Ideal AR Pistol Barrel Length?

[DaemonAssassin]

OBTW - my point is that your suggested build is cost effective. I am not implying that your build is equivalent to a "cheap" Palmetto State Armory upper.

I took no offense to your statement. But your statement proves that a good upper, minus BCG, can be built for about the same price as a PSA upper, which is questionable at best.

I think the bargain basement priced uppers net the company that manufactures them at least 50 bucks or more in profit, per upper. I know they aren't using quality parts in those builds, because if they were, you proved they would cost a lot more.

 

[redeye]

I have several “beater” PSA 5.56 pistol uppers in 7.5 and 10.5 and bought specifically to abuse as range toys, and as .22 LR uppers.

They have been shockingly reliable so far. Multiple mag dumps, steel case Wolf, limited cleaning...and they’ve all been 100%. I run them very wet, that’s the only thing I do to enhance reliability.

I was skeptical of PSA uppers and BCG’s at first, but after what I’ve put the ones I own through, I can’t really imagine anything else being a dramatic step in quality above them. Better finishes ? Sure. Chrome lined bore? Ok, that would be a step up from a PSA. But other than that, I’m unconvinced a $900 upper is that much better than the $260 upper that I’ve regularly beaten the snot out of.

 

[DutchV]

I have several “beater” PSA 5.56 pistol uppers in 7.5 and 10.5 and bought specifically to abuse as range toys, and as .22 LR uppers.

They have been shockingly reliable so far. Multiple mag dumps, steel case Wolf, limited cleaning...and they’ve all been 100%. I run them very wet, that’s the only thing I do to enhance reliability.

I was skeptical of PSA uppers and BCG’s at first, but after what I’ve put the ones I own through, I can’t really imagine anything else being a dramatic step in quality above them. Better finishes ? Sure. Chrome lined bore? Ok, that would be a step up from a PSA. But other than that, I’m unconvinced a $900 upper is that much better than the $260 upper that I’ve regularly beaten the snot out of.

You have a sample size of two uppers. Sure, yours are fine, and I believe you. But that doesn't mean the next one will be any good. QA / QC is not what PSA does well. They definitely don't check headspace, for example. Sure, they'll swap out bad parts, but you're the one doing the checks.

The extra cost of an upper from a good brand is the better grade of the parts and the care they take in assembly. That is something you can learn to do for yourself.

 

[redeye]

You have a sample size of two uppers. Sure, yours are fine, and I believe you. But that doesn't mean the next one will be any good. QA / QC is not what PSA does well. They definitely don't check headspace, for example. Sure, they'll swap out bad parts, but you're the one doing the checks.

The extra cost of an upper from a good brand is the better grade of the parts and the care they take in assembly. That is something you can learn to do for yourself.

No, actually I have six or seven (not really sure) purchased over about three years. Plus five others in the 14.5 and 16 sizes, all assembled as pistols.

I also have a dozen or so other AR platforms from various mfrs, from an 80’s Colt SP1, a couple Bush’ies and Oly’s, several Colt 6920’s, a couple LaRue’s, a DDM4XV9, an LRWC SPR and a AA piston gun. Plus a dozen other different uppers in 300 and 6.8 and 450 or 458

At this point you’re thinking “you have $27,000 worth of ‘quality’ AR’s, why are you messing with cheapo PSA’s?”

Answer? Two answers, actually: I have way more guns than I need. But I keep some around for handing out to people who might need one at some point in the future, if we ever get to a point where it might be to my advantage to equip a dozen people with AR’s. My neighbors aren’t gun people, by and large. But they’re good people. And maybe one day there might be a time where good people need a gun to help protect our neighborhood, but can’t get one then. Well, I’d prefer not to lend them my $2k DD or $3k BCM...

Secondly, I think what PSA is trying to do is patriotic. I believe in their mission to saturate the country with cheap ARs. Because noting says “in common use” like 20,000,000 ARs in the hands of Citizens. So I’m a big supporter of theirs, and I buy their products. And I like beating on their stuff to see if I can get it to break. I don’t want to abuse my expensive stuff, so I abuse the PSAs. And I let my friends shoot them.

To date, I’ve only had problems with two of the short PSA uppers I regularly shoot. One blew a gas tube while being shot-to-overheating by running a DIAS, and the other had the FSB get sorta lose. Both were fixed easily.



And here’s the thing... let’s not forget that the current M4A1 made by FN, is built by the low bidder. Just like every military rifle and machine gun the US has ever fielded. So really, that PSA upper is far closer to being a “genuine” military gun than my LWRC, which is built to a price point and level of quality that would never be seen in a GI gun.

Headspace? When’s the last time you put an AR barrel on a upper, torqued it to spec, then dropped a gauge in the chamber and got a no-go? Me neither.

 

[DaemonAssassin]

No, actually I have six or seven (not really sure) purchased over about three years. Plus five others in the 14.5 and 16 sizes, all assembled as pistols.

I also have a dozen or so other AR platforms from various mfrs, from an 80’s Colt SP1, a couple Bush’ies and Oly’s, several Colt 6920’s, a couple LaRue’s, a DDM4XV9, an LRWC SPR and a AA piston gun. Plus a dozen other different uppers in 300 and 6.8 and 450 or 458

At this point you’re thinking “you have $27,000 worth of ‘quality’ AR’s, why are you messing with cheapo PSA’s?”

Answer? Two answers, actually: I have way more guns than I need. But I keep some around for handing out to people who might need one at some point in the future, if we ever get to a point where it might be to my advantage to equip a dozen people with AR’s. My neighbors aren’t gun people, by and large. But they’re good people. And maybe one day there might be a time where good people need a gun to help protect our neighborhood, but can’t get one then. Well, I’d prefer not to lend them my $2k DD or $3k BCM...

Secondly, I think what PSA is trying to do is patriotic. I believe in their mission to saturate the country with cheap ARs. Because noting says “in common use” like 20,000,000 ARs in the hands of Citizens. So I’m a big supporter of theirs, and I buy their products. And I like beating on their stuff to see if I can get it to break. I don’t want to abuse my expensive stuff, so I abuse the PSAs. And I let my friends shoot them.

To date, I’ve only had problems with two of the short PSA uppers I regularly shoot. One blew a gas tube while being shot-to-overheating by running a DIAS, and the other had the FSB get sorta lose. Both were fixed easily.



And here’s the thing... let’s not forget that the current M4A1 made by FN, is built by the low bidder. Just like every military rifle and machine gun the US has ever fielded. So really, that PSA upper is far closer to being a “genuine” military gun than my LWRC, which is built to a price point and level of quality that would never be seen in a GI gun.

Headspace? When’s the last time you put an AR barrel on a upper, torqued it to spec, then dropped a gauge in the chamber and got a no-go? Me neither.

You might be surprised at what some of us have found. At least those of us with modified go, no-go gauges. I've run across numerous virgin, never fired, barrels that failed 223 go, 556 go, and 556 field, in the past few years.

May want to step up your game and check your headspace, especially on cheap uppers and cheap barrels.

 

[3paul10]

You might be surprised at what some of us have found. At least those of us with modified go, no-go gauges. I've run across numerous virgin, never fired, barrels that failed 223 go, 556 go, and 556 field, in the past few years.

May want to step up your game and check your headspace, especially on cheap uppers and cheap barrels.

Yes, I have found several that didn't pass.....and I know Chad's found a bunch.

 

[calicojack]

Even some of the big names (like Noveske) don't gauge.