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The Cheapest AR-15 vs. The Most Expensive (Daniel Defense vs. PSA)
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2022
- In this episode of TFBTV, @JamesReeves gets his hands on the brand new Daniel Defense M4A1 RIII, which is the famed Daniel Defense DDM4, but equipped with the new RIS III handguard used by Special Operations. But at $2,300 MSRP, why would anyone pick up the DD M4A1 RIII, especially when you can get cheaper AR-15s for $400 and less these days? James puts this to the test by buying and building a budget Palmetto State Armory (PSA) AR-15 on and Anderson Manufacturing lower, two of the cheapest manufacturers in the AR-15 business. To make the contest a little more fair, James spends an extra $100 or so on a stainless steel barrel for the budget build, and compares accuracy between the two, as well as discussing the pros and cons of each. Check today's video to see which one comes out on top.
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So Hop is playing around with a $1000 Glock clone and James is shooting a $400 AR? The world really is turning upside down...
Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!
Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes…
The dead rising from the grave!
Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… MASS HYSTERIA!
It's all politics and marketing bro
James just trying to see how the other half lives.
@@a.k47-74 a man of culture I see.
@@a.k47-74 It's true. This man has no dick.
99% of people would be much better suited buying the $400 AR and spending the difference on ammo and range time.
I’ve heard of these high end guns having various significant failures. The rangemaster where I shoot has a serious problem right now with a colt. So if SHTF and you only have one gun? I dont know…. 2 is one, but fives more fun!
@@LKaramazov every brand will have some failures. They will, however be less common with a quality rifle. Colt is not a high end rifle and definitely not on the same level as DD, kac, lmt, and other top tier rifles.
@@darlsbarkley3493 oh…
And some pretty good optics
These "99%" also usually end up with a safe full of garbage instead of saving up and buying one or two QUALITY guns. Done seen it too many times.
to defend yourself, your loved ones, your home and one day your nation, the PSA will absolutely do everything you need it to
Amen!
Agreed. People give me crap for my smith m&p. But it runs and doesn't malfunction. I just put a decent vortex red dot and mbus pros on it. My half blind azz can shoot decent out to 150 yard without a magnifier. Most guns are more accurate than the shooter.
Who exactly are you going to fight against defending our nation? A professional military? Ours or another? I can't lie about your chances...but you have my sympathy.
@@Subpac_ww2 dont forget their are hundreds of millions of us i wouldnt worry too much
@@ridge69lol the poors of Afghanistan, Vietnam, Sonora, et al would like to chime in
The more people able to buy a slice of freedom the better off we all are.
This. Everyone needs to be able to throw 556, or 9mm at minimum. We're all given the same right less we forfeit.
Well said hoss!
@@llamagetchya4118 And PSA's quality has been improving.
@@la5081 my starter was a 10.5 psa ar pistol. Still a favorite of mine now equipped with a suppressor.
@@llamagetchya4118 Since my state (Washington) has started infringing on our 2A rights, I increased my guns from a single AR SBR and SW Shield Plus to include a 300BO, AK, second 9mm handgun, EPC-9, and Ruger 10-22. It is like they are just trying to promote more gun sales with their "gun control". Got a gun safe to hold them all, and about 4000 rounds of ammo. The ammo is starting to dwindle though. Some people think I am some kind of gun nut having 4K ammo, but it goes fast when you are talking 5 different calibers. Unfortunately when I go out though, I take my friends, and I foot the bill for the ammo. Might need to start having them bring their own ammo to shoot.
Anything I've ever purchased that was PSA has been reliable and accurate enough for the short distances I shoot or anticipate shooting.
My PSA 15 shoots easily within 4 inches at 300 yards. Sighted in at 25, the groups at 300 are about 8 inches high.
PSA has the best deals period awesome products
You can get PSA now with FN barrels which are accurate even for long ranges
Agreed; It’s my go to for 3 guns because PSA gets the job done and is unfailingly reliable.
I've always said since my time as an armorer in the army, the only difference between high end ar's and low end are the materials used, the finish applied, and the brand stamps. The reason these rifles are affordable is because the parts are forged in the same factories, and how incredibly vast the stockpiles of them are; not because they are dirt toy rifles.
A custom AR builder (who was building for NRA Highpower competitors at the time) once told me, and I quote, "They let marines build these things.... unsupervised."
@@nospam3409 🤣
I agree but as we all know, there will be this never ending argument of premium vs budget when it comes to AR's.
Don't forget the actual QC involved. All of the thing cumulatively equate to a better performing product for the money.... to a certain point when you get deminishing returns.
As a former Army armorer, I agree.
The 80/20 rule in full effect. You got 80% of the gun for 20% of the price. Most shooters, even good ones will not be able to shoot well enough to tell the difference.
Nailed it . Just like crotch rocket riders. 600v1000 doesn't matter to 99.99999% of riders because they'll never be Able to handle the bike to its actual capability.
Yup, I use to ride dirt bikes. Mine was a ktm 350. Everyone was always making fun for getting such a “small” bike. My response was if you’re that good and can ride that well than why are you at this track with me and not riding for the factory.
@Jake from State Farm I stayed on 250f because I like the lighter maneuverability on it and it's much more fun riding on the rev limiter than to be bogging around on a 450
Most shooters not being able to shoot well enough to notice when it comes to MOA is a huge misconception.
The higher the MOA of the rifle the less room for the error the shooter has.
There's this common notion that a high MOA rifle won't matter for a high MOA shooter.
Its actually the opposite. A great shooter who shoots a tight MOA is going to be less effected by a large MOA rifle and vice versa.
Let's say a 1MOA shooter with a 3 MOA gun. He's going to shoot 4MOA
A 3MOA shooter with a 1MOA gun is going to shoot 4 MOA.
A 4 MOA shooter with a 4MOA gun is going to suffer because the best shot he can make with his skill is 8 MOA. That means at 100 yards on a 12 inch torso target he is allowed 4 inches of additional error.
He won't even be able to hit a 12 inch target at 200 yards cause his groups are too big.
A better MOA rifle is only going to help the average shooter more.
@@mail-qh2qc This is the biggest line of bullshit I've read in a long time.
I have several ARs. My PSA with well over 1000+ rounds has never had a failure. Ever.
Same. Mine is around 3k with half of it steel case
And if it ever does... PSA will take care of you. I know that, for a fact 🇺🇲
Yeah only malfunction I ever had was from reloaded ammo.
this is what i like to hear vv excited for my psa ar
I have over 25,000 rounds and it only failed 0 times
I just want to say this to anyone on the fence about getting their first AR.. don’t wait. Despite the little shots everyone takes at PSA sometimes we all love them. Right now you can get a Freedom M4 (Upper and lower separate) for $360. I have Larues, Colts, and a g$ and Criterion build and even I still grab my PSA sometimes. There is something about a $350 rifle that just keeps taking everything I throw at it. Better to have an AR now then to not be able to get one in the future. PSA is a great place to start without spending too much money. It will serve you good while you train with it and figure out what you want to spend some actual money on rifle wise.
