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

[Waylander]

"Dialing in" is realistically only required for gamer guns and suppressors, at least for 5.56. A quality barrel, BCG, and trigger group in decent receivers should just work with a rifle, A5, or carbine (H1 or H2) recoil system. All my ARs run fine when reasonably clean and lubed with ammo from Tula to full power 5.56 spec ammo. My 18" rifle is the only one that's vaguely finicky and it just needs to be well lubed.

I would rather swap between a standard and a BRT reduced port gas tube for suppressed use than mess with an AGB.

Other calibers? Meh. 5.56 and 22 lr are the only AR rounds worth shooting

Andy

THIS.
It’s why the easy button is buying a good brand mil spec rifle and be done with it. That does not mean expensive. A decent Colt will do.

I don’t even know why people new to the game want to tweak and customize ARs so much. Tension screws, gas ports, gas blocks, buffer springs, BCGs, triggers, and on and on. Get a rifle that runs right and you don’t have to fiddle with that crap.

[SearchMe]

Some uppers and lowers have a looser fit, it's really not an issue and easy to "fix" with foam tape shims under the rear takedown pin boss if it bugs you.

Thanks for this perspective.

"Dialing in" is realistically only required for gamer guns and suppressors, at least for 5.56. A quality barrel, BCG, and trigger group in decent receivers should just work with a rifle, A5, or carbine (H1 or H2) recoil system.

Again, I appreciate the perspective, especially when you're basically simplifying the issue.

I would rather swap between a standard and a BRT reduced port gas tube for suppressed use than mess with an AGB.

I had never heard of the BRT until yesterday. Still haven't looked into it carefully, but I will. FN FAL rifles use a gas piston with a very versatile gas adjustment system. I would like to have similar versatility with AR rifles, but if what's available is just a headache I'll pass. I'll look into it further IF my AR15 exhibits the overgassing that is a "hallmark" of this particular make. =D

Other calibers? Meh. 5.56 and 22 lr are the only AR rounds worth shooting

I have a CMMG 22LR conversion kit on order, and am thinking about trading an existing 7.62x51 rifle for a Ruger SFAR in .308 (after they sort out the bugs, and hopefully offer it with an 18" bbl and full-length pic rail). Beyond that, like you, I'm not interested in myriad esoteric chamberings.

[SearchMe]

THIS.
It’s why the easy button is buying a good brand mil spec rifle and be done with it. That does not mean expensive. A decent Colt will do.

I don’t even know why people new to the game want to tweak and customize ARs so much. Tension screws, gas ports, gas blocks, buffer springs, BCGs, triggers, and on and on. Get a rifle that runs right and you don’t have to fiddle with that crap.

Works for me. My life is beyond complicated so I don't want extra crap to deal with, but Budget wins in the end. It's almost impossible to get around the near-universal inverse relationship between funding and ease-of-ownership: The more cash you can throw at a problem, the smaller the problem becomes. And vice versa.

I don't have much budget for firearms these days, and online forums are tailor made for discussing the intricacies of DIY and HowTo. All the things you mention not wanting to consider... I'm pretty sure I've come to the right place. =D

[SearchMe]

The ANSWER to My Question

Today I looked through the Customer Q&A on the regular non-blem product page for the lower rcvr in question (lots more Q&A there than on the blem page). Sure enough, the Tensioning Screw question was asked-and-answered: The lower receiver is NOT drilled and tapped for a tensioning screw.

Also, I found a phone number for PSA, but don't know if they ever answer it.

[kirkland]

These days steel cased ammo isn't any cheaper than brass.

I told the guy I sold the Faxon upper to run brass and it would be fine, he bought Tula and it choked.
I had put a lower together for him configured like I had it running with an A5 extension, green spring and A5H2.
So then I gave him one of my carbine springs and buffer with a spacer and it works with that.

I haven't tried steel cased ammo in any of my rifles as I don't have any and don't plan on buying any.
But I had the car buffer, spring and spacer to try out if I ever did.

If the gas system is tight it doesn't need a gas port big enough to stub a cigar out in to be reliable using 5.56 brass cased ammo.
To me, adjustable gas blocks are just something else to fiddle with or have an issue, much easier to get a barrel that is sized right to start with and use a quality gas block, tube and BCG.
That and I pretty much just lube them back up, wipe it down and put it away.
Working the AGB screw after every session to keep it from getting carbon locked isn't gonna happen for me.

Any rifle that chokes on steel case is a POS

[One More Time]

That's the size of gas drive that I selected and it worked as advertised.
Had I wanted to run steel ammo I would have selected that one.

[One More Time]

After I bought the Faxon barrel I started checking the port size and crossing it with what they have.
Like a lot of them they are not very forthcoming on port size like it's a secret formula.
But I did find an article on how they came up with the port size for barrels.
Steel cased ammo, dry phosphate BCG and open it up till it locks back and then a bit more to make sure.
Ends up being 0.081" for a 16" mid length and cycles hard with an A5H4 buffer.