Palmetto State Armory (PSA) has some great bang-for-the-buck firearms and parts.
We’ve hands-on tested almost all of their stuff in both written and video formats.
So let’s get on with it!
Table of Contents
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AR-15 (5.56)
This is their bread and butter line.
Almost all the parts in their AR-15s are made in-house. And that’s how they make their guns so affordable.
We hands-on test three of their standard AR-15 uppers. Check it out since we go over the best combo of upper and lower.
Our favorite was the 16″ freefloat mid-length version (middle).
The A2 front sight post (top) was a little front-heavy and less accurate. While the .223 Wylde version (bottom) disappointed in the accuracy department.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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It’s still one of my favorite uppers and I continue to use it for testing of other stuff.
Plus…we also have a full YouTube review of it now!
What’s your take on PSA-15s?
And one more time…since it’s their most popular product…our Review of PSA AR-15s.
AR-15 Pistols
These are the sub-16″ uppers for use in AR-15 pistol or SBR (short barreled rifle) builds.
We won’t dive into the legalities right here…but you can check them out in our Best AR-15 Pistol Braces article.
My favorite PSA upper was the 10.5″ version since it felt like the best balance between recoil and reliability.
Both lengths were 100% flawless but usually longer gas systems leads to more reliability.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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And oh yes…we also have a full YouTube review.
JAKL (5.56 NATO)
The JAKL made its debut at SHOT Show 2020 as a 7.5-inch barreled, .300 BLK AR pistol with a suggestion that other models would follow.
Two years later, the gun officially hit the market with a 10.5-inch barrel, chambered in 5.56mm.
We tested the PSA JAKL in late 2022, and during our time with it, it seemed to be a diverse firearm that could easily fit many roles. It proved reliable, accurate, and configurable.
If you want to tuck away some extra firepower, the JAKL is a decent option. With the 10.5-inch barrel and folding stock, you still get a 5.56mm gun that can feed on 30-round (or bigger) magazines.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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For more on the JAKL read the review here or watch the video below.
AR-15 (.224 Valkyrie)
The Valkyrie was the “it” cartridge recently for being able to stay supersonic past 1000 yards…but does it stack up?
We put PSA’s .224 Valkyrie upper to the test in our full review.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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I think you know the drill…full YouTube as well.
AR-9 (9mm)
Wooo, an affordable PCC (pistol caliber carbine) from PSA.
Pardon my grip fin…but even with it the PX-9 kicked butt.
It’s my go-to in PCC competitions…
And my favorite pick for affordable 9mm AR-15 platform pistol caliber carbines.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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And you’ll probably want a lower too.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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Full review here where I go over tons more stuff.
AR-V (9mm)
With a decent MSRP and build kits available, PSA’s 10.5-inch AR-V is a pretty cool 9mm PCC platform.
Boasting a nice PCC design, the AR-V’s unique ability to pair with PSA’s proprietary AK-V/AR-V mags or CZ Scorpion EV mags give it a leg up.
See our full review here!
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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AR-10 (.308)
The big bro to the AR-15.
We cover the most popular .308 AR-10 version.
Complete with accuracy groups and shots out to 600 yards EASY.
Of course…another full YouTube as well…
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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AR-10 (6.5 Creedmoor)
Another nice long-range caliber in PSA’s AR-10 platform…
6.5 Creedmoor is supposed to stay supersonic out to 1200 yards…and I got to stretch it out (and get hits) at 1000 yards.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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AR-15 (.22LR)
Let’s bring it back a little in terms of caliber…
PSA has a great .22LR upper that works on almost all mil-spec AR-15 lowers.
Full review here..and YouTube video!
Or just get it right now…
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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AK-47 (PSAK-47 GF3)
Clever name…and now you can get your hands on an affordable All-American made AK.
It’s been 100% reliable from the start…and we’ve shot everything from steel-case to laquer-coated and brass rounds.
Check out our complete review right here.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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And full YouTube:
AK-V (9mm)
Let’s go a little more niche…with PSA’s version of the Russian special forces favorite Vityaz
But now in another All-American form…
It’s hard to keep in stock…
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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But here is our full review. Spoiler…it’s really fun.
AK-P GF3 (7.62x39mm)
Our latest review is of the AK-P GF3…effectively PSA’s AK pistol in good ole 7.62x39mm.