I agree; last year I did the same. I moved out of commie Mass, to a neighboring State. The week I was building my gun virtually, to buy and pick up, Biden and Psaki squealed about an AR ban that was to go into immediate affect. I did not wait, went out and purchased an Anderson Manufacturing rifle. I have shot 3,000 rounds since, the majority of which have been in rapid succession with ZERO jams, failures caused by my rifle. Runs like butter, groups are solid. Anderson is AMERICAN MANUFACTURING.
@@ClarkKyle
Better get an extra barrel or two. Shooting in rapid succession often, can cause premature barrel wear, even more so if using steel cased ammunition with bimetal projectiles. I've shot out more than a couple barrels doing that lol. Lessons learned I guess 🤷
@@toddk1377 spare barrels turn into spare uppers turn into "just another lower for that upper..." best get a spare barrel, double important because i have 2 rifles....
PSA makes pretty good stuff.
Yes! Get a rifle and get some training! I don't mean shooting at the range with your buddies, that isn't training. I mean take a few classes.
Aero Precision gets no love, hype, airplay, or even credit.... They are the real hidden treasure of the AR world.
Just put together my first ar using mostly aero parts. They seem to be great products but i dont hear them mentioned as often either
They really are underrated. I recently build a AR10 in 308 using mostly aero m5 parts, hell of a well made and great shooting rifle. I was genuinely impressed with everything…and thats coming from someone who is no stranger to using higher end parts on their builds.
Maybe pre covid but post they absolutely shit the bed. Recievers regularly out of spec and detonating barrels/bcgs
Aero BCGs suck, and their barrels arent that great either.
the go to Aero lower and BCM upper from many guntuber sources comments sections.
Option 3 - Buy a budget rifle, ammo, training. Then upgrade rifle parts as skills improve. All of mine started out as budget rifles. As I increased my skill, I upgraded the necessary parts. Better trigger control - better trigger. Shot groups as tight as they will go - better barrel. etc. I now have tailored rifles that fit me perfectly.
What I did was buy the AR from PSA and start to change out the parts as I got the money. I was able to start training, then soup up the gun as I went. Plus I was able to get a better sight sooner. My rifle shoots very well now, I have no regrets doing it this way.
Amen. Went a similar route as you. No issues.
@@texasforever6950 I did the same with my M&P15, now there is nearly nothing on it that started with except the buffer assembly, but I have all sorts of spare parts now. I happen to have a upper just sitting around, I guess will need to buy a lower for it, cant have it just sitting there all alone. LOL
Then if you hold onto everything and buy a second lower you now have a second gun that you give a friend when they come to the range with you!
@@joshuaedler7041 That is exactly what I have done. Plus, I have spare parts now as well.
Can you share your upgrades. I’ve been curious to see what people swap out, what works and doesn’t etc.
I've got a PSA lower Aero upper build and the thing runs like a swiss watch. I think of the choices in the video here i'd probably spend my $2000+ to pick up 4 complete PSA builds, a pile of spare parts, and outfit the whole house. lol.
Your cheap vs. expensive videos are among my favorites on your channel. Keep them coming!
Amen
I got the same setup. PSA lower EPT (MOE) with j spec silent buffer spring, accuwedge, titan extreme comp on Aero’s 16” atlas R one upper, PSA Blem Nickel Boron bcg and radian ambdi ch, and BCM SOPMOD stock and it’s right on par with my buddy’s DD. In fact my recoil and muzzle rise is by far better and the best part, it doesn’t feel like a few hundred dollars. Feels like a $2200+ work of art. Only thing I could upgrade is a better sight setup. As my Romeo & Juliet 3x sometimes loses zero on long hours.
Agreed watch the snobs tell you how stupid people are.
PSA lower and Aero upper really is the way to go, Aero is like the Toyota of the gun world, excellent value, not the cheapest price but very reliable and often moreso than more expensive brands and at a price that's very attainable.
@@watsup9938 I've got the Aero Atlas S one handguard and I love it.
What a great way to showcase a good brand and a good budget. Both brands earned respect.
@@99dethknight99 No shit? Had no idea. Well, I can't boycott DD, because I can't afford DD.
Well said
PSA is also pro gun ban. Go Bear Creek Arsenal for your budget friendly builds.
@@jayquick6520 yeah, nah. Their Lemon Rate is too high. BTW this is the first I've heard about PSA being pro-ban. Citation needed.
@@TUKByV he's flat out wrong in that statement. He should do some research on the founder's mission statement.
I bought an AR kit from PSA and gotta say I have no regrets. I didn’t buy the cheapest one they had but definitely ended up with a rifle for under $1000 that’s fully capable and reliable.
I have a 10 year old PSA heavy barrel with a geissele trigger and raptor charging handle. It’s a sick rifle
You could have gotten a Windham for under 1000 as well. Pretty top shelf in that price range.
@@NOTHOTlanta The problem with Windham is that they are priced so closely to Colt. When you can get a Colt 6920 for $100 more than a Windham, it makes no sense to buy the Windham. They make solid rifles I hear though.
@@PepeDeezNutz If your rifle is sick, take it to the doctor. Don't let it suffer.🤣
@@Blueknight1960 like your mom?
For a 6x price point, I'll stick with the PSA. I don't shoot much, but I keep mine clean and it's there when I need it. Either gun is more accurate than I probably will be.
I've built a couple PSA's that are better than the DD he is touting. He just chose the bottom of the barrel penciled chromoly upper budget build to compare. Had he used their FN chrome lined hammer forged with 1/7 twist it would have been a fair comparison and he would have found as I did, its half the price for the same or better performance.
@@RunningWithSauce Agreed!
@@RunningWithSauce yupp ive bad a couple people tell me I don't value my life just cause I won't buy a DD ar over a thousand for a basic ar just doesn't make sense to me I can build an ar and have 1000 rounds of ammo for less & like you said same if not better performance. I built my 7.5 midnight bronze Diamondback AR for under 700 and with a drop in trigger & other small touches under 700, it retails for about 1200 with a basic trigger.
@@chrisd5758 yup. Someone is being paid. The comparison was totally bias. The fact that they chose to go cheap against amazing is telling when they could have went like for like technology and features for way less and didn’t. Disingenuous I think.
Facts 😂😂
I don't understand why people think PSA is "cheap" in quality just because they're affordable. PSA could easily charge alot more $. Watch their CEO's mission statement. His goal is to arm America with quality yet affordable AR's. He talked about how he could have made a ton more $ but really actually cares about The Second Amendment. I wish more gun companies were like this. PSA is great! It would suck if only DD type AR's were available. Not everyone can spend $2000 on a rifle.
They keep the cost down by doing everything in house. I heard they did have some QC issues and have lined it out.
100% could be true but a companies mission statement and what their ceo says publicly is very carefully thought-out solely to convince a customer base to buy. ie that be high end middle and low end
There is absolutely nothing better than waking up on a saturday morning and seeing a "...Cheapest... Vs The Most Expensive.." type video from Mr. Reeves and the TFBTV crew. You guys' content is always a great watch.
