Palmetto State Armory Freedom Experiment

Prices have been dropping for a while on AR parts largely thanks to Palmetto State Armory. Since their online presence, prices for AR parts have taken a steady decline. Forged upper receivers that once cost north of $100 can sometimes be had for $40 during sale events. Lowers that once cost $100 now sell for $50 for a blem; $60 for 1st quality when on sale.

So imagine my surprise when I found PSA offering a 16" mid-length upper with a melonite lightweight barrel and MOE handguards at the princely sum of $199. It's not that I need another upper, but for the price it was really hard to walk away. It's not the fanciest upper ever, but assuming everything runs, it is quite functional as to weight and barrel finish. The lightweight profile places the balance of the rifle further back towards the stock and gives a faster and smoother swing when engaging moving targets. The melonite finish protects the barrel steel from corrosion better than most mainstream firearms finishes as well as provide surface hardening.


I'm not the most fond of the FREEDOM laser engraved on the barrel, but I really can't complain at $199. For less than the price of some entry level barrels, I have an entire upper sans BCG and charging handle. The upper comes assembled with a front sight pin assembly, A2 flash hider, crush washer, forward assist, dust cover, MOE mid-length handguards, and of course the useless sling loop on the bottom of the front sight base. I'm really not sure why anyone puts the USGI sling loops on front sight bases anymore.

You might notice that the upper is a slightly purple color. Although the upper was not listed as a blem, the color is off slightly. Again, I'm really not complaining at this price point; just making an observation. The upper is a standard flat top upper with M4 feed ramps and no T markings of any kind. Pure functionality and nothing extra. Everything appears to be assembled as it should be. The front sight base is pinned with two taper pins and appears to be aligned properly according to my finely calibrated eyeball. The forward assist is of the round style without a cross pin to secure the end cap from the shaft.
\

The front sight base is F-marked and is of the proper height to co-witness with back up iron sights and red dot optics. The gas tube is of the standard unfinished stainless steel variety mated to a triangular handguard cap. There's really not much special about the upper other than the low price point. I didn't observe any burrs or tool marks in or around the barrel. In fact, the finish on the barrel is surprisingly nice.

 

The only con to the upper is the upper receiver itself. There are a few artifacts from either rough handling or the forging process pinged into the exterior of the left side of the upper receiver wall. This was obviously there prior to the anodizing process as all of the dents and bumps have been anodized over. There is also some finish that has worn through to bare metal at the rear takedown lug. This was probably from the assembly process. None of the noted cosmetic issues affect functioning, not even the purple tint of the upper.

I'll post an update once I procure a BCG and charging handle. So far I'm pretty impressed by the value this upper provides. No missing parts and everything looks assembled the way it should be. 

Tactical Machining AR Lower / Palmetto State Armory LPK

I recently had the opportunity to assemble yet another AR rifle from random parts around the house.  After reading various reviews and having used most of the big name manufacturers such as Colt, Bushmaster, RRA, Stag, Armalite, Spikes, Superior, Essential, Mega, and Aero Precision; I decided to try another brand.  As this is a newer company, I couldn't find too many reviews about their stripped lower.  Out of the reviews I stumbled across, none of them seemingly had anything bad to say about the lower or the company.

Upon visual inspection, the lower showed excellent finish with none of the flashing left over from the forging process that Colt and Bushmaster love to leave on their products.  Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures before slapping the lower parts kit into the lower.  Everything went in as expected and took approximately 15 minutes to assemble.  I should note that the LPK used was from Palmetto State Armory and also exhibited excellent fit and finish.  Coincidentally, the LPK happened to be the cheapest set available as well.  It is head over heels better than the DPMS trigger parts I have used in the past.

 The lower is a low shelf with a properly beveled magazine well.  My only complaint is the FIRE and SAFE markings are a little larger than most manufacturers.  Everything from USGI aluminum to Magpul PMAGs drop free and seat properly in the magazine well.  Here is the clincher though.  Out of all the receivers I have used or complete rifles from "Tier 1" manufacturers, this lower has the best upper to lower fit with any number of upper receivers I have tried it with.  I do not know how TM does this, but I'm sold on the internal dimensions they use.  The upper and lower receiver assembly slide together with no noticeable play whatsoever.  This isn't the typical out of spec super tight take down pin syndrome some lowers exhibit. No accuwedge or foam earplug required for proper upper/lower fit here.

The dye used in the anondization is also a perfect match for the my A2 upper (USGI surplus) with a deep, thick, black hardcoat.

This is by far the nicest lower I have yet seen or used when it comes to fit and finish.  Could I do with no logo?  Sure.  But given that every manufacturer plasters a giant billboard on the side of their lower, this one was done with reasonable good taste.  No deer head on my rifle.