the disconnector can be a pain, but i have a trigger tool i got from Geisselle and it works real well at aligning everything for me to put in the pins. it keeps the pain outta the thumbs too so thats a non issue now luckily. i work on computers, so i get the soft hands… i definately do have that. I aint talking to papa gub either bout nuttin. do as we were given with our god given rights.
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Oh, I am not asking permission, either. I’ve been buying this one for I think almost 2 years, piece by piece, tool by tool. I JUST got the upper, and only because of a sale-otherwise I’d be saving still.
Fiat rule on their part deserves fiat compliance on ours. Hell, my next “build” just may be a 3D printer.
I build most of my AR’s or AK’s, but I’ll admit if you handle a higherend AR like say a LMT, KAC, Noveske, or even a DD or BCM they generally just feel very premium. They usually feel lightweight, balanced, and smooth without being overly tight, with premium controls/trigger group, etc. I get why people like them, but you can build a pretty nice AR for a lot less than the coin they command. You get a warranty with these brands though if that’s important to you. Even your cheaper brands like PSA gives you a warranty, but I’m more thinking building a rifle as opposed to buying a basic, low cost AR15.
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I saw that series. Super interesting, and eye opening!
I find that a high quality upper like the DPMS 308 with the 24 inch barrel, along with a reliable lower like the PSA AR10 lower, is as reliable & high quality as any of the wannabe Uber products like Daniel Defense.
99% of us will never have the range of use to differentiate the differences in AR manufacturers. We generally head to the range on good days and maybe have a few foul weather days while hunting. If the one finds themselves on an arctic tundra is it as reliable as the high desert?
Craftsmanship is part of it. Fit and finish take time. True Mil Spec is more than just dimensions. Every screw, every retainer clip has specific manufacturing requirements to include the heat treating, hardness testing and production equipment specifications.
Example - A furnace that is heat treating parts for Boeing must be tested monthly by a device four times more accurate. The test instrument must be tested every 4 months, minimum.
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And manufacturers can set their own standards that are “mil-spec” compliant and yet more stringent than “mil-spec”.
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Another thing to consider with AR15 quality/price are upgrades…I would expect to pay a higher price for an AR that has a chrome lined barrel, piston gas system or nuclear powered tactical laser batteries! But if you are comparing apples to apples, most AR’s are going to be very similar in quality despite what roll mark is on the side!
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Great post… i can say this about PSA… my uncle has many guns , i hope im in his will, of the so called “higher end” and the first week i got my ar from PSA we went to his range. After shooting my ar he said HOLY Sh… you paid how much for this? While we were still shooting he was on his phone ordering from PSA. That coming from a retired marine is more than enough for me. PSA is and will be my go to!!!
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I was @ training yesterday, all but one of the rifles used there were PSA. Kinda says something there too. All operated flawlessly.
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“Product Excellence” means different things at different times.
On the radio-computer for the Comanche Attack Helicopter, I wanted a good answer for one of the Ground Straps for one of the RF circuit boards.
So I made a ground lug that was plated different on each end.
It was aluminum and one end was tin lead plated, so that there would be zero Galvanic potential when it was bolted to another tin-lead part.
I wanted the “perfect answer” because I was the one that had to stand in front of the customer and explain how corrosion was not going to be a problem.
It was well received, AND we agreed that we didn’t need PERFECT grounding. So we went with an off the shelf ground strap and replaced the $100 custom part with a 50 cent part - at the risk of increased corrosion with the cheaper part, interfering with electrical grounding.
Sometimes you won’t see the difference with the better part until there has been time for a few years of corrosion to do their thing.
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The guy with the Gucci, DD came in second to last. I’m handicapped.
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No means NO! 
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I’ve got a custom-built AR carbine that’s a little of everybody’s parts. The upper is all Adams Arms gas-piston, but the lower is a smorgasbord of manufacturers. It’s a great gun and I trust it completely.
I’ve never used anything from PSA that wasn’t 100% reliable and consistent. Is it a 1MOA rifle? No. And I don’t want one. My Dagger, for example, has been completely flawless where my other handguns have had failures.
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Quality is more or less bs in the ISO world and Mil-Spec standardizations. A good CNC machine is $300K plus and tolerances between machines when comparing parts with a standard spec, is just too much for the ignorant to comprehend. I’ve been so many ARs I’ve lost count. I stay in the world of intersting toys, in that I only assemble Precision Long Barreled guns from min 20" up to 24", and I will bet my life that with top quality match barrels, match drop in triggers, that even a pro couldn’t never tell the difference from a $50 stripped lower over a gun built with a $250 receiver with a name along with directions on how to jam it up your ■■■ as punishment for stupidity .
One of my favorite hobbies is assembling weapons with lower cost parts, using knowledge and a little wit to create a gun that out performs the big shot. I had a guy ready to strangle the entire engineering team at Accuracy international because he coul’d out shoot me with a $5800 rifle topped with a $5000 5-25x56 scope and all in at over $12000. to add insult to injury I did it with a $2000 all in DPMS LR308 and i’m talking the real gun not this wannage proprietary junk. I shot .308 from a 24" Stainless full bull Match barrel and a drop in 2.5 Pound match trigger, and lastly a PRS precision stock. and a $500 Vortex . 850 yards and that was the killer. He had zero knowlege and dropped an extra $1300 for a carbon stock that is useless. and then chose 6.5 Creemore becasue a friend told him it destroys .308 and is near equal to a 300WM ??? 6 round and he cooked the fancy fiber wrapped steel barrel and needed 30min cool down every 10 rounds. whereas a steel bull can pump 50 rounds rapid fire and simply get a little warm. At the end of the day, do it right or don’t do it should be a rule for ARs. Also don’t ever let some tell you Palmetto is crap. If you configure the right setup its as durable, accurate and trouble free as any brand.
And the stories go on. I’ll pay anyone a $100 if you can tell me what a $1800 Daniel Defence AR with some fancy colored furniture and a 16" barrel do that can’t be done with an on sale palmetto builtd. the answere is ZERO, AR + 5.56+ 16" light barrel and Big Name Brand = time out with your head in the corner until you realize the ignrance of your ways, lol They should give away a T shirt with every DD, or Knights Arms purchase that reads. “Kick me, because I have more money than brains and live a delusion believing its higher quality because of the name” Remeber two blocks of the same grade aluminium under go mysical metalurgic changes that increase the strenghth of the material by 85% once the DD or Knights logo is stamped.
Wow what a circus
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The DPMS 24" barrel 308 upper is a fantastic upper, or rifle if you buy it with a lower.
My first 308 was the 20 inch PSA, second 308 was the DPMS 24 inch.
Seems like the factory can grade and cull quality of pieces then sell the blem’s all touched up and buffed to an appropriate retailer who may be trying to hit a market or price point…I’ve noticed if your buying low be prepared to inspect and test the item then send it back if something’s not right while it’s fresh. QC definitely adds cost and I’m sure the best stay home ie. FN, DelTon, Aero ect.
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I’d rather have three PSA-15s in my safe than one boutique AR on layaway.
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I started looking around to assemble my own AR-15 when I had purchased a Colt LE 6920 and it was not up to what I thought could have been better QA/QC. After doing some homework some parts of that AR wasn’t from Colt but contracted out. I was totally let down. Shortly after I found PSA and been a fan since.
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