The nice thing about an AR-15 is because they are modular you can start with a cheaper one and use the extra money for ammo to practice, play, or hunt and then later on upgrade and swap out the parts you consider the most important to you in the order you want to tune it to be just the right gun for you.
My youngest son started out with an inexpensive AR and later put his money back to build a better rifle. 5 years later and he has several, 6 or 7 son's of liberty gun works rifles that he built or bought. His optics are second to none and his secret is layaway. He has the patience of an elephant. He has some really nice guns but it has taken him literally years to get them. I settle for good enough and that's a flaw of mine I guess.
Or just buy quality lol
And it would probably outlive you.
@@2A.Freedomdefine "quality". Because the two most important things in a rifle are the barrel and bcg. Wtf else do I need to spend money on? A mid length gas system? BCA sells those. And you know BCA is the Payless of the gun industry. So please tell me. What else do I need to spend money on.
@@2A.Freedommilspec lower, a lower is a lower is a lower, PSA upper, shoot the shit out of it. sell the upper on GAFS, find a lightly used BCM upper on GAFS and boom you got experience, you have a lower than you use *preferred* furniture on, and now you got a banging upper receiver after you’ve trained with the PSA. on top of that someone got a bang ass deal on a already great priced PSA upper.
this is the way
PSA isn’t cheap or low quality. They are direct to consumer meaning they cut out the middle man and that allows them to get the rifle to you at a cheaper price. Milspec is a standard for a reason, and with PSA everything is in spec with good quality parts. If QC is an issue for you, just learn to disassemble your rifle as you should and perform your own regular QC. Inexpensive doesn’t always equal poor quality 👍🏽.
Well said, this guy is claiming his dd is more reliable because it costs more 😂
Im not sure about their ARs but I watched their AKs fail over and over. Fail to feed, fail to eject, jamming, etc. Tried multiple mags and different ammo. I was not impressed by their quality. Im sure your AR is just fine though bud.
@@chozen_juanThat’s funny because iv heard people say it’s their Ak’s that are good and their ARs that are iffy lol, different opinions from everyone. Just gotta get your hands on one and decide for yourself
Anderson costs less than PSA and can be bought at the local farm store, and I've had fewer QC issues with Anderson than with PSA. I've bought two lowers from PSA and returned three because they were shitty forgings and machined incorrectly. Yes, they sent me junk in exchange for junk, which required another exchange. They may have been okay as "blems" but not at full price, and I didn't want "blems". I finally got some that were acceptable but still not pretty or even in spec. PSA has also shipped me stuff that looks like it's been booted across a concrete floor. Their default "customer service" response to everything is to offer a discount on your next purchase rather than fixing the problem, and you have to argue and escalate to resolve anything.
It’s not poor quality but it’s also not “just as good”. It’s serviceable, it will put lead on target. The higher end stuff is still better.
“Beat it like Antonio Brown in a Dubai infinity pool.” That joke deserves an Oscar!🤣
"At the end of the day, we're all on the same team" ...darn straight on that 2a community!
From personal experience I bought a 16” psa with the free float rail as a beater/ farm truck gun. I’ve run over 3000 rounds of ss109 ammo through it and the rifle has not failed on me. Only thing I changed was the trigger, buffer weight and charging handle. In terms of accuracy I could consistently hit a silhouette at 400 yds no issues. It isn’t my shtf rifle but I’m impressed with how it’s held up with having around $650 in it.
PSA does sell better quality than the one shown here. They sell uppers for around $350-$500 (depending on options and if they’re on sale) that have FN Herstal cold hammer forged chrome lined barrels. FN calls these their “machine gun steel barrels”, since they’re made using the same process as the ones they sell to the military for use in belt fed machine guns. I wouldn’t be surprised if these barrels performed better than a stainless steel barrel shown here
Yup I’ve had one for over 10 years. Great rifle and eats everything
Over the years I’ve purchased three PSA “Premium” CHF uppers (FN barrels). I’d like to see the comparison be between DD CHF and PSA CHF with good quality triggers sets on both, a head to head match, and see how close they are
Exactly...James didn't want to piss on DD.
You can easily, build with PSA, top shelf parts and have $1000 left over for dope n beer 🍻
And as far as PSA and standing behind their products... I can definitely, say they do 🇺🇲
@@ramontate2826 ok
@@ramontate2826 That's what I have for 500 dollars on sale.
PSA has such a good mix of offerings from standard to premium at MUCH lower prices than DD, BCM, etc. Not to overlook value-priced mid range ARs like the Savage Recon with its .223 Wylde chamber, 5R rifling and incredible accuracy.
I picked up an MSR 2.0 for well under a grand, holding up like a champ so far.
The Springfield Saint isn't a bad mid-tier rig either.
You can also get a psa upper with an FN barrel that has all those alphabet specs.
True and with a free floating rail I bet it would get very close to the DD, who'd would've thought a non free floating rifle would shoot worse than a free float shot off bags?
the big issue with PSA is QC
That would turn this into MidRange vs High End instead of Cheap vs Expensive.
@@CCW1911
MrgunsNgear did that with that very same upper. He had a couple 1" groups or a sub moa, I don't remember, but I've seen cheap barrels and High end barrels put out accuracy a like, it's just some barrels are more ammo specific.
Would love to see the PSA FN vs. The DD.
PSA has been having some deals on non poverty stuff recently as well. They recently had a complete lower with a geissele SSA-E trigger for $150. They also had a upper with a cold hammer forged/HPT/MPI FN barrel and free float handguard for $350. Add a charging handle and BCG, and it was a gun with some Hella good guts for around 600 bucks
Oh shit.... That trigger alone is worth 250...
@@randalhuffman8827Kind of exposes how much Geiselle is over pricing their triggers.
I built a PSA AR for $350 a few years back and loved it! Ended up giving it to my brother, but I never had any issues with it
my record was a $300 10.5 like three or four years ago from BF specials. All PSA parts. i laugh at anybody spending more than 1,200 for an AR/AK because there is literally no difference between that and 2-5k ones other than a name. the only thank that PSAs cant do is duty use and be beat up and used over and over but i'm not even sure if thats true anymore especially when jim fuller says that the current PSA ak's are the best standard mass produced american made AKs today and whats funny is they're the cheapest because the company is more concerned with arming as many as they can rather than profits like the other guys.
8 years ago, i got a psa freedom series 1:8 stainless and its a great rifle, but even after lubing before a class at thunderranch, after about 300 rounds using some cheap copper ammo, i was having failures to feed. Heidi gave me some lube and it fixed the issue, but i ended up having to lube it off and on for the rest of the class. Overall, it did really well accuracy wise, but the cheap rifles being so overgassed made carbon fouling an issue when shooting a lot of rounds under pressure.
@@adamc6371 Che k Geissele's claims about their bolts.
I have a PSA I built 2 years ago and have about 500 rounds through. With some of the same ammo I am getting much better groups than this guy at 100 meters. Also, until well broken in a lot of high end guns will have issues as well. Kimber handguns are well known for it. I also have 2 aeroprecision ar's and I honestly haven't seen any better performance put of it than my PSA.
