56. It turns out I really like this rifle. Modularity. Ubiquity. Accuracy.

    I'm considering an 11.5" pistol build based on a railed nitride PSA kit. I'll need a lower. I figure a PSA lower and upper will mate properly. I assume the lower receiver parts in the PSA pistol kit will fit a standard PSA lower. I don't want to advertise PSA or any other manufacturer, so I'm interested in the "Stealth" rcvr. And yes, budget is an issue. I hope my reasoning is acceptable to the EVCs* on this board...

    In researching this matter, THIS ARTICLE is one of multiple sources suggesting that forged PSA lowers are a solid choice. Scroll about halfway down to the heading Best AR-15 Lower Receivers. I also read lots of brief reviews written by satisfied PSA build customers.

    Some people aren't capable of getting good results from less expensive gear. Others are. Some people think they can impress others by wasting money on "what's trending" and by "talking tough." Others don't.

    * Elite Virtual Commandos
    Last edited by SearchMe; 03-30-23 at 11:44.

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by 26 Inf View Post
    To answer your original question: None of the PSA lowers I possess are drilled and tapped for tensioning screws. These lowers range from 2012ish to within the last year. If you google PSA upper tensioning screw you get several hits on AR15.com (called TOS - 'the other site' on this forum) which indicate at least some PSA lowers have been drilled and tapped.
    Thanks for this overview, and for your previous post.

    I Googled the question yesterday and found a link to an unreliable source (maybe Reddit...) that claimed his PSA lower is drilled and tapped. Couldn't find any information about which PSA lowers (models or years of mfr) are configured for the tensioning screw. So I posted a "Question" on the PSA product page; the only means of asking PSA a question. And FWIW, I agree with the PSA detractors here; it's ridiculous to not be able to SPEAK with a company to whom you're paying $500+.

    FWIW, the AR I just bought locks up tight, and is tapped for the tensioning screw. I'll get a screw for this rifle, and will try to find that feature in any AR rifle I purchase, in any caliber. EVERYTHING wears after a certain number of iterations. Everything. One day my tight new AR will be loose, and I am not accustomed to "loose weapons." Whether it affects accuracy for the EVCs or not, I will shoot better with a rifle that is squared away.
    Last edited by SearchMe; 03-30-23 at 11:45.

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