Psa barrels?

[Jmccracken]

Has anyone used them? A friend has a 20” and it shoots decent. It’s new though. Looking to build another Grendel and was just wondering if anyone here is using them with handloads?

Also, are bear creek BCG good to go or should I stick with toolcraft?

[A5BLASTER]

I know a few members have bought their uppers but not sure if anyone here has built a Upper or rifle useing their barrel yet.

Might try the search function at the top of the home page, it might bring up something.

All I will say about BCA is I won't spend a dollar with them for anything. The toolcraft BCG is good to go but don't mix the bolt or fireing pin into other rifles are bcg.

Toolcraft had made some with a bolt that was not of spec length and it caused the fireing pin to be short as well.

Long as you leave them together shouldn't be a problem.

[lazyengineer]

http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthrea...us-powders

[FLshooter]

Never bought a PSA upper.I have buddies who own PSA barreled uppers and they clain they can shoot moa or better w/handloads.
BCA Bolt carriers groups.I got buddies who use them with no problems.I have BCA bolt carriers in several uppers.I don’t use their bolts.The barrels I have made for my uppers come with headspaced JP bolts.The BCA bolt carriers work as good as any.

[HuntTXhogs]

Diamondback Firearms $ 129 barrel - GTG

Bear Creek BCG good to go

[Rosecrans1]

PSA complete uppers in 6.5 Grr work and shoot well with the ONE upper I purchased from them.
I don't see why their stand alone barrels wouldn't work & shoot well based on my experience with them.

[CJW]

Everybody gives PSA a bad wrap.
I have 2 of their .223 uppers and couldn’t be happier.
Both are good shooters. I buy a lot of parts from them, their customer service is easy to deal with if there is a problem.

Chuck

[meatsweats]

I’ve been pleased with my 20” PSA SS Barrel/BCG combo. Granted, sampling size of one-!BCG is most likely toolcraft but non the less it shoots real nice.
MS

[ported45]

Everybody gives PSA a bad wrap.
I have 2 of their .223 uppers and couldn’t be happier.
Both are good shooters. I buy a lot of parts from them, their customer service is easy to deal with if there is a problem.

Chuck

Never really see anything bad posted about BCA in any other flavor but the Grendel. When their Grendels hit the range, that is when the complaints really started piling up.

So making an assumption about a company's new line of product by referencing one that is well-established does nothing. It may work out well, but it may end up to be a steaming pile of BCA.

[Jmccracken]

I’ve been pleased with my 20” PSA SS Barrel/BCG combo. Granted, sampling size of one-!BCG is most likely toolcraft but non the less it shoots real nice.
MS

I believe toolcraft bcg is what psa carries as their own. I was about to pull the trigger on a 22” criterion for $320 but read on the Hide from a PSA guy that said they tested 25 barrels and all shot atleast .5moa 5 shot groups

[VASCAR2]

I have built several rifles for Friends and Family using PSA uppers and barrels. I also have a PSA 5.56/223 SS Freedom upper and 6.5 Grendel Nitride barrel pistol kit. I think PSA are a good value and if you have issues PSA CS has been good to me.

The recent Toolcraft 6.5 Grendel BCG are gtg. Early 6.5 Grendel bolts were .01” (2.800”) shorter than 6.5 Grendel bolts and needed a shorter firing pin. Recent Toolcraft 6.5 Grendel bolt are 2.810” and are the same length as 6.5 Grendel bolts with .136” bolt face depth. The current Toolcraft and 6.5 Grendel bolts use milspec length firing pins.

[okstatefan]

My wife, two sons, and I have PSA rifles in 5.56/.223. My eldest and I have FN CHF barrels and wife and youngest have 1:8 SS Wylde barrels. Many thousands of rounds through the two FN uppers and at least a thousand through the other two.

I recently completed a PSA 18 "6.5 Grendel, but have only had it to the range one time. It ran well, but I was just sighting it in and taking a few shots. Front bag only, no rear support. I was getting about 1" at 100yds, but I kept throwing a few fliers. Considering the 100 degree heat and the Padre Island humidity, I was feeling good just to get off some decent squeezes. I suspect that prone with a bipod and rear bag this rifle should be sub MOA under good conditions.