@@adamc6371 except your 300$ psa isnt ambi lmao
My neighbor owns an OEM company that manufactures triggers, LPKs and other parts, he supplies PSA, Aero, Ruger, Daniel Defense, Colt and more - same mil-spec trigger sold to all of those brands. If you’ve got an S on your trigger, it’s from Schmid tool. They make niB single and double stage triggers too, made for a real nice upgrade to each rifle.
FINALLY!!! SOMEONE SAID WHAT I'VE KNOWN FOR YEARS!!!!!! I learned it with fishing equipment, FYI buy Zebco gear it's the same as Deigo Garcia. All of these fancy rifles and pistols are made with the same equipment as your budget ones they just don't have all of the fancy doodads on them, i.e. engraving, special wood hand grips, special this or special that, all the stuff that means nothing when shooting.
I remember when I realized that this is done in every industry. I found out that like 90% of appliances use all the same parts from china. I had a Maytag and parts were compatible with the other brand i had it was crazy, its like chevy ford etc building all their cars with the same generic generic parts from the cheapest bidder instead of their own fucking parts. Is it even a Maytag if its all parts someone else made
these cheap vs most expensive are my favorite videos.
I went straight to the top and got a Daniel Defense as my first. Never regretted it. Thousands of rounds and it still gives me amazing groups many years later
I'm in the same spot as you were. Debating a zion 15 or ddv7
Don't want to spend the 2k plus so going with LWRC IC DI. About 1600. Using the difference toward a better optic
Wanted to get something better than you so I got a bcm😂 and saved myself a few thousand
@caseyschryber1255 bcm is cheaper and better? Ya ok. Daniel defense is top. Whatever helps you sleep at night. Bcm is good. Not dd good.
Getting a less expensive rifle to start with is a great option for most people. Being able to get out and start training for less money makes being armed and capable more attainable for more people. That being said, when you do start advancing your skills, upgrading to better equipment is a great feeling when you can really feel the difference in form & function. My first AR (I'm an AK guy) was a PSA Dissipator. I loved it. Then a few years ago I decided it was time to upgrade. I got the Griffin Armament Mk1 RECCE 16". I've never shot a rifle that runs more smoothly, I can get sub MOA groups at 100, and I've gotten hits at 700+. It was a pretty great deal at $1,800, but I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between it & the PSA 10 years ago.
Cheapest and easiest build would be a Bear Creek Arsenal AR-15 complete upper and a PSA AR-15 complete lower, should run around $300 total, you just need an optic or sights ($20), mags and ammo.
Built a PSA with my dad as a kid. There were a lot of us so PSA lowers and parts kits on sale were the bread and butter because we could get a couple and everyone had their one, and we still had some left over for ammo. Still have it, still like it. Goes nicely with the FS plate carrier, Hesco plates, and pvs-14.
I got blem lowers for $25 years ago
Hesco plates are low tier?
What plate carrier? “FS?”
@@andrelopez4709
FS is First Spear, they make really nice kit, and Hesco is (unless reputation has changed) high quality as armor goes.
I wanted to highlight how the base rifle platform I'm using is the low brow item, giving some cognitive dissonance compared to the better plates, carrier, and accessories I've managed to get since I was 11-15 and initially built the rifle
Good stuff. Thsnks
I’m old enough to remember years back when James ran his buddies budget ar and was floored!!!
I'll take 5 Palmetto rifles all day .
You’re gonna need 5.
@@SO10mm That's fine I have more than five .
@@SO10mm thats not how that works bud. Keep paying for overpriced name brand trash. Fyi im a gunsmith and combat vet.
@@SO10mm i only need 1 bullet my guy
@@fiftydabs5114 you probably need more than that you stoner. You probably can’t even see straight. Let alone shoot straight. I would trust a blood transfusion from magic Johnson before I trust you with a gun.
I bought a Diamonback DB-15 distributor special burnt bronze on sale for ~$600, threw on a vortex strikefire 2 coupled with a vortex vtm3 3x magnifier and I usually run 62gr match ammo out of the 16" barrel. Bought the gun and 1,000 rounds of ammo to get it broken in. Never had a single malfunction, failure to feed, anything. Zeroed it at 100yds and after getting a feel for the magpul ACS stock, was putting 1.5-2.0 MOA groups out regularly.
My buddy, who thought that spending ~$2,500 on a Daniel Defense SOCOM, then spending another $2,000+ on a match-grade trigger and eotech sight combo would make him a scout sniper, still has trouble punching anything tighter than 2.75 MOA at the same range.
It's all about training, guys. My ~$1,000 setup with years of training and experience will do me better when SHTF than a ~$5,000 setup that sits in the safe and never gets used.
My DB 15 with sig romeo/juliet combo shot 1.5" out of the box and seems to get tighter the more I shoot it.
PSA's Bolts are from Tool Craft. That's why PSA BCG's are good, and worth running.
Yep, ToolCraft make many of the high end carrier groups that top shelf rifles use anyway.
@@FahimibnDawud tool craft ?
99% of AR shooters use them for plinking. I bought a Colt factory sporter years ago, and it was less reliable than my PSA build. Having a free floated barrel really helps accuracy. I think you should have done about 10 quick mag dumps and seen which rifle performed better.
"10 quick mag dumps" that's my mortgage right there
Colt is far from any gold standard. I’d trust a PSA over a Colt.
Accuracy is purely the barrel and ammo. Everything else is just there to hold Everything together and make the round fire. Sights, grips, ect may help you shoot better though, but that's going to be unique to the individual preference.
Colt is some Czech Republic shit now, you should never buy anything but their 1911A1’s.
@@Pipes7472 Colt has always been crap, foreign owned or not
I appreciate PSA objective. They want to arm as many Americans as possible. I consider PSA the “lowest” you should go on an upper. They have some QC issues with the amount of rifles they turn out which is inevitable, but they have great customer service so that solves that problem. Overall I’d recommend PSA to person looking to get started in the budget AR15 category.
So for 6x the money I get a little better accuracy, more sling mounts, and a longer lasting barrel? It doesn’t seem like a reasonable trade tbh.
Facts
@@dragonsofthunder you could literally buy a chf barrel for like 3-400 bucks
That Milspec trigger is definitely one of the most frustrating parts of my DDM4… Had to change it out right away to a 3.5lb CMC to match my others.
Give Larue MBT 2S a try, you’ll be blown away
@@stephen_crumley Great rec. You can get them for $80 every now and then. Best dollar to performance IMO.
I can't stand that his mags wouldn't drop free lol
@@Absolute_Goblin magpul gen 3 drops free out of my DDM4V7
If you're dropping that much money on a DD get a geissele SD3G
The last few ARs I’ve built have been with complete PSA lowers with nice furniture for $150 free shipping. Then I add a $100 Rise Armament trigger. I mate it to a $800 PWS piston driven upper with adjustable gas block from Omaha Outdoors, which doesn’t charge for shipping or sales tax. For $1050 I have a sick ass AR that stays clean when I shoot suppressed. Love PSA! I also built about 10 PSA rifles for about $300 a piece a couple years ago. I love them all like they’re my children.
Currently priced at $824.99 for a PWS upper isn't bad at all.
