Palmetto AR-10 and Customer Service

[atlas3025]

A while back PSA ran a deal on an AR10 and AR15 Stripped lower for $170ish.  About the same time they ran an 18" Melonite Rifle Kit with MI 15" Float Rail for $699 so I jumped.  A week later they emailed me to tell me that they were having some delay with their melonite 18" barrels, so offered to cancel the order, or build the same spec upper with a stainless barrel and throw in 3 G3 308 PMAGS.  I took the offer.  I ordered on Sept 27th and received the kit on Oct 16th.  

I got it out to the range for a few shots on Friday to sight it in.  I only had 10 M80 rounds, and 5 GMM 168 SMKs with me, but maanged a 7 shot 2 inch group with the M80, and a 5 shot 1.5 inch group with the SMK's.  I was shooting off a bipod at 100 yards.  I think I can tighten up a bit with a sandbag.  Maybe can get 1.25 with the SMK's consistently.  I did have a stove pipe about 5 rounds in on the m80.  The gun is a little stiff, but is loosening up, so hopefully no more stove pipes.  The trigger is the standard PSA classic.  I polished the contact surfaces a little bit, which helped a lot, but it is still a little too heavy, but not gritty at all.

 

Anyway, the fit and finish are GREAT!  I have a really nice looking AR-10 for less than $850 (with three mags!)

 

I had the harris bipod laying around, and replaced the standard M4 Stock and grip with an ACS-L and MOE+ grip I picked up on Saturday.  the scope is a Vortex Viper PST 2.5-10X44 that I used to run on my SCAR.  I am pretty happy with this thing.  I hope to wring it out a bit in the coming weeks if I can get away from work.  The guns is fairly light.  The MI rail PSA uses is a lot lighter than the MI rails I have used in the past.

 

There are a lot of gripes about PSA Customer Service.  Yeah they ship slow, and they are hard to get in touch with, but they have always stood behind their products and the offer to "make it right" was much appreciated.  The stainless barrel is a decent upgrade, and the 3 mags is a $55 toss in.  It's worth waiting for smoking deals.  As I have said before, if they hired a bunch more Customer Service and Shipping folks, they'd have to raise their prices.  

 

 

Edited October 23, 2014 by atlas3025

[BrasilNuts]

Holy crap, I wish my AR could defy gravity!





;)

[DMark]

.... The gun is a little stiff, but is loosening up, so hopefully no more stove pipes.  The trigger is the standard PSA classic.  I polished the contact surfaces a little bit, which helped a lot, but it is still a little too heavy, but not gritty at all.

 

It will loosen up.

 

I now have a couple of hundred rounds through mine.  After this month's 3Gun match at Manchester, I pulled the BCG to clean and it was covered in a gray goo swimming among the CLP (I think I know what the Gray Goo is, see post # 18 below).  The inside of the upper receiver and the BCG were now slick and smooth with a uniform gray/black color.  I've had other BCG show most of their finish wear early, but I have never seen a BCG and the inner receiver polish itself out like this one.  I can feel the difference running the bolt.

 

I Agree with You - - - The PA-10 is a massive Good Deal for a .308 AR! 

 

Also, Geissele has developed a mod to use their triggers in the PA-10.  Its a simple fix to the rear of the hammer.  I have a SSA on order for mine.

 

Mark

Edited October 23, 2014 by DMark

[btq96r]

I agree that PSA has good deals and products.  If you order and forget about it, one day you'll get a surprise knock at the door or call from your FFL dealer that your stuff is here.

 

Very nice AR-10 for the price, atlas.

[f3joel]

Nice to hear, I made a spur of the moment pa10 lower purchase Friday night.

Hoping they get more of the 18" uppers in stock soon.

[Troutburger]

That's a real nice set up!

I really don't understand the 16" ar10's.

I'd want an 18 or 20".

[atlas3025]

Holy crap, I wish my AR could defy gravity!





;)

 

I...what?  I'm not following.

[c.a.willard]

I...what?  I'm not following.

I'm guessing it is because he said 15" float rail.  

[rugerla1]

I'm guessing it is because he said 15" float rail.  

I thought it was because the one picture looks like it's floating with a wall behind it, but you may be right.

[atlas3025]

I thought it was because the one picture looks like it's floating with a wall behind it, but you may be right.

 

Lol, that's the floor...it is laying on it.  

[BrasilNuts]

Your second pic is upside down so it appears to be hanging from the ceiling... Spidey style.

[DMark]

I really don't understand the 16" ar10's......

 

After dragging around a M14 & FAL with their 22 and 21 inch barrels for many years, I was looking for something shorter in a Heavy Metal 3Gun.

 

The PSA came along just at the right time for me.

 

atlas3025,

 

What profile is your barrel?

[atlas3025]

Your second pic is upside down so it appears to be hanging from the ceiling... Spidey style.

 

Wow!  That's crazy...its right side up on my machine.  I guess it must appear that way to others too.  Weird!

 

 

 

 

atlas3025,

 

What profile is your barrel?

