So the price is good but is it a good buy? Pros-Cons?


https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-pa-15-11-5-carbine-length-5-56-nato-1-7-phosphate-btr-classic-stealth-pistol-w-carry-handle.html

Not bad, not great.

If the barrel was nitride or stainless or chrome-lined I’d fo. However, an unlined and untreated CMV barrel isn’t appealing

For these days, that is actually a pretty good deal.

You get a Carry Handle, MagPul Brace.

As the previous poster said, having a Chrome or Nitrided barrel would be the BETTER, but there is nothing wrong with running a plain steel barrel hard - you are unlikely to be running full automatic machine gun multiple mag dumps - especially with the cost of ammo these days...  Am I Right?

Palmetto has a lifetime no B.S. Warranty too.

While not "Ultimate Tier ONE" , it is still Overall a pretty Good Value for the money these days!

BONUS - it is factory built & Documented as a "Hand Gun" so you can take it longer as a rifle no problem - but you won't have the BATFE issues of a "Rifle Receiver" made into a Handgun (Class III Issue) if you keep it a pistol (pending BATFE Rules changes & general Democratic Fncking Around) ...

BIGGER_HAMMER

Yeah that was my one concern here. The BATF trying to change the rules with the pistol type AR's.

I bought this last September for $590+tax. Like most of my guns I still haven't shot it (soon!).

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-11-5-5-56-nato-1-7-nitride-10-5-lightweight-m-lok-moe-ept-sba3-pistol-kit1.html

Just holding it, it seems front heavy and not a big difference from my 16" uppers. I want to do a SBR soon and I'm divided between using this, this with a thinner barrel, or a different upper altogether (BCM ELW?).

I've got one with a 10.5 barrel, and once I worked out a couple of issues, it works fine......

YMMV

Lon

If you don't mind, what issues did you have? I have a 10.5 nitride that I just got that I haven't shot yet.

Thanks

Sorry for being late, but the two minor issues were 1)  Trigger pin walking....solved by changing to an anti-walk pin set from Strike industries.  2)  It didn't want to lock open on the last round....replaced the bolt catch with one from, again, strike industries and problem solved....

YMMV

Lon

Thanks for the follow up.

I bought the 11.5 phosphated barrel upper.   Here's my gripes: 1.  Why would you put a nitrided flash suppressor on a phosphate barrel? It just looks weird.  2.  The delta ring is shiny.  Why not use the proper mil-spec finish on the delta ring?  Why would you put a gloss delta ring on an upper that is dull finished phosphate?  3.  If the description says "Mil-spec Carpenter No. 158 bolt" and "gas key hardened to USGI specifications," is there anything about that that says, "We're sending you a nitrided BCG"?  The military specification is phosphated and chromed lined BCG, not nitrided.  I expected a mil-spec BCG.  

I discussed this with Josiah, and basically got a "that's how it is" answer.  How many more cents would it cost to use a phosphated flash suppressor on a phosphated barrel?  How many more cents for a delta ring that has a mil-spec finish?  Some people on this site would be excited to get a nitrided BCG.  Not me.  If I had known the BCG was going to be nitrided, I may have gone another direction.  

Will this upper work fine? Probably, I haven't got to shoot it yet and did not want to fire it before hearing from Josiah on these issues.  But as far as looks and using it as a mil-spec clone part, it's a swing and a miss for PSA as far as I'm concerned.

I 'think' I have a plain parkerized A2 flash hider in my spares box, and I'd swap you a PSA Mil spec Parkerized exterior w/ Chrome lined interior BCG for your Nitride PSA BCG.  

Let me know if you are interested in a swap.  It doesn't solve ALL your issues, but it certainly addressed MOST of them.

Best to use E-mail to let me know if a "Go" or a "No".  I'll check my parts box to confirm a parkerized A2 FH.

@EX11A

Hammer,

Sending you an email. Thanks.

Thanks to BiggerHammer's kind offer to switch my nitride BCG and flash suppressor for his manganese phosphate BCG and flash suppressor, my 11.5 PSA upper is much more M4 Commando clone correct. At least to me, it looks a lot more logical as well.

How hard would it be for PSA to put nitride parts on nitride barrels and phosphate parts on phosphate barrels?