@@ForceMultiplier for sure! That’s the out the door price. Free shipping no sales tax. Cheapest I’ve found anywhere
I bought a build kit from a company called Durkin Tactical at a gun show earlier this year. Everything but the lower was about $360. 20" 1:7 barrel, keymod handguard...and heavy. But I'm getting 1-2 MOA accuracy at 100 yards with PMC Bronze. 🤷♂️
I will say that I think a cheap build kit is a smart purchase for new users. You learn where all the parts go and how everything works. At some point, you're going to have a malfunction, which you'll be able to learn how to diagnose and fix. I learned more from that build kit than anything else.
Are durkins are kinda pieces of shit
A PSA is all I could afford. In fact, I traded a used quality guitar for a budget gun to protect my family as I'm on a fixed income. Shoots well at 100 yards. Good enough to hunt with. Not a bad deal for a disabled 70-year-old guy. Do the best you can with the tools you can afford is what my father taught me. He was a carpenter. I actually hunt white tail with the Winchester 94 (mid-60s model) 30-30 my dad left me. It's taken lots of deer since my dad bought it new over 60 years ago.
I'm not saying that a PSA should be the first rifle you pull for the zombie apacolypse, but you won't find a better AR value for $400 (or even less). Just make sure it can run a couple hundred rounds to make sure everything is in spec.
Make sure the bolts are actually tight
@@jairopavon11 I came home from the range with my 10 inch and the brace came off. My 556 has misfire twice I think, and my .308 got jammed once and I had to yank the charging handle really hard, but it kept going. Do upper end rifles ever have problems? I’m thinking they do.
The worst I can say about PSA from personal experience is a pre-assembled lower once came with a slightly out-of-spec buffer spring that wouldn't cycle cheap Tula properly. Swapped that bad boy out and she runs like a sewing machine.
My psa hasn’t let me down. I can afford a DD, and will buy one eventually. However, I’m not going to let the larpers at the range shame my psa rifle.
Ehhhh DD is kinds cringe. Owner once said he supported gun control. I can't really ever forget that for some reason.
Instead of DD you’d be way better off to get a LWRC, DD rails are awesome but outside of the rail it’s a basic milspec rifle
Which is fine. What kills me is the PSA pepper shitting on people that what a higher quality rifle and the high end people crying "just as guurd!!!"
I was a buy once cry once kind of guy bought the best I could afford. But when I picked up the hobby of building I started having serious respect for PSA and their products at the price they deliver at. With all that being said few people can shoot better then a PSA rifle. I will out shoot my friend and his Daniel Defense all day with my cheapest PSA build. That comes down to the fact I have fired over a million rounds to his maybe a few thousand. The best saying I have heard in regards to this was in Combat Marksmanship Coach course with was "marksmanship is not a talent its a skill, with a skill the more you practice the better you become" so I would recommend the cheap rifle and more ammo until "you" can out shoot the rifle.
Bought a PSA free float mlok handguard for my wife to use. I was $460 all in. It's an amazing rifle. Especially for the price.
I can't hardly build one for that price!
same
Same. PSA kit on an Anderson lower. Goes bang every time I pull the trigger. Good enough for zombies in my driveway, if that ever happens.
As a guy that has built multiple PSAs and finally saving for a DD, this is quite the treat.
I have both PSA and DD. Love them both but yeah the DD MK18 is my baby. :)
@Day Zero Prepping Now shoot about 5,000 - 6,000 rounds through the Colt vs the commercial spec Ruger. When the Ruger breaks bolt lugs, or the gas key loosens up, or has a worn out barrel, you will learn the difference between a mil spec AR that is as close to the military TDP vs commercial grade hobbyist rifle.
@Day Zero Prepping You haven't done anything but created a YT account 4 weeks ago.
@Day Zero Prepping LMFAO Ruger doesn't even properly stake the gas keys on their AR BCGs. They don't even use quality 158 Carpenter Steel bolts lol.
Instead of building/buying your 20th PSA, you could have settled for 4 less PSA builds in your stockpile of PSAs, bought a DD had you saved up. Amirite lol.
I always love to see a comparison of a high end firearm versus a budget build. TFB TV does it better than anyone else. It magnifies what you are paying for. Other times I have found Mid Tier builds to be surprisingly accurate and reliable. I have come to really like Spikes Tactical and Aero Precision for getting the most for your money. You can pay more but will only see a marginal improvement in which you will see diminishing returns on the extra money spent.
I agree I would get an Aero or BCM and some factory ammo or training before dropping 2500.00 on a DD.
@@glockster68 Amen, brother!
Exactly, I hear lots of good about BCM as well.
@@PatriotPaulUSA Agreed, BCM has an outstanding product set for the Money.
The military payed 600 $ for m4s from colt and that gives you a pretty good idea of what the price point for a fully functional m4 actually. As he said some parts are more important and some you can get the wish special without reducing the effectiveness at all.
Bolt carrier and barrel would be the 2 things I would spend a little more on.
A cheap ar15 with a thousand rounds is worth more then a expensive one with no ammo.
I've been an NDT technician for almost 10 years. Mag particle inspection is a method to find flaws like cracks and other defects in the base metal and welds. It just proves that there aren't defects in the finished material.
I ordered a psa AR not too long ago, ordering the complete upper and lower separately saved me about $100 instead of getting the entire rifle in one go and shipping was free. In total I think I spent like $560 after taxes and ffl fee. More money for ammo and gas to go shooting.
I've got an M&P15 Sport. Picked it up for 469.00 back in 2012. I'm hitting 700yds consistently with a Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8x24. Love it. I don't need a $2k rifle to be accurate, reliable and effective.
You may wanna move up to a Ar10 to shoot long distances like that without having to dial all the way up on a little .223 Ar15. You can buy or build a Ar10 in 243, 260, 6.5 creed, 308, and for sub/supersonics closer range hunting with max power the .375 Raptor and the new 8.6BLK almost all uses the standard magazine and bolt carrier and there are several more calibers I'm just listing the most popular.
To be honest the only thing this test proved is that each gun likes certain ammo.
Buy AK it eats whatever you feed it.
Just built my first and it was an Anderson lower and a 16 inch upper kit that comes with the lower build kit from psa, and I can't complain. It's fun to shot at the range and didn't brake the bank. First shot was off the hip with a ballistics vest on just in case, lmfao.
When I was younger, I followed the concept of "buy cheap so you can get ammo too" and still tell others to do that if I know they couldn't or shouldn't be blowing their entire bank account on a Gucci gun. But, for myself, I've since sold or traded every budget blaster I had & upgraded to something top tier in the same category.
I saved for OVER A YEAR to buy my Knights Armament SR-15 and trust me when I say this….no other AR even comes close!!!! Once you shoot one, you’ll understand.
@@DaveL9170 Sounds kind of like a cope but okay.
Of course that's alright too, but when you're a newbie that's a stupid thing to do
@Joe I have a few high-ish end ARs but have a lot of experience with PSA and I can't see the highest end ARs as much else then capitalizing on the terrible financial sensibilities of the cringelords who always spam "fudd" and "the poors" all over the inner nets. Especially if you get the mid to high end PSA stuff it's still really affordable compared to big name stuff and usually you can find far superior features.
