Your thoughts
Pro or Con…
Only thing that catches my eye is the pencil barrel. I’ve always been in the understanding that pencil barrels are lighter(duh), but come with a couple trade offs.
Heating up faster, but to see any noticeable changes in point of impact, you’ll have to be doing mag dumps… and you also have less mass, so more recoil. How much more recoil? Probably not enough to care.
If this is a plinker or home defense, that barrel will be fine. For competition use, I’d go heavier.
As for the ODG, I’m a sucker for FDE or ODG
Well l got one coming. Mag dumping or competition no sir just punching paper or ringing steel. Got a project for a granddaughter. Thanx for the input ![]()
Excellent deal. ![]()
pro or con?
Muzzle Device: A2 Flash Hider Pinned & Welded
It’s a question if you want a rail or a pinned forward sight+gasblock.
PSA 16" Mid-Length Pencil 5.56 NATO 1:7 Nitride 13.5" Lightweight M-LOK Upper without BCG and CH | Palmetto State Armory
I will loudly declare the worst barrel profile is govt, followed closed by M4. Great, lots of mass forward and thin by the chamber. So you get all the potential heat issues of pencil, with bad balance as a bonus. I’ve got one of the 16" PSA uppers (same one @Lobster linked to) with a pencil and the weight difference is noticeable. And let’s be honest, if you’re mag dumping you’re going to need chrome lining to not burn the barrel out anyway.
I think the pencil is ideal for anyone not running full auto lowers or doing extreme distance shooting, so, all of us. There are various slightly heavier profiles like Gunner or Hansen that put extra weight near the chamber, but I don’t think PSA makes any of those.
hell of a deal.
If i were in the market for that caliber upper id of been all over it. as it looks, im not… i recently find myself in the market of looking for a 7.62x39 barrel… again.
I thought about it. I have an extra lower, but I been waiting for the right deal on a .300 BO.
We’ve sort of gone off topic from the original question, which really is a fine upper if you want the FSB and not a railed handguard. I like the one @Lobster posted better, but that’s a personal preference.
I would love it if PSA made a 16" 300BLK but with a carbine gas system instead of pistol. The short barrel options need the pistol gas length, but a 16" has a ton of dwell time with pistol and it’s not necessary. I built a 16" carbine-length 300BLK for a different purpose and it’s a soft shooter.
Thanks for the input.
Got it and on a lower. Yes it’s a black B5 instead of the OD. The weight is very significant and l like the feel of the B5 handguard. I do not see a caliber stamp nowhere on the barrel? Pin/weld is clean. Barrel finish is very nice. Unfired as of yet but bore sighted.
Lower is registered as a pistol. I broke down the upper for a future rifle.


