I can say from my firsthand experience with Radical Firearms that I will NEVER EVER recommend their products to anyone, ESPECIALLY not for real world use. Not their complete assemblies nor their components. This is experience working in a retail environment, so there were many instances of issues. There were dozens of lowers that were so out of spec that we could not sell the guns to customers. These were complete guns, but the lowers were made so poorly that we encountered a multitude of problems. Their anodizing was pretty bad, didn't hold up well even to just disassembly. The biggest issues were the actual dimensions of the lowers themselves. The pocket for the rear lug of the upper receiver where the rear takedown pin goes through was SO out of spec that you could not swap uppers. There were dozens of lowers that could not take Colt uppers, BCM uppers, etc. They could only mate up with the factory upper they came with, or if we really tried we could squeeze the life of the upper to lower and tap the pin through with a nylon hammer. But generally speaking, these lowers could not interchange with any other uppers. Then there were lowers where the threads for the receiver extension were out of spec as well. We found this out when trying to swap extensions for customers, and all of the various mil-spec receiver extensions would turn in maybe one thread, then stop dead. Most of the lowers actually had out of spec machining near the fire control group/takedown pin pocket AND out of spec extension threads. These lowers were sent back and when they were returned to be reassembled by us to sell, they had the same problems. They took the lowers back, fixed nothing, and sent them back saying they were fixed. This was around 40-50 lower receivers by the way, not just a few. That is just the lowers. There were numerous upper receivers that were completely built from the factory and had issues. A couple uppers had their forward assists stuck in the forward position, requiring you to "mortar" clear the gun. Then there was at least one upper that a customer wanted a rail and barrel nut changed, and when we went to untorque the factory barrel nut it was only on the upper hand tight. For those reasons, I would tell anyone considering a Radical Firearms product to look anywhere else. Buy something from Aero or another reputable company, or save up to buy a complete quality build from somewhere like BCM.
My experience is very different from you all. Over 4k rounds and accuracy never dwindled. Never malfunctioned. Mag dumps to long range shooting, my rifle has been adequate at all aspects
With current COVID One Niner situation and political climate. I don’t think there is such a thing as “budget AR” rifles. Not right now anyway... 💥🤷🏻♂️💸
If you buy the upper and lower separately, you can still get almost any PSA ar15 for $500-$700. I used to thjnk they were junk but I've had a couple of their ar's and an ak for a couple years now. All have been reliable, accurate, and show no undue wear. The first ar and ak that I bought cost less that $1k for both.
Definitely prefer chrome lining in a rifle. It has been crazy watching PSA grow. I used to buy ammo from them before they ever became a manufacturer. Now look at them!
My first ar15 was last year from PSA. I bought a basic mlok 16 inch ar15 and I spent 450 on it. And so far, it's held up well. Eats anything from brass to steel(3k rounds so far) and my same rifle goes for 850 now. Crazy, wish I bought more.
DSArms makes a m4 forgery for 665 and you can special order from with a phone call. They also make a war companion which has a Midwest industry free float handguard and magpul furniture for 865.
I have the Radical RF-15, and am extremely happy with it so far. Mine is the same as the one you reviewed, except with a 15" handguard. I'm new to the AR platform, and have been able to get 1 to 1.5 MOA 10 shot groups out of it at 200 yards, with Federal 55 grain JHP. It opens up a bit to about 2 MOA at 300 yards. I consider that more than acceptable for a $600-650 rifle (plus the $290 Primary Arms 1-6x ACSS LPVO I mounted). I've shot 5 different types of .223 and 5.56 ammo through it so far, and it's been completely reliable. It really seems like a lot of gun for the money.