A nice truck or tractor gun with a super maneuverable 10.5″ barrel and SB Tactical stock that makes it a pistol.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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Check out the full review here.
And full video from Johnny here:
AK-74 (5.45x39mm)
For those looking to skirt the traditional 7.62 models, PSA offers the AK-74 chambered in 5.45x39mm.
With a 16-inch PSA AK barrel and side folding stock, the AK-74 offers a peek int the 5.45 world but with a very affordable entrance fee.
Check out our full review here!
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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And full YouTube:
AK-103 (7.62x39mm)
The AK-103 isn’t quite a 1:1 clone of the classic AK-100 series, but it’s got some sweet AK-74M style upgrades.
Featuring a sweet muzzle brake on a 16-inch barrel, it really knocks the recoil out of that 7.62 round.
All in all, the AK-103 is a fun gun to take to that range.
Check out the AK-10 in action in our full review here.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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And full YouTube video:
AK-104 (7.62x39mm)
PSA’s AK-104 is based on the aforementioned AK-103.
But this model sports a booster — an elongated, pinned, and welded device that sits on the barrel.
The PSA AK-104 brings a dovetail rail for mounting optics and a nifty side-folding polymer stock.
Though we had a minor hiccup while testing (you can read more about that in our full review) it was a blast to shoot overall!
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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Final Thoughts
Phew…that’s a lot of PSA guns. We’ll keep updating this as we review more!
In the meantime…check out Best AR-15 Optics and also our favorite Ammo Picks for Popular Calibers.
19 Leave a Reply
I used to do business with PSA until they decided to refuse to ship my order and to hold my money for thirty days before I could request a cancelation and request a refund. I called their nightmare mess called customer service 3 times to seek a resolution. 3 times I was told I had to wait thirty days. I filed my complaint with my credit card company Discover Card and South Carolina's Better Business Bureau. Between Discover Card and BBB I finally got my money back. PSA is the worst company I have ever done bysiness with in over 50 years of companies doing business in the firearms industry.
My advice to everyone regarding PSA is caveat emptor (Buyer Beware).
I ordered an AR upper, lower, a case, and some mags. Everything except the upper came in a reasonable amount of time. After nearly 60 days of waiting, I attempted to contact PSA by phone and email. The wait times on the phone were so long that I usually just hung up. After waiting almost 30 minutes one time I was hung up on. In the meantime, I received an email from them saying they had canceled my order which is not what I wanted. So now almost 2 months later I still can't complete my build-out. I finally got Daniel on the phone who said there was nothing he could do, my order was canceled and that was that. I asked Daniel if they could reinstate or reship my order but he said he could not and then hung up on me.
I was once a loyal customer of PSA. Buyer beware! Palmetto State Armory’s customer service has become non-existent. Rude staff and impossible to get quality control issues and product shipment inquiries addressed in a timely manner (If at all!). I would stay far, far away from purchasing anything from this company until they clean up their act.
Their service is garbage. In this day and age of supply chain issues every company should be upping their customer service. 1000s of complaints and people keep buying and regretting it. Cheap guns great, horrible service, just stay away.
The only place I have found .357 magnum ammo in stock,great price as well.
Ordering was easy with no issues.
Four days from order to delivery,will definitely order from psa again.
I've been a fan and a customer of PSA for a number of years for everything that shoots, and goes 'bang'. Their selections and prices are hard to beat. They've brought the cost of an AR to just about everyone's price range. Even their bargain "blems" are functionally good if not great quality. Heck, where else can you get a great little AR for $440.00 ??? Their service is extraordinary and "deals" just keep me buying more. Love 'em. Only drawback is that they're on the east coast - wish they were local - I'd probably live at their store.
I recently built a 5.56 using the PSA Liberty lower, BLEM 16" MLOK upper kit (on sale at the time), rounded out with a Magpul stock and grip. I added a TRS-25 and a tactical light. At 50 yds I get groups of about 1/2" and with my tactical Leapers scope, I get 2MOA at 100 yds. This is with cheaper target ammo - I haven't used match-grade or home loads yet. The rifle is excellent and it was more than worth the price even without the sale.
I am sure with a couple of additions (lighter BCG, better compensator, 2-stage or competition trigger, adjustable gas block) the accuracy would improve.