I don't own an AR15 rifle that isn't PSA and haven't for a long time. I've sold a DDM4V1, a Bushmaster, a DPMS, and a M&P 15. The only one I would have kept was the DD, but a guy made me a stupid offer at the gun range one day....

PSA has been 100% reliable and as accurate as I'm able to shoot. If I build a 300 HAM'R, everything but the barrel will be PSA.

[lazyengineer]

Nothing wrong with PSA. It's a lot of gun for the money - you can't beat the value. Reliability has been excellent, features are very good. In fact, their configurations and features are amazing; especially for the price. The BCG's are as good as anyone's, and I know of a machine gun rental range that uses PSA bolts, because they last - they make good stuff.

Accuracy... I don't know. My PSA 6.5 Creedmoor is a 1 MOA rifle or better, with decent ammo. My Grendels so far, are not. Out of 3 PSA 6.5 Grendel uppers I've fired, I can't get any of them to get better than about 2 MOA with Hornady Black, or any other factory ammo, nor with most reloads. Curiously, they shoot Wolf Steel about the same - around 2 MOA. Same barrel source (and blank) as my 1MOA 6.5 Creedmoor (I'm pretty sure at least), yet they just don't sing. I've been able to get some 1 MOA results with 90 gr TNT bullets, but I just can't do it with any of the more heavy premium bullets - yet. Frustrating. That said, I'm not sure but I think the barrels require a couple hundred rounds of break-in; they seem to be getting more accurate with age.

Also, with PSA, the biggest issue is YOU are the QC department. So while the parts themselves are nominally excellent - the assembly and QC on them, can be spotty. They WILL take it back and make it right; and pay for all the shipping - but sometimes you have to cycle through a couple times before they actually fix it correctly. I'm tolerant of this, because the price point and features are so good, that I'm willing to put up with being the QC department as part of that trade.

[Jmccracken]

Ughhh. I hate barrel choices. Ive never had bad luck out of a higher priced barrel.

The price of the PSA is very tempting, but I feel like I will 100% have good luck with a criterion or similar... the PSA may be a little more headache finding a load.

With all this said, I have a friend running a 24" 223wylde BCA barrel, that will stack 75gr PPU match ammo in about 1" at 500 yards....

Choices!

[grayfox]

Others might be willing to the the QC dept for a vendor, IMO, not my job. I have an expectation of quality when I purchase... I definitely like a good value, but am not looking for cheap, nor for an unfinished product. And if QC isn't/hasn't been done, to me it is an unfinished product. My $0.02.

[FLshooter]

Ughhh. I hate barrel choices. Ive never had bad luck out of a higher priced barrel.

The price of the PSA is very tempting, but I feel like I will 100% have good luck with a criterion or similar... the PSA may be a little more headache finding a load.

With all this said, I have a friend running a 24" 223wylde BCA barrel, that will stack 75gr PPU match ammo in about 1" at 500 yards....

Choices!

Criterion is definitely a good choice.I am breaking in a pre fit 22” Criterion 6.5 Grendel Hbar barrel I got for $270 delivered from Brownells.Sub moa barrel.

[okstatefan]

I almost forgot that I did have a 14.5" pinned/welded 6.8 PSA upper that I never could find an MOA load for. I gave up on it in just a few short months.

[Jmccracken]

Decided Im going to wait until brownells has a sale or coupon and just get the 22" criterion

[Bronsonburner]

I was not impressed with the 18" upper I bought from them. The upper reciever itself was out of spec and made it very difficult to seat mags. The best group I ever got out of it measured a tiny bit less than 1.5 MOA. I tried all sorts of handloads but nothing ever shot really well. I replaced the barrel with a Criterion Hybrid and the receiver with an Odin billet. The only thing PSA left is the handguard (which is OK but watch out for soft hardware that strips easily), gas tube, and barrel nut. Just my experience.

[okstatefan]

I'm not going to chase groups around with this PSA upper. The fit on my PSA lower is good and everything runs. However, I'll have to see how it runs. I'm, of course, hoping for good results out of the 123eld black. If I can't get it, looks like I'll be barrel shopping. Everything else on the rifle is squared away: MBT trigger, SWFA 3-9 HD glass, STR stock, VTAC sling.