Review: Palmetto State Armory 16" Mid-length AR-15

[rocky]

Nice write up. I enjoyed building my girlfriends gun with her help last year. PSA upper and lower that looks and shoots good.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Sticks]

Well written. Good job.

[buckeye .45]

Well done write up.

45gr JHPs are probably a bit light to be shooting out of a 1:7 rifle.

I am currently waiting on a mock dissapator upper and BCG from PSA.

[oneshot]

Great pics!

Looks like you had a lot of fun building.
Tell the daughter to keep her grubby little mitts off until she turns 18, eh.
If I ever get enough money to be allocated to an AR, it would be a complete rifle from PSA I believe.

[Smitty901]

I was worried about it too at first. Since then I have put hundreds of rounds through it with no malfunctions.

I shot with some buddies a week ago and put 150 rounds of the PMC 5.56 and .223 through it with no issues. Also put 150 rounds of steel cased .223 with no malfunctions. Currently, I estimate I have about 950 rounds through the rifle at this point. I just keep lubing the BCG before I shoot it.

Good to hear the gremlin went away . Some thing to consider down the road.
Adams Arm refit to a Gas piston simple conversion for your build. Weapon will run cooler. for the most part never get dirty, no wear from fouling the BCG.
Oil it once for a days shooting.
Just think with the piston system you would not have even had to clean it yet.

[CJM]

Good to hear the gremlin went away . Some thing to consider down the road.
Adams Arm refit to a Gas piston simple conversion for your build. Weapon will run cooler. for the most part never get dirty, no wear from fouling the BCG.
Oil it once for a days shooting.
Just think with the piston system you would not have even had to clean it yet.

Everything you described in this post is complete internet folklore. Lubing intervals are the same whether a gun is DI or piston. The difference in temperature between the two is also a moot point.

Piston guns offer no real advantage unless you plan to run suppressed a lot, or if you're running a SBR. Even then, DI can still be used effectively.

[Sticks]

I would have to agree based on experience. I have over 2k through my 16" middy since the last cleaning, and not one single problem. A couple squirts of Gunzilla on the BCG and I'm good to go.

[tmoore912]

There's no chance of me putting a piston system in this rifle, so there is really no reason to continue talking about it. Thanks.

[Smitty901]

Everything you described in this post is complete internet folklore. Lubing intervals are the same whether a gun is DI or piston. The difference in temperature between the two is also a moot point.

Piston guns offer no real advantage unless you plan to run suppressed a lot, or if you're running a SBR. Even then, DI can still be used effectively.

Well I have 3 of them now and it anit folkore stepped out last night and burnt a few in One of the Huldras just wiped it off and put it away one mag in any of the Di's and they are a mess.

[CJM]

Well I have 3 of them now and it anit folkore stepped out last night and burnt a few in One of the Huldras just wiped it off and put it away one mag in any of the Di's and they are a mess.

If anything in your previous post was accurate, there wouldn't be a single manufacturer out there with a direct impingement gun in their lineup.

[revldm]

I bought my first AR about a month ago.( not brave enough to try to build one) I got a S&W M&P. Having a hard time finding a place to shoot it. Also having a hard time finding bulk ammo. I can get a box of twenty or fifty every once in a while but all the places on line that I have checked seem to be out of stock on bulk.

[mprp]

Well done write up.

45gr JHPs are probably a bit light to be shooting out of a 1:7 rifle.

I am currently waiting on a mock dissapator upper and BCG from PSA.

buckeye .45, is there something that you can suggest for good reading on the advantages and applications of different rifling turns for the .223 - 5.56? Affects of different bullet weights vs. ratios, etc.? I found this with a quick search but am curious myself and think that if there was a good chart for reference maybe? Certainly there must be a good reference, maybe even on this forum somewhere but I figured that someone may have something handy that they use.

Anyway, here's a start to what buckeye .45 was commenting on regarding bullet weight vs. barrel twist in .223. It was taken from here - How Rifle Twist Works

As it pertains to .223 projectiles, several different twists are currently produced. Not all ammo shoots well in all twist ratios. A barrel with a 1x7 Twist tends to be too tight for most lighter, more commonly fired ammunition. Originally designed for the military's use of SS109 (the official NATO name of 5.56mm, or .223), further military testing concluded other twist ratios are actually superior for this steel core bullet. 1x8 Twist is best suited for 69-80 grain bullets. Our Federal .223 69 Grain BTHP Match Gold Medal is some of the best on the market for this twist ratio. 1x9 and 1x10 twist ratios are sort of the "middle of the road" for .223 projectiles, and these are the most common. We suggest our Hornady TAP 55 Grain. On the lighter side of things, a 1x12 boasts excellent accuracy on standard and lighter projectiles in the 40-52 grain range. Older M16 rifles were manufactured with the 1x12 Twist ratio. Our item number ARR-115 offers a conversion upper for your AR that takes less than a minute to install, and the barrel has a desirable 1x12 twist ratio. If you are buying a varmint rifle chambered in .223, chances are it will sport a 1x12 Twist Ratio. Our Federal Premium .223 Remington 40-Gr NBT is perfect for varminting. Last, we have the 1x14 twist ratio. Probably the least accurate ratio unless you are into bullet tumble as opposed to spin unless you are shooting custom loads.

[CJM]

I'm not buckeye.45, but 1:7 twist seems to be the twist rate that is the most versatile out of a 16" barrel. Typically with 1:7 you should be good to go with bullets weights of 55 grains and above. Bullet length is also a contributing factor.

With 1:9, 55 grains and below will usually work fine, usually. Every once in a while, you'll get guns that break that philosophy and shoot bullets very well that conventional wisdom tells you it shouldn't.

[buckeye .45]

buckeye .45, is there something that you can suggest for good reading on the advantages and applications of different rifling turns for the .223 - 5.56? Affects of different bullet weights vs. ratios, etc.? I found this with a quick search but am curious myself and think that if there was a good chart for reference maybe? Certainly there must be a good reference, maybe even on this forum somewhere but I figured that someone may have something handy that they use.

Anyway, here's a start to what buckeye .45 was commenting on regarding bullet weight vs. barrel twist in .223. It was taken from here - How Rifle Twist Works

Let me try to dig something up, but it is mostly just based on personal knowledge and experiences.

But, 55gr is the lightest I would shoot out of a 1:7, as CJM noted as well, it also depends on bullet length, so this is me speaking generally.

Jon probably has something good, if he pops in here.

[45ACP4ever]

Good to see this review, I've been looking at PSA all day before I ran across this.