Originally Posted By: YellowhammerAbout a month or so ago, I bought a Palmetto State Armory daily deal upper at a price just to good to pass up. I got the PSA upper (minus bolt carrier group and charging handle) for $339.99. $15 dollars shipping and it was on my door step for $354.99. I had previously purchased a bolt carrier group from them for $79.99 plus shipping and collapsible stock kit from Model 1 Sales for $35 back right after the Newtown affair, plus a stripped PSA lower from a friend for $50. I added a RR charging handle I bought from another friend who had upgraded to a tactical latch for $15. A $20 parts kit from Mike Milli and standard trigger I already had and rifle was complete.
Next I caught a heck of a deal from Nathez Shooters Supply on a Nikon Coyote Special 3-9x40 scope for the rock bottom price of $149.99 and Venatic picked up a SWFA SS tactical one piece mount for me for just under $50.
http://swfa.com/SWFA-SSALT-30mm-Scope-Mount-P58814.aspx
So, after doing the math I have right at $780 in the complete rig.
My goal was a lightweight set up that I could take when I checking feeders and general all around use. I already had 2 ARs but both were heavy barrels. Before I added the scope and mount today, it weighed in at 6.2 pounds.
The upper specs are:
16" Barrel length
416 Stainless steel barrel
5.56 NATO Chamber
1 in 7" twist rate
M4 Feed ramps
MI SS12G2 free-float Rail
A2 Flash Hider
Forged upper receiver
T-Marks
Barrel: 16", 416 Stainless, Modified A2 profile. Chambered in 5.56 NATO, with a 1/7 twist, M4 barrel extension, and a mid-length gas system. Barrel is finished off with a Midwest Industries SS12G2 12" free-float rail, low-profile gas block and an A2 flash hider.
Upper: Forged 7075-T6 Flat top AR upper is hard coat anodized black for durability. Featuring M4 feedramp cuts, T-marks, these upper upper receivers are made for us right here in the USA.
http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php...ing-handle.html
Venatic came over today with the scope mounts so I could get my scope mounted up and shoots some groups. After getting it all mounted up, it looked like this:
For purposes of sighting in, I put the upper on top of one of my other lowers with an A2 stock and a Rock River NM 2 stage trigger.
I brought out a few different loads to see how it would do. To get it on paper in general we shot 5 rounds of unknown brand of fmj. Then I shot a 3 shot group using Federal Vital shok and 55 grain Sierra game kings. The first two were almost touching and I flinched a little on the third. Next 3 shots were what I wanted to sight in for: Ultramax 68 grain hp. This 3 shot group measured under a half inch with shots #9,10 and 11. I believe the speed through Venatic's chronograph was 2586 fps or there abouts.
Next I shot a 3 shot group using Black Hills 60 grain vmax at 2800 fps. They were under an inch, but not as tight as the 68 grainers.
We made our final scope adjustments, and I shot the this group for a 100 yard zero.
Keep in mind that these groups were shot with the Nikon Coyote Special on 9 power. As you probably know, the retical on the Coyote is a circle. At 100 yards the circle basically encompassed the 4 inch diamond on the corner of the target, leaving the bulls eye in the center of the "dot". If you were to use a fine cross hair scope no telling what kind of group you might be able to shoot.
This upper definitely liked the Ultramax 68 grain hollow points, so now I guess I will have to hunt up a few more boxes of them.
Bottom line, I would have to say that those "cheap" PSA uppers are hard to beat.
Im thinking about getting this exact upper. My only complaint is will I be able to mount a sling to it since there is no swivel stud? Need that for coyote hunting to stick on the bipod also. Is there a swivel stud I can buy to mount on the end of the upper float tube?