Wouldn’t mind hearing your opinions on budgets guns/manufacturers to avoid Edit: even if Chris doesn’t want to call out certain manufacturers, it would be beneficial to make a video on what to not look for or what to avoid in terms of quality, materials etc
Not gonna happen. In youtubeland, anyone who reviews anything always focuses on positive reviews for 99% of their output. When they say something negative they badmouth one product, not the whole company
Ive got 2 PSAs one is a freedom and the other is a premium CHF FN 10.5 upper.. Been real satisfied with my PSAs .. I trust them as much as my old issue Colt A2 back in the infantry and the old A2 with the ammo ussed back then was rock solid.
M+P 15. Gen 1. Could not be happier. I run it real hard. Vortex red dot. Keep it clean it won't let you down. My favorite gun is my Henry 22 golden boy. Lots of fun to shoot. Have fun.
I found one ,. Called all the big stores and checked on line no one had ,. Jumped right on it. S&W. M&P ll looks nice haven't had it out yet ,. It was the only one @ 800 LUCKY
Just got a Bear Creek 20” upper and aPSA lower for my birthday,quality appears to be spot on! The coating matches on both upper and lower receivers, and parts! Looking forward to range time with it.
I put together an AR pistol for just over $400. It is Anderson lower with BCA upper in 300 AAC. Would have been cheaper if I didn't buy during this shortage, but still affordable.
PSA is really putting out some interesting firearms. Nothing groundbreaking, but well made at good prices, and that's enough. It's hard to beat the value of a reliable and well made AR for $450. I have one of their "Premium" line rifles, FN made CHF chrome lined barrel, HP/MP 158 shot peened bolt, proper carrier, and I got it for $750. I have a first gen AK of theirs and it has held up well. Now they have some more premium build AKs and they are still reasonable in price. A new pistol that is a competitor to the G19, that looks promising and at a low price point... Then that monolithic upper they are releasing sometime in the future, looks interesting as well.
@@geneotrexler8246 My Premium Line rifle, I would trust any time and place, just like my BCM rifles. I might not be comfortable pulling a PSA fresh from the box and jumping into a warzone, but after a few hundred rounds to verify no immediate issues, I would be fine. Ihave a few builds from them and they have been great. My higher end, a pistol build which is my current HD rifle, and one I got setup as a SPR/DMR type. The last one has become a bit of a Frankenstein, in that I replaced the barrel with a Ballistics Advantage 18in, put on a free float tube from BCM, and currently a Larue MBT trigger (prior Geissele)... But that rifle is my most accurate, it was built for my fiance, and on our last outing, she was consistently putting out sub MOA 5rd groups, one after another using some factory match loaded with Sierra 69gr. She is a Ruger fangirl so when she found a stripped Ruger AR lower for sale, she had to get it for me to use for her rifle... So it's a Frankenstein, but it started life as PSA, that ran well and was pretty accurate to start. Starting with a basic AR and building from there is a lot of fun, especially if you end up with something that performs very well.
I have some really nice AR builds but now I’m infatuated with these basic guns and I’m gaining a few of them , so far I’ve had no issues.$450-$500 for a decent AR ain’t bad.
Core15... I had a few months of romance with my Scout MLOCK carbine. Feels premium, packaged premium, manuals and documentations are very presentable and vibrant. Unfortunately it didn't keep it's good reputation on this weapon. Bolt catch wasn't catching on certain magazine not because of the magazines but because the machine seat where the bolt catch was installed into was too wide and it the play was terrible. I remedied that with a 0.08" shim and done. No, changing the bolt catch didn't fix it. Next, some magazines were tight int he mag well. So tight it wouldn't freely drop once released. I guess I can live with that. Then a few more runs I noticed that my magazine insertion was getting clumsy. I kept dropping mags! So I did a dry run on the magazine insertion and instead of firing or running into the target, I just shook the carbine. The magazine fell. Insert again, tapping hard on the bottom to make sure it engaged. Shook the rifle and the magazine fell again. I tested this action with my PSA and Ruger ARs and none dropped during vigorous shaking. I had to divorce this weapon. I believe that when you machine off center on one thing, it leads to other dimensions being out of whack. Poor QC