I'm willing to bet that you make more money now than you did then.
Think there's a coincidence there?
I put together an Anderson lower with an 11.5 aero upper. If I didn't know better, I'd say was machined from the same block of aluminum. There is absolutely no play between the two and it has become my favorite ar.
I have the same fit between an Anderson lower with a Bear creek arsenal upper. Accurate and have less than 600 bucks in the rifle.
Same here, no wiggle at all with Anderson lower and Aero upper. My DD however, wiggles and wiggles. Not my favorite feature of the DD.
Dude go tour the PSA factory. These dudes are impressive and have grown ALOT in even just 4 years.
They anodize in house now. They're studying rifling physics. Have vertically integrated a bunch of processes for Quality Control.
Truly a marvel of business study honestly
PSA is making quality firearms now. They brought a bunch of manufacturing in house and the quality greatly increased. They will be the largest gun manufacturer in the US within 10yrs if the economy doesn't kill them..... They have a PSA Dagger and 10 magazines for $399. Don't care for Glocks, but the Dagger is a great looking gun. 10 mags and a good quality handgun for $400...... Come on man!!!
I don't have any glocks, not really a fan.....I now have 3 daggers. Everyone I knows that shoots glocks prefers the grip on the dagger, the trigger gets mixed reviews. PSA now offers the dagger lower with a ZEV trigger pre installed for 179 bucks.... I might be getting a 4 th dagger
Com’on maaan! You could blow somebodies lung out with that thing
The way to go for me was a PSA rifle, gutted and everything changed, geissele trigger, rosco barrel, nickel boron bcg, cant remember what handguard and an eotech. Gun is completely my own with decent quality internals but cheaper than something like a DD or BCM.
I built my own, being a lefty, and spend money on ammo. I appreciate your words - you are much more encouraging for people to do what they can afford rather than being an elitest with no shooting experience.
The good thing about PSA is their mission statement. They want to put as many ar15’s in the hands of civilians so that it makes it impossible to ban them due to common use. I think everyone should have atleast one PSA. As long as you get the premium upper with the FN barrel you’ll be good to go. I actually prefer my PSA to my Ruger SPR by a long shot.
You have links to this?
@@ROYZARMY links? If you’re looking for proof just Google their mission statement lol.
MY opinion is buy the budget gun and use the about $2K for ammo and training. You can buy a lot of ammo for $2k Once you have the basics and fundamentals down, then look at buying something more expensive. Besides, look at it this way, If you have a gun that has reliability issues, it forces you to get good at clearing jams, etc. Just my $.02.
It's been a while since I've bought anything from PSA but I remember when those stainless barrels first came out people complaining that they weren't as accurate as the CHF "FN" barrels.
Nice to see they're still making decent quality stuff, especially for the money.
Especially nowadays, if you're making 500 bucks a week, PSA/BCA makes alot of sense.
I don't have any experience with Anderson but I know everyone seems to love their lowers.
So long as there's not a manufacturing defect, Anderson lowers are perfectly serviceable. Honestly, putting it side by side with a Spike's Tactical lower, it just looks a little less fun. I'll save that $40 of fun and put it elsewhere.
@@SlavicCelery as far as I'm concerned, the lower just houses a trigger. Spend the money on the upper.
@@apaine81 In the words of a friend - Bingo Bango Bongo.
I built mine using an Anderson lower and the rest was using PSA’s upper and lower kit. Im new to the platform, it was cheap and it works!
Don't get caught up in the hype. Shoot your rifle and upgrade it as you see fit. It's easy to do and you'll learn alot about it.
And there's nothing at all wrong with Anderson or PSA. I've been into AR's for 30 years now. I still use both. I put together whatever I want to put together and I've only had one upper not shoot well. Turned out it was a bad barrel! I've loaded my own for the AR, and I've shot tens of thousands of factory rounds in the ARs. I don't have any expensive ARs anymore except an old law enforcement 6920? whatever law enforcement Colt and then I have one CCR which I believe stands for Colt competition rifle. I don't even think this rifle was made by Colt, I think made down in TX probably in about 2010. It's a 16-in barrel carbine length gas system but it does shoot very well. My favorite rifle I would say, but I think it was probably an 11 or $1,200 rifle at the time. I've got PSAs that shoot close to it that's all I'm saying
I love my PSA guns, never had 1 issue.
Great vid! Are we completely neglecting the fact in the accuracy portion of the testing, that the DD has a free float handgaurd and the PSA build does not? Not that it is a massive difference, but definitely a data point worth considering.
I built a 16" SS free-float 6.8 spc upper because my Stag Arms M-Forgery 6.8 spc rifle wouldn't group the Hornady 120 gr. Custom rounds. The new upper did group the Hornady rounds well, but best accuracy so far w/factory ammo is about 1.5" @ 100 yards for both uppers. For example, the 90 gr. Federal Fusion rounds group equally well in both uppers.
I have had mixed results of QC from PSA. Nothing a gunsmith or myself couldn't fix. The last upper I bought from PSA was a premium upper with a FN CHF barrel, and Geissele rail. It is actually pretty bad ass.
Their premium uppers fuck!!!!
@Jared H there’s dozens of videos proving you wrong. Sounds like your just a gear queen xD I own PSA FN and BCM. Psa is just fine for shtf or your average shooter.
@Jared H Someone posted elsewhere statement from FN that all barrels they supply to PSA pass all of FN's quality control standards just like all other barrels they supply to others. Now the question would be does PSA properly torque all the uppers they assembly.
@Jared H Show me on the doll where the PSA rifle touched you
@Jared H just cause something costs more doesnt mean it's better. Take triarc for instance. There qc's been shit.
I put a Satern barrel in a $400 PSA AR and shoot 1/2MOA groups and hit targets out to 800 yards with a 6.5 Grendel. All in it's a $550 rifle not including the optic, and by far my favorite.
I would like to see the DD and others go up against the KAC SR-15. I absolutely love my SR-15
How were you actually able to find one
How do you know someone owns a KAC? Don't worry, it'll be the first thing they tell you.
@@hancockwalker9797 they’re really proud of their $3500 M&P 15
for most of us, the rule of thumb is buy the best quality one can afford without sacrificing essentials (i.e., good food on one's table, good roof over one's head, good vehicle with which to get to/from work, necessities, etc.)
Exactly. Words to live by. 👍🏼
I think it says extraordinary things about Stoner's design that you can have such a significant price gap and get comparable performance, if at an overall reduced durability. Americans have literally refined the art of making ARs that you can get one for the same price as a mid-grade pistol.
PSA Classic/Freedom 5.56 1:7 16” Carbine. Never a fail... 2”. ...$400. My go to. Eats everything I feed it. Zero complaints.
