Tested my PSA build today, really happy

Jayne

Jayne

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I wanted an 'entry level' AR to go with my entry level skillset using one. I plan to take a few carbine classes and figure out what works for me but wanted something to start with.

I had an Anderson lower I got in a trade a few years ago, and picked up one of the PSA 16" Freedom build kits they're always pimping on their daily deals as well as one of the strikefire II red dots + 10 PMAG deals.

I added a few rail sections and temporarily mounted a bipod to get it zeroed in, and the 3x magnifier from another project all mounted up as discussed in the other thread.

IMG_1584.jpg

At the range today shooting some random 55gr brass cased stuff I got on sale somewhere, we zeroed it at 25, then 50, then moved to a 100 yard zero. All the groups looked good, and this was the final 3 round group at 100:

IMG_1582.jpg

At this point I called it good since the adjustments on the red dot are too coarse to dial in in further. Once the irons were lined up with the dot (and not producing a nice group like this but my eyes aren't all that good) I moved on to some Wolf 55gr for a few mag dumps to get it nice and hot and make sure it would cycle through a whole mag at speed.

Once the smoke cleared, we called it good. Accurate enough, reliable enough so far, now I just need to locktight everything in place, pull the bipod off and go find a class to take and learn to run this thing.

With the lower, upper, sights, sling, rail sections, red dot, magnifier and mags I'm in it under $1k. That seems like a deal for a rifle that's setup to run and works this well out of the gate.

I did order one of the captured pin setups, might be overkill but somehow the hammer pin worked it's way out when I was building it and just hand cycling the bolt so now I'm paranoid it will happen again.
 
Jayne said:
I did order one of the captured pin setups, might be overkill but somehow the hammer pin worked it's way out when I was building it and just hand cycling the bolt so now I'm paranoid it will happen again.
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The hammer pin walked out, or was it the trigger pin?

The hammer pin shouldn't be walking out. What sometimes happens is the trigger pin can walk out, but in that case, check the orientation of the hammer pin spring - the hammer pin spring legs should be coming from UNDER the hammer pin and then one of those legs should be laying in the groove of the trigger pin. If the legs are coming from OVER the hammer pin, they won't exert enough pressure on the trigger pin to reliably prevent walk-out.

You should not need anti-rotation pins for 5.56.
 
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Nice!
I bought one of their freedom kits several moons ago. Although I am pleased with how it looks and feels, admittedly, not a round had been fired from it. :(
 
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drypowder said:
The hammer pin walked out, or was it the trigger pin?
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Hammer pin. It was during assembly so it probably just wasn't in all the way and I didn't notice it right off. Didn't have any pin motion anywhere today even doing mag dumps.

You should not need anti-rotation pins for 5.56.
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But it will make me look extra operator.
 
Jayne said:
Hammer pin. It was during assembly so it probably just wasn't in all the way and I didn't notice it right off. Didn't have any pin motion anywhere today even doing mag dumps.
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You should feel the hammer pin lock into place on the groove in the center. Once properly seated, it's not going anywhere.

Jayne said:
But it will make me look extra operator.
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Can't argue with that.
 
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Cool, now you can come shoot 2gun with us.

There have been AR practice sessions recently, too.
 
Damn_Yankee said:
@Jayne
How do you like the StrikefireII?
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Not enough data, and honestly I'm not qualified to have much of an opinion on them yet. I've not tried to run it hard or fast or doing anything but slow fire off the bench and I imagine any dot would work fine under those powder puff conditions.
 
kag is good stuff!

if you ever take off that bipod, move the kag all the way out to the last slot on the rail and use just your index finger like a hook to grab it with thumb over top rail.. then drive it like you stole it.
 
th0m said:
kag is good stuff!

if you ever take off that bipod, move the kag all the way out to the last slot on the rail and use just your index finger like a hook to grab it with thumb over top rail.. then drive it like you stole it.
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How do you like the Kag compared to stubby vertical grips (when using the latter in a similar fashion to the Kag, i.e., thumb on rail, not wrapped around vert grip)?
 
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th0m said:
kag is good stuff!

if you ever take off that bipod, move the kag all the way out to the last slot on the rail and use just your index finger like a hook to grab it with thumb over top rail.. then drive it like you stole it.
Click to expand...

Santa just delivered some Wolf 223, so after I figure out where that stuff shoots and get it zeroed with that I'll pull the bipod. I probably won't run it all the way forward, I have short stubby little arms, but I see what you're suggesting and it makes sense.
 
drypowder said:
How do you like the Kag compared to stubby vertical grips (when using the latter in a similar fashion to the Kag, i.e., thumb on rail, not wrapped around vert grip)?
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I like them all. I started with a KAG positioned behind my hand but after I moved it forward and determined i prefer my index finger as a control point I switched to the Arisaka finger stop (now a forum vendor. NC owned. KILLER GEAR @Will) for a more low profile control point. I still run a troy vertical foregrip on an irons only toy/match rig and a KAG on different rifle.

Can't go wrong either way.
 
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th0m said:
if you ever take off that bipod, move the kag all the way out to the last slot on the rail and use just your index finger like a hook to grab it with thumb over top rail.. then drive it like you stole it.
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I just saw a very similar widget on a famous youtube channel but they had it mounted the other way around. Not sure how that works with the keymod, maybe theirs was a mloc rail but it was all the way out front with the long 'tail' pointed back toward the receiver. I can see that working too for your suggested method of use, but then you can only use it like that vs the way I've got it.
 
Jayne said:
I just saw a very similar widget on a famous youtube channel but they had it mounted the other way around. Not sure how that works with the keymod, maybe theirs was a mloc rail but it was all the way out front with the long 'tail' pointed back toward the receiver. I can see that working too for your suggested method of use, but then you can only use it like that vs the way I've got it.
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hmm, ive never seen that one. i think bcm only made than in keymod and pic rail, so maybe it was pic rail? you might actually be able to reverse the key mod block in the KAG. never thought of that..

Jayne said:
Santa just delivered some Wolf 223, so after I figure out where that stuff shoots and get it zeroed with that I'll pull the bipod. I probably won't run it all the way forward, I have short stubby little arms, but I see what you're suggesting and it makes sense.
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put it wherever you find it most comfortable. somewhere between a slightly bent elbow and a locked elbow yields good results. when i ran it positioned behind my hand i had too much bend in the elbow and it felt like the rifle was swimming around in between shots. digging my index finger into the front control keeps the rifle flat and grounded on the shoulder. using my left arm like that conditions my muscle memory. i 'know' the dot will be there when it returns to battery.

glad to hear santa visits others in the off season. enjoy the stick!
 
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Nice build, enjoy shooting it. Just remember to keep it wet when shooting lots of rounds ie. +300 rds/day, liberal amount of CLP/Breakfree on bolt. If less the just couple of drops.


CD
 
th0m said:
I like them all. I started with a KAG positioned behind my hand but after I moved it forward and determined i prefer my index finger as a control point I switched to the Arisaka finger stop (now a forum vendor. NC owned. KILLER GEAR @Will) for a more low profile control point. I still run a troy vertical foregrip on an irons only toy/match rig and a KAG on different rifle.

Can't go wrong either way.
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I kinda went that way, too.

IMG_1618 copy.jpg
 
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