PSA playing Century's game. Now with pics.

Exspiravit

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I thought this kind of thing only happened with parts kit AK's built by monkeys, but apparently PSA is trying to get in on the action.

I bought one of those 20 inch rifle kits (complete upper, with LPK) PSA has been selling lately because I wanted to try out an AR in that length and like the aesthetic.

Welp, got the thing assembled, out to the range today. Stuck on a surplus carry handle.
Four shot group, drifted the rear sight left.
Four shot group, drifted the rear sight left.
Four shot group, drifted the rear sight left.
Four shot group, drifted the rear sight left.

Whoops, I'm out of adjustment.

Take a hard look at the thing and the front sight block is freaking canted!

I sent PSA an email when I got home, but freaking A. You think they could put a FSB on right.
 
A4 clones are beautiful. I’m not surprised, with the recent experience I had with PSA.
 
5 sets of e-mails back and forth now and I'm still waiting on a sticker to ship this thing back.

In the meantime I went ahead and bought a 20 inch Windham "Gov't" rifle. I think I'm done with PSA.

A4 clones are beautiful. I’m not surprised, with the recent experience I had with PSA.
Yeah, count me out on thier AK's too.
 
I bought a 224 Valkyrie upper, was shooting 2 inch groups at 50 yards. I ground a bunch of metal out of the handguard so that the gas block doesn't hit. Now it shoots 1" at 50 yards.
They say to ship it back, but I am not holding my breath for any improvement.
 
I've had an upper from PSA that required the sight be noticeably adjusted to one side. I assumed after the fact that the FSB was slightly canted, but it wasn't enough for me to see with the naked eye.

Despite the canted sight, it still shot great once sighted in. I later put a 4x Weaver on it, and could shoot 1.5" 10-shot groups at 100 yards all day long with it.
 
NlFQp78.jpg


This has now become a project thread. I"m going to treat this piece of crap with contempt I would never show a nice rifle. Just waiting on some tools to arrive....

Can anyone point me to a correct ID low profile gas block?
 
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Should be a standard 0.750. Right to Bear has them on the cheap pretty often.
https://www.righttobear.com/Black-Nitride-Gas-Block-Low-Profile-750-p/sbn750.htm

What else do you need to order for it? RTB also carries some nice black nitride gas tubes that I run on almost all of my guns (I even replace the factory built uppers with the black tube if it can be seen through the handguard).
https://www.righttobear.com/Black-Nitride-Mil-Spec-Gas-Tube-Carbine-p/sbngt-carbine.htm

That's right up my alley-I like my parts like I likes my coffee; cheap and black.
Just kidding, I don't like coffee.

I've got a barrel wrench coming- I'm going to put the cheapest Chinese free float handguard on it I can find and then rattle can the whole thing. May change the stock, but I'm not sure yet. I oiled it so I'm not sure how easily I can prep it for paint.
 
I bought a 224 Valkyrie upper, was shooting 2 inch groups at 50 yards. I ground a bunch of metal out of the handguard so that the gas block doesn't hit. Now it shoots 1" at 50 yards.
They say to ship it back, but I am not holding my breath for any improvement.

@Chuckman still have your 224V up for grabs?


This is why I can’t recommend them at all but I do take a lot of flak on here for my opinion on it
 
@Chuckman still have your 224V up for grabs?


This is why I can’t recommend them at all but I do take a lot of flak on here for my opinion on it

I do.....

Edited to add, it's a Faxon barrel, and although I have only shot it to 100 yards right after I got it, it's great.
 
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That's right up my alley-I like my parts like I likes my coffee; cheap and black.
Just kidding, I don't like coffee.

I've got a barrel wrench coming- I'm going to put the cheapest Chinese free float handguard on it I can find and then rattle can the whole thing. May change the stock, but I'm not sure yet. I oiled it so I'm not sure how easily I can prep it for paint.

Try using brake cleaner 2 for $5 at Advance Auto. Will remove all traces of oil and won't harm the gun.
 
That's right up my alley-I like my parts like I likes my coffee; cheap and black.
Just kidding, I don't like coffee.

I've got a barrel wrench coming- I'm going to put the cheapest Chinese free float handguard on it I can find and then rattle can the whole thing. May change the stock, but I'm not sure yet. I oiled it so I'm not sure how easily I can prep it for paint.

I do all my paint prep with 99% ISO Alcohol on cotton balls. Works great
 
If I were making a beater project gun, I wouldn’t even change to a low pro gas block. I’d put that FSB on the bench grinder and take it to it.
Still have to get the barrel nut and the front handguard retainer off unless I want to cut them in half too.
 
Try using brake cleaner 2 for $5 at Advance Auto. Will remove all traces of oil and won't harm the gun.
I used to be the biggest advocate for Advances brake cleaner but bad for us they have discontinued the good formulation as of last week. 7340 is the part # of the good stuff but all I find anymore is the 7341 which sucks . Their website shows it as being no longer sold.
 
It’s easier to work it on the bench grinder when there’s no barrel hanging on it
This is true. Depends on what shape the pins and roll pin for the tube are in once they're off.
 
Only problem with that might be the cant where the holes for the pins were misdrilled. I'm worried it's so cockeyed that a handguard wont go over it.
 
You won’t have any issues with handguard fit. The only thing I’d be worried about if you chop the FSB is if the alignment of the gas port is off since it was canted. But sounds like you’ve run some rounds through it and that wasn’t an issue.
 
If I were making a beater project gun, I wouldn’t even change to a low pro gas block. I’d put that FSB on the bench grinder and take it to it.
You'd fit in perfect here. Hammers and hacksaws and Big screw drivers. THE HOME OF BAD IDEAS...POORLY EXECUTED.
 
Well, tried driving out the pins, got frustrated, and got a better tool for the job.
roWbcTj.jpg


Once I got most of the FSB off, the pins were easier to drive.

fsy0iKQ.jpg


I don't know a lot about AR-15's, but are the pins supposed to be pressed in so hard they crack the barrel?
 
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That’s a really shallow channel in the rear. Hardly any meat to retain the pin. Is that what’s cracked?
 
No, they drilled them too deep in the barrel. Compare your taper pin holes to Colts below.

View attachment 106005

CD

I’ve had other ones, like FN, that were all the way through, and not a half pass like Colt

Mine had the full meat on the end of the barrel (I think Government profile vs the SOCOM...I can’t keep them all straight)
 
Any tricks for removing the barrel nut?
I have it clamped in a vise and I'm putting so much force on it that my solid oak timber work bench is coming off the ground. I had my wife sit on it to keep it down, but the nut is still not coming off.
Tried heating it up too.
 
BanHammer!
Will one of those help me get this barrel nut off?, because a dead blow hammer isn't
:D

My action wrench broke when I put a cheater bar on it. Pulled out the 5 pound pipe wrench and with it, the cheater bar, and the dead blow hammer, managed to get off the barrel nut.
 
Will one of those help me get this barrel nut off?, because a dead blow hammer isn't
:D

My action wrench broke when I put a cheater bar on it. Pulled out the 5 pound pipe wrench and with it, the cheater bar, and the dead blow hammer, managed to get off the barrel nut.
Well at least you're learning some stuff right?
What's the plan now? Cheap new barrel back in the same config or something totally different?
 
Heat that joker up

My buddy had to cut a PSA barrel nut not too long ago. Tried tons of leverage like you and no dice
 
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