When i got my ar15 i didnt want to wait on parts to do a build of my own and parts werent easy to find at the time because they were selling so fast just like now. I also didnt have the money to drop on something high end even if i could have found one so i looked at a base model s&w as well as a ruger which was about all there was at the time and decided on the ruger then proceeded to upgrade parts as they became available and basically upgraded it and turned it into my dream rifle. This is the true beauty of owning an ar15 is that it doesnt really matter what you get because you can always upgrade it to your liking
I personally went the in between route. I assembled my own with components from a variety of manufacturers. All in for the completed rifle was $1,800 (rounded). Then I bought a good amount of a variety of ammo to see what it liked. To be honest, I don’t know how reliable it will be in the long haul but so far, at about 1,000 rounds fired, it hasn’t had a single problem/failure and on the average shoots 1.25 MOA groups. I’m not disappointed at all with my decisions.
Also built my rifle from a collection of parts with roughly the same reliably and accuracy. I keep a few high wear component spares just in case, but personally I have other things to do with my money than brag about brand names and tell others that,”I’d never trust my life with (that brand)”.
I’m sure the premium brands are good and I’m glad pro 2nd amendment, law abiding citizens can spend there hard earned money on those things just don’t be a snob about it.
Please don’t infer I’m calling you a snob Mark. 🙂
@@nopenotme6369 no offense taken and I didn’t think you were inferring I was a snob. I’m a firm believer that people should do what’s right for them and I support whatever they do. I’ve personally experienced the full spectrum of people online. Some were very nice and helpful and some very snobby and demeaning. I personally do not have any “top tier” firearms. I have had to keep within my means. Maybe some day I will have really nice “top tier” things (but being an older guy I kinda doubt it). For me it’s more important to get something that works, within my means, become “intimately” familiar with it, and become proficient with it (which takes practice and training, which aren’t free).
I do the same thing. All my franken rifles are very good shooters and so far reliable. Some have over 5k on them and if anything, failures were 9/10 times mag related.
Neat video! Love the series. You should bring a cheap AR and an expensive AR up to Thunder Ranch and run them both through an urban carbine course, just to see how they compare.
THIS!
Agreed!
Ahhh yeaaa
This comment needs pinned and more attention
Adding a comment to bun this reply up in the algorithm!
While it's slightly annoying that whenever James gets a PSA anything, he goes for their basiest base tier (their best options are the 4150 barrel free floated rail kits or their "premium CHF" line with FN barrels and Toolcraft BCGs), is still fun to see the compare/contrast with a 'Tier 1' supplier. Seeing that in an actual high stress environment with a meaningful round count and and some real opportunities for dirt fouling (real use, not the mud-pac torture tests) would be fantastic.
Best case (for James) we get to see the el-cheapo crumble. Best case (for us plebs) the "shit stick" jogs merrily alongside the Gucci gun sans issue.
i have a few 2k plus ARs and one (at the time) $350 PSA ar. I have to say that for the cost that 350 dollar rifle is not bad at all. Sure it doesnt shot as well as some of my higher priced rifles, but i can still ring steel at 300 yards with it. if you only have enough to buy a more affordable rifle then go for it. At the end of the day, i'd rather have someone get into shooting sports at a budget then that same person not being into shooting. the more people who shoot the better!
I got a premium upper from PSA and it's frickin awesome!!! FN barrel, Cerro forged upper, nice mlok handguard. Was on sale for 400, the regular price of just the barrel. I love PSA!! DD is just out of my price range...
Psa is constantly improving their machining too. Never had an issue with products from them.
I sprung for the Daniel Defense mk12 when it was almost half msrp at the time. I had iron sights on it for over a year until I could afford a used Trijicon optic. To me it was worth it and a great rifle but now I rock an Aero precision. I still have my original baby but alot has changed in the last few years and companies have made some great progress.
Based on the 2 stories here I am glad I went cheap on my first one. I am now building an Aero M4E1 piece by piece to be my Ol'e Faithful. Gonna look into those hammer forged barrels.
Everyone always says "you should buy a cheaper rifle and lots of ammo to train instead of an expensive rifle" but for some reason whenever I'm at the range, I never see anyone who has a cheap rifle and prioritizes training. The people who are actually out getting reps and training always seem to have nicer rifles. Really gets the noggin joggin.
If you train a lot, you will appreciate the better rifle more, and it will be worth more to you. Which is to say, if you can afford it, or use it daily, you buy the best. Same with mechanics and their tools. I have harbor freight tools that I ocassionally use, and quality USA/Germany/Japan made tools for daily use. Additionally, if you can't afford a nice rifle, you also likely can't afford to run it much.
It’s pretty simple, if you can barely afford a $400 rifle… I’m guessing it’s tough to afford $200 in ammo to practice. I doubt the folks who buy a $2k rifle had to cut into their ammo budget for it.
@@Asherr6 i mean that's fair however you also have to think about why someone can afford a 2k gun and then not even a $400 gun. Tbh if you value a gun for protection and cant afford $400 you probably are not thinking about how you can get the best at what ever job or carrier you choose to take and or do. Obviously there are exceptions.
Not at all, gucci gear means you can get gucci training hours. Most poors like me dry fire practice, hold it for periods of time, and do what we can without the ammo expense. Besides, we hardly have enough time in our lives to train like gucci gear wearers.
I bought the psa rifle deal with magpul furnishing... its nitride... mlok... came complete upper. With both Mbus. Upgraded to a nicer magpul adjustable stock for less play and a locking feature. Bought a very nice Holosun Dot sight, a sling point attachment and a trex sling. 7 pmags and a duo rifle carrying case. AND 1k rounds of 62gr green tip 556 for 1700 total after taxes and delivery. BUY DEALS, NOT NAME BRANDING!
Preference: Less expensive overall platform, triggertech trigger, decent optics. The PSA two stage nickel boron trigger might have helped you get better groups and it's only in the $80 range as an upgrade. When polished, it's super smooth. Geissle had a two stage for sale also during this last holiday for $90 which you could find at Geissle or Primary Arms sites too. Anyhow, good video, but most peeps including me cannot afford DD or an optic at $1800, so DD and that scope is not really something I can relate to personally. It would have been an even more interesting comparison to use the DD with the expensive optic and get a PSA classic scope for $150 and do that comparison. Total cost of $499 PSA/Anderson setup vs $4100 DD setup. Anyhow, carry on! Good job.
Great job, James. I opt - I can feel the hate comin - for quantity over quality. When I loaded up on AR platforms, I went with $500-$700 AR's...4 of them, and still had cash to cop 1K 5.56 ammo. I see the advantage to both approaches. Would never hate on those who have the cash to drop on a $1700-$2500 AR. BTW, I added tons of ammo over the next few years, so 4 AR's and 10K+ rounds is my AR setup. Followed the same idea with my 7.62x39 AK's and with my 5.45x39 AK74's. Decent weapons and plenty of mags and ammo...redundancy.
I have both a Daniel Defense and a PSA. Although the PSA is a 10.5" and the Daniel Defense M4v7 is a 16". I have had some feeding problems with the PSA when using early gen Pmags. No FTF or FTE. I get about 4MOA from the PSA. The PSA is an affordable shooter. Not bad at all, even quite a value as I got my years back for under $600. My DD M4v7 was $1800.
