Hello, I'm mtdawg169 and I'm a parts snob.

[mtdawg169]

99% of the time, when someone inquires about PSA, they get one of two answers. It's usually either "stay away" or "PSA is GtG". IMO, both are very poor answers. This is the most comprehensive PSA commentary I've seen. And I like PSA. With a few caveats.

One can end up with a very serviceable rifle from PSA, if they are willing to be their own QC department and like to tinker. I look at a PSA complete upper, for example, as a budget, loosely assembled parts kit that may well need to be "tweaked" a bit to get it just right. Other than a crooked FSB (if applicable) or a dogged-up chamber, there just isn't a whole lot else that can't be fixed by me. In that case, I'd have to deal with PSA's (very spotty) customer service.

I have tooling and like to tinker with guns as much as I like shooting. Is PSA for the non-mechanically inclined type who just wants to take their new rifle out of the box, clean it, shoot it and never have to otherwise pay attention to it? Probably not. Is the time vs money saved equation worth it to someone who doesn't just enjoy the process anyway? There again, probably not. For me though, it's just my cup of tea.

Of course, all the above is dependent upon taking PSA's published specs at face value. I do, and it's not because I think of PSA as a shining example of "corporate morality" or anything. It's that they're a big operation now and they have ruffled a lot of feathers in the AR industry, just by the fact that they have, more than anybody else, made cheaper AR options common to the masses. As a result, I think that they would have a lot to lose by falsely representing their components, as there would be plenty of competitors in the industry to call them out on it if that were the case.

Here's my biggest beef with PSA. You have no way of knowing what you actually receive vs what you think you ordered. They have a ton of variations in bolt carrier groups alone, not to mention barrels, etc. I have actually had friends place an order for a BCG and the item they received was completely different in appearance than what they saw on the site when placing the order. And you as the end user have no way of knowing what that bolt carrier group is made of or if it was tested or not. And this goes back to my point about a lack of consistency. You hit the nail on the head, with PSA, the end user IS their quality control department.

 

[mtdawg169]

Here's the bottom line on PSA. Manufacturers all over the industry have tried to figure out how PSA sells guns for so cheap. And the math does not add up. They know what those parts cost because they buy from the same sources, at the highest volume tier & cheapest pricing available. Yet, PSA can sell a gun and make a profit for less money than it costs another company to just acquire the unassembled parts? It's just not possible. The ONLY answer is that they are buying the scrap parts that other manufacturers have rejected or did not meet the minimum standards allowed. For the OEMs, the option is basically, sell it to PSA or melt it down and start over.

At least that's my theory, anyway. No one in the industry will come out and call a spade a spade. No one wants to name names because there's still a degree of Industry Courtesy. It's a dirty little secret. But that is the only way the PSA business model can possibly work.

 

[jeffk14]

Here's my biggest beef with PSA. You have no way of knowing what you actually receive vs what you think you ordered. They have a ton of variations in bolt carrier groups alone, not to mention barrels, etc. I have actually had friends place an order for a BCG and the item they received was completely different in appearance than what they saw on the site when placing the order. And you as the end user have no way of knowing what that bolt carrier group is made of or if it was tested or not. And this goes back to my point about a lack of consistency. You hit the nail on the head, with PSA, the end user IS their quality control department.

I think that some of the folks packing up PSA's orders pay about as much attention to detail as some of their assembly workers sometimes.

I forgot to mention, I'm primarily a BCM fanboy. PSA scratches my "need to fix it, tweak it and make it mine" itch. Back when BCM offered their BCG and choice of CH as a $69.99 upgrade with the purchase of a complete upper, that, IMO, was "most bang for the buck nirvana". I wish they'd bring that back.

 

[mtdawg169]

I think that some of the folks packing up PSA's orders pay about as much attention to detail as some of their assembly workers sometimes.

I forgot to mention, I'm primarily a BCM fanboy. PSA scratches my "need to fix it, tweak it and make it mine" itch. Back when BCM offered their BCG and choice of CH as a $69.99 upgrade with the purchase of a complete upper, that, IMO, was "most bang for the buck nirvana". I wish they'd bring that back.

Yep, I think they see "bolt carrier group" on the fulfillment list, grab the first thing they see and slap a shipping label on it.

And I sure do miss the $69.99 days!

 

[olchevy]

My PSA have been nothing short of fantastic, but the only ones I have bought were the "premium" parts ones. The FN CHF barrels and the 158 HPT/MPI bolts. Never messed with the cheaper stuff.

 

[mtdawg169]

Another thought relative to this topic. Thus far, we have discussed brands like Bushmaster, DPMS, PSA, etc. We haven't even touched on the plethora of other brands out there peddling pure crap. I never thought I'd see the day where I would think of those brands as "not completely terrible" because there were so many more, worse options available. The AR industry as a whole has been in a race to the bottom for 8 years now.

 

[mtdawg169]

My PSA have been nothing short of fantastic, but the only ones I have bought were the "premium" parts ones. The FN CHF barrels and the 158 HPT/MPI bolts. Never messed with the cheaper stuff.

I'm not going to sit here and try to convince anyone that every PSA gun to leave the factory is junk. Because its not. If you get a good one, its a darn good value. But, knowing what I know about them, if I ever ordered one, I would completely tear it down, mic the parts, gauge the chamber and gas port, replace screws, restake it, inspect the LPK and rebuild it before ever shooting it.

 

[jeffk14]

My PSA have been nothing short of fantastic, but the only ones I have bought were the "premium" parts ones. The FN CHF barrels and the 158 HPT/MPI bolts. Never messed with the cheaper stuff.

When it comes to PSA, I live in "Freedom" territory and, to be honest, for what I use them for, I've had few issues. FWIW, I never touched the PTAC stuff. For me, back when BCM was doing the $69.99 upgrade deal, the small amount of extra money was worth it to me to just go ahead and get their stuff, as opposed to the PSA Premium offerings. Especially considering that PSA's shipping charges tend to be a bit on the high side and they charge GA residents sales tax.

 

[olchevy]

I'm not going to sit here and try to convince anyone that every PSA gun to leave the factory is junk. Because its not. If you get a good one, its a darn good value. But, knowing what I know about them, if I ever ordered one, I would completely tear it down, mic the parts, gauge the chamber and gas port, replace screws, restake it, inspect the LPK and rebuild it before ever shooting it.

Oh I had my parts professionally inspected, my father is a NDT (non destructive testing) instructor for aviation grade equipment. He did his own MPI test and some other test on them and they were as advertised. I obviously can't speak for everyone they have sold.

 

[Xcaliber]

.....and that's why I stick to combloc AKs ;-)