For all the Palmetto State fanboys:
They suck. Suck as a company, suck for quality, and suck at customer service. I'll tell you why.
For reference, I have extensive experience with firearms, military and civilian. With my time in Naval Special Warfare I have fired just about everything in the Navy's Table of Allotment (Sig 228, 226, M4, GAU-17, M2, M240, M203, Mk19, M32, ... )
I build all my AR's and have put them together for others. I have built many 80% lowers with a router and CNC machine. I quit doing them when I lost access to CNC capabilities. For the last few years I have been building with Aero Precision uppers and lowers with Ballistic Advantage barrels. I use Aero small parts or JP if available. I have built from other boutique suppliers as well but for the price/quality Aero Precision is the way to go. I get a bitchin military discount as well.
Recently, I was training the boy in the forest where we live. The wifey rarely shoots but she wanted to tag along. She loved the experience so I decided I would throw something together just for her.
I didn't want to make this into one of my $X,*** builds so I decided to go slummin' and went to Palmetto State's site. Prices seemed great! I don't know how into it she would be and a budget rifle would suit her just fine. I purchased a Dissipator upper and I was impressed with it. It is a mid length barrel with a rifle length gas system and a fixed front site. I'm not going to spend money on an optic for her unless she really gets into shooting. I also purchased the bolt carrier group and a charging handle at the same time.
After receiving these items I decided to stick with one company and looked at their lowers and parts kits. The lower receiver I bought took 12 weeks to be delivered to my FFL! It was only supposed to take 8 weeks because it was a limited edition run of lowers. I figured I would get the "Because Covid" excuse so I didn't start calling until 10 weeks. Guess what? No answer so I emailed. I got the Covid excuse. Short staffed. And they were rude about it. I was wanting to do this as her birthday present but it turned into her Christmas present.
Anyway, got all the pats in and assembled it. She was excited to get it on Christmas morning. We go outside and shoot a couple of magazines and found out that the bolt catch doesn't operate correctly. I switched BCG's with mine and it wasn't their bolt carrier, however, my bolt would not catch in the PSA rifle. Confirmed: bolt catch.
I called them up. 3 tries. 1 hour on hold and the phone lost connection. Next 45 minutes on hold and I had to hang up an do something. Finally, the third call and about 50 minutes on hold I got an Indian fella. Dot, not feather. They were eager to send me a new bolt catch. Almost like they had heard this story before!
I got the part and installed it. DOESN'T WORK! Bolt doesn't stay open on the last round! Bolt cannot be held open for inspection of the chamber. I don't think the wifey will be doing tactical reloads but I would at least like to train her to do as such. Holding the bolt open for inspection is also important. Plain and simple, this issue would have had this rifle decommissioned if it was a military rifle.
The issue that I have found is that the pin that holds the bolt catch is drilled to low and the catch sits too low to catch the bolt carrier. NOT MIL-SPEC!
Any company can put Mil-Spec on their website but deviate. Palmetto State Armory is a Wal-Mart brand of rifles. I would have been better off buying that Colt that was in the link in Post #1. It would have worked and I could have at least sold it and made my money back due to it's name and pedigree.
There is a difference between manufacturers even if they both claim to be mil-spec.