 

It is a medium profile...about .750 the whole way.  I don't know what the equivalent in an AR15 would be.  It is not a pencil, and it is not an HBAR, or even an M4 profile.  It is the same under the rail as it is at the muzzle.

[Oh Shoot]

Wow!  That's crazy...its right side up on my machine.  I guess it must appear that way to others too.  Weird!

 

Correct orientation on Winders puter here viewed in post. But clicking image to get to the "save/image info" window, it flips to upside down.

 

Very odd. I see you're using your Comcast web space -- I do too, but never had anything like that happen, can't explain it.

 

First image doesn't doesn't do it.

 

edit: here's direct link to actual image:

 

https://home.comcast.net/~atlas3025/PSA3081.jpg

 

And it's upside down. So the real question is: how does it show right side up to at least some of us in the post?  Bizarre.

 

- OS

Edited October 20, 2014 by Oh Shoot

[DMark]

It is a medium profile...about .750 the whole way.  I don't know what the equivalent in an AR15 would be.  It is not a pencil, and it is not an HBAR, or even an M4 profile.  It is the same under the rail as it is at the muzzle.

 

My 16" is .750 behind the gas block, then goes to .725 out to the muzzle.

[Matt in TN]

It will loosen up.
 
I now have a couple of hundred rounds through mine.  After this month's 3Gun match at Manchester, I pulled the BCG to clean and it was covered in a gray goo swimming among the CLP.  The inside of the upper receiver and the BCG were now slick and smooth with a uniform gray/black color.  I've had other BCG show most of their finish wear early, but I have never seen a BCG and the inner receiver polish itself out like this one. 
 
Mark

Let me know if you need any more help breaking it in. My trigger finger isn't even tired yet!

[zybysco]

I received my lower and parts kit today. They sent me an ar15 kit instead of a pa10. I'm hoping they ship it out quick to me.

[DMark]

Folks,

 

Just found out that PSA shipped some of their early PA10 lower kits with the wrong "short" buffer.  The short 2.5 inch buffer (RED X) allows the BCG to impact the buffer tube extension.  The PA10 requires the standard 3.25 inch H1 carbine buffer (GREEN +).

 

 

PSA is providing the correct H1 buffer.  If you have the short one, contact them with your order number and they will send a replacement.

 

And Yes - - - My kit was one of the early ones with the short buffer and Yes it was impacting the tube.  :grouchy:

 

 

 

 

I think I now know where that gray goo swimming among the CLP came from that I was talking about in post # 3 of this thread.   

 

Reckon this makes me a BETA Tester for PSA!   :ugh:  

[atlas3025]

Thanks for the heads up.  Sorry yours was the wrong one.  I guess there were growing pains.  I checked, and thankfully I had the long one.  

 

Have you asked to see if they will replace your buffer tube and bolt carrier?

[DMark]

Thanks for the heads up.  Sorry yours was the wrong one.  I guess there were growing pains.  I checked, and thankfully I had the long one.  

 

Have you asked to see if they will replace your buffer tube and bolt carrier?

 

Didn't ask to replace the tube or the BCG.  I pulled my tube to check for cracks, even under 20x Mag I couldn't see any problems.  The BCG appears to be just finish wear.

 

However, could you do me a favor? 

 

Since you got the correct H Buffer, could you measure the length of your spring.  Some folks on ARFCOM are reporting that the spring used with the correct buffer is longer than the standard carbine length spring (10.5 inch) which came with mine.   

 

Thanks,

Mark

[atlas3025]

Yeah, it's 12.5 inches at rest.   

[DMark]

Thanks for the quick check.  :up:

 

12.5..., that is rifle length which sort of makes sense since the PA10 tube itself is longer than a carbine tube.

[atlas3025]

Got back out to the range with it again.  I was hoping for a little better, but pretty happy overall.  I think a trigger replacement would do it some good.  This was with Fed GMM 175 SMKs.  I had a couple more targets that were very close to these, but these were the best. EDIT: @100 yards, both groups are 5 shots, with no cooling in between, 3rd and 4th five shot strings of the day.  On the left target, its hard to tell but the hole closest to the "1" is actually two.

 

Edited October 26, 2014 by atlas3025

[zybysco]

I'm still waiting on my parts. I've sent two emails and no response. Got the credit card bill today. Maybe if I dispute it they will actually respond to me.

[atlas3025]

I'm still waiting on my parts. I've sent two emails and no response. Got the credit card bill today. Maybe if I dispute it they will actually respond to me.

 

You will get your parts.  I have waited weeks before, actually, more often than not it is weeks.  Palmetto is not a great place for the impatient.  But I have ordered more than 30 times from them and never have they failed to fulfill the order.  The one time I had a problem with what they shipped me (ugly BCG) they sent me a new one no questions asked.

 

As always, Cheap, Fast, and Good.  You can have 2 of the 3, but not all of them.  Palmetto is Cheap and Good.  Daniel Defense is Good and Fast.  I am not interested in Cheap and Fast.