I’ve ordered quite a bit from psa, including a complete upper and lots more parts. My only complaint is the shipping speed sometimes is slow, but that’s more a factor of me living 1500 miles or more away from them. Awesome company and I’ve referred a lot of friends to them
I must be the 'Luckiest boy...In the world.' [PeeWee Herman reference] I've purchased a number of items from PSA and never an issue...Never. A minimum of one complete AR, one upper, one complete lower, misc parts, and ammo. Heck, I've never had to call 'em. Almost every vendor or manufacturer will make good on issues. Sometimes I wonder...Is there a cottage industry of hating on PSA?
NEVER BUY FROM PSA... EVER!!!
They had a major privacy breach when they doxxed a bunch of us buying standard cap mags and sending personal email addresses out to hundreds of other people. That, plus the other costumer service/IT issues are enough that I’d never recommend PSA to anyone for anything.
Just a heads-up. I ordered an AR from PSA. It shipped from W. Columbia about a week after ordering and was in my town in a couple days and out for delivery on a Friday, then Saturday, then the next Monday. Calls to UPS to locate were impossible. Chatted with UPS Online reps and that was meaningless. Now, I had been charged for the rifle but it was being shipped to FFL. So, you know where I'm going. I can't do anything about the shipment. No option to file a claim and PSA was NON-EXISTENT. Cannot call them, takes 3 days for them to respond to their contact tool on the web and it was abundantly clear they weren't even reading the emails. Weeks later, no rifle or response from PSA. Reported to local PD because they don't need another AR on the street but couldn't get PSA to contact them with the SN for the rifle. This isn't just bad business, this is dangerous business and being busy is never an excuse to call about a missing firearm. Found out later that UPS employees were stealing guns from the terminal. Is PSA tracking them? We have a problem and I've never spoken with a rep from the company, only emails that seem to be computer generated. Anyone else experience the same please post. We need to talk.
Worst Customer Service Experience - I ordered a Sig Sauer Romeo5 Red Dot Sight through PSA on 05/18/2020. I immediately realized that the sight did not come equipped with a lens cover like other companies had been offering with the same sight. I tried to contact PSA within 10 minutes of ordering it to cancel my order. I was directed by a phone message to contact them by email, which I immediately did. No response until the next day. When I did receive their email message from Customer Service it said that it was " too late to cancel" and that my order was already being processed for shipment. I was told to request a Return Merchandise Authorization, which I immediately did. It has been 2 days since my email request and I have not received even an acknowledgement from Customer Service. They may have a nice assortment of weapons and accessories, but beware when ordering from this company.
Contact sig they make magic happen. Lost elevation know and windage. Sent them for free.
Bought 1 60 round schmeisser magazine. Upon first use, 6 ftf, dangerous scoring and bending of ammo as it tried to feed into a well kept Aeroprecision rifle. Took a week to get a reply to be able to send it back. Once sent it's like a black hole...No response, no refund, nothing. Finally filed a complaint with the Better Business bureau. These guys really are lacking in the fundamentals. First and last time doing business with them...Spend your hard earned dollars elsewhere.They said I'd get a refund...still waiting on that...over 10 days later....
Hi Pat, did you finally get a response and your refund? I wish I had seen your review before placing my order with Palmetto State Armory. Like you, I won't be ordering from this company again.
I got a 224 Valkyrie upper from Pro2A with a Ballistic Advantage 18-inch barrel and it was a nail-driver (sub-MOA) with the 1-7 twist ... paired with a PSA AR-15 Lower. My problem was the mags. Got regular jams from 4 different mags until I tried the E-Lander mags ... which load and feed perfectly every time. At least in my setup, the magazine brand REALLY matters.
The Magpul mags I ordered - 4 30 rd. and 2 10 rd. - fit perfectly and feed flawlessly into my PSA (BLEM 16" 5.56 MLOK upper kit, Liberty lower). I have also purchased Magpul 10 rd 7.62x39 mags for my SKS which were a little too tight but after a little filing on the lock tabs seem to be working fine.
My only complaint (which I should have added to my other post) was that the BCG and buffer tube had tiny steel balls on and in them presumably from a shot-peening process during manufacture. It took me about an hour to clean each one. If not for my meticulousness, I could have missed it causing wear issues with the rifle. I notified PSA with hopes that they address the problem.
Why nothing on the 300 Blk out?