From my newer generation PSA ARs I've routinely achieved sub MOA (match ammo, and lead sled) I can't speak for older PSA but the ones I've bought in the last 2yrs have done very well. I've shot my friends more expensive rifles with similar results I found my Poverty State Armory AR was comparable. slap in a 89 dollar flat face drop in trigger from PSA and I had people asking what kind of gun was it.
During the COVID days, I really wanted a BCM. I think the one I wanted was around $2,000. It was sold out everywhere. I settled for a Springfield Saint Victor B5, and purchased a Radical Firearms "SOCOM" 😂 16" 5.56 NATO Rifle with 15" RPR and MFT Furniture as a cheap backup. Most people aren't competitive shooters. They just want to go to their favorite range, defend their home, and have something for a SHTF scenario. I think there are a lot of low to moderate cost AR-15's for those purposes, that are pretty reliable. Just my opinion.
PSA makes good stuff. Their nickel-boron 2-stage trigger is buttery smooth. Looking forward to how this plays out.
They also own ToolCraft now for bcg.
Just wait until you discover actual good triggers your life will change
I mean, have you ever shot the PSA nickel-boron two-stage trigger? For that type of trigger, I don’t think it gets better in a way that anyone not named Miculek would notice. Would I put it into an AR for 3-gun? No.
@@altortugas5979 have you ever shot a geissele?
Does it pull itself?
“We’re all on the same team”
Amen my dude
Scammer. Waste his time please. Feel free to respond to him and tell him you are SO HAPPY you won, make him give you all of the instructions, ask him some questions, leave him hanging. Fuck em.
@@tfbtv I think you posted on the wrong comment ✌️
Would be more interesting if you'd used a CHF barrel on the PSA too.
agreed!
It’s an FN barrel though. Too nice for this comparison
I'm surprised he didn't. They sell tons of uppers with FN barrels.
I have one of the PSA 14.7" CHF uppers. I love it. moved to it from the original 16" upper.
recently changed a bunch of internals, but the original stock gun got about 4k rounds through it without a single malfunction. Maybe I just got a really good one.
Money saved went to many, many hours of classes and practice. And NODs and shit.
May not be "just as good" but it's more than good enough
@@renz7589 still really cheap from PSA though
I'd say for almost 100% of firearm owners. The PSA is is perfectly reasonable. I've never once heard of anyone having an issue with them, and the barrier for entry is less than some people's Starbucks budget.
Even for self defense and possible national defense purposes, I'd still say the PSA is a strong choice. Very very very few shooters have the skill or training to outshoot it's limitations.
So unless you're a competitive shooter, or money is literally no object, go PSA all day.
My first AR was an anderson and PSA upper. It worked never had any issues with it. Now I have 2 full aero builds with ballistic advantage barrels and midwest hand guards. There are certainly fit and finish differences, and the aero deff feels nicer. I have handled knights, noveske, DD, colt etc and there are still even higher fit and finish with some of those brands, but overall I think the price hike past a certain point isn't worth it. I think something higher end than a PSA if you're a serious shooter is worth it, but if you just need a rifle, you would probably be fine with the PSA. However, something like a knights or noveske seems to be overkill unless you're a high end enthusiast and/or about brand loyalty.
Found some great high end parts on Armslist cheap and bought a 350.00 10.5 PSA upper with a nice can and 12" rail. Now I have a 600.00 AR-15 with a Spikes lower, 2.5 lb. drop in CMC trigger, Radian ambi charging handle, Ergo grip and some decent iron sights and a cheap Maglite flashlight. No need to break the bank on something just for home defense.
I started with a Centuary VSKA and traded up to a Zastava and Arsenal. I feel like in AKs it's more important to spend the money on. ARs seem to be more forgiving.
Especially where certain AK’s such as American made century AK’s and Pioneers are allegedly known for blowing up in peoples faces due to having cast trunnions, AK’s are guns you want to spend at least $800-$1k on. I don’t have an AKM but I’m planning on buying a Zastava M70 for my next gun when I get the money so I can have something that doesn’t break the bank to shoot and it’s also a cool gun due to it’s history.
Yes and no. AK's are good weapons and yes, you want quality parts so you don't have a POS or bomb in your hands, but in all reality, AK's are overpriced for what they are and the prices never went up until the import bans were placed. I just wish I would have kept my Saiga back then. Bought one for $200 and sold it for $250 at a gun show. Now those stupid things are well over $1500+. Hopefully if we ever get a real 2A pro president, just maybe, we could push for a lift on the import bans and start getting the fluctuation of AKs and SKS rifles back on the market and lower the prices down. Until then, a good AK nowadays demands a premium unfortunately.
I did not have any 223/556 ammo. I do have 762X39 from 1986. I opted to get a 762X39 AR 762 from somebody for $400 new. It works really good, came with 2 10 rounds mags and I bought an addition 30 round mag. Had no sights; I put my 40+ old scope, fired at 50 meter (51 yards) - hit dead center. Put target out to 100 yards and hit 1" high! This thing works great! I thing the rifle might last 1000 rounds! That is pretty good for modified BCG's. Given that my AK has lasted since 1989 `
At the end of the day... I'll rock a $400 Radical AR-15 then use the difference to buy a Savage 300 PRC and put Athlon optics on both. My pistol will always be the Canik TP9 Elite Combat. Hell I could even upgrade the Radical AR and still be less than the Daniel Defense.
$400 Radical AR
$1300 300 PRC
$600 Elite Combat
= $2300
Kinda depends on the purpose. If it's gonna shoot little things far away buy once cry once. If you're shooting in a square range offhand you're likely not gonna see the accuracy difference. As long as the cheapo runs well go for it.
I have built alot of AR's off of PSA lowers and uppers and they all have been fine. The quality is in the internal parts and bcg and barrel. If you get a better quality parts kit you will be good to go.
I have a DD, a BCM and a ton cheaper AR's. They all work well.
Remember the gun industry is an industry. They want to sale you things. That being said the most important things are the barrel and bolt carrier group.
I picked up one of PSA’s premium uppers 16” CHF FN barrel. Very solid gun so far. Build quality is nice, functions smoothly, barrel seems properly installed, aeroshell was applied to the threads. Came without a BCG and CH. I added the SRC XPB BCG and a Radian Raptor CH. only thing I upgraded was the buffer and spring, went from milspec to a H2 and a Sprinco hot-white. Went from a pretty sharp recoil with a 2 o’clock ejection to a very smooth 4 o’clock ejection. Is it reliable at a combat level, probably not, but it’s certain not junk. Very nice upper.
Why isn't it reliable at a combat level? Supposing it was assembled correctly it should do fine, but if not then yes there's a problem.
@@Mr.Frog1837 I’m probably just being overly critical. It’s definitely a solid upper, never given me a reason to think otherwise.
Buy what you can afford. I’m happy to be from SC and know that PSA can supply American people with a gun that will run for less than $500. At the same time you can build/buy a higher end PSA as well.
For $380 you can get a PSA upper (no BCG or CH admittedly) with a CHF FN barrel.
Quite possibly one of the best bang for your buck upper you can get right now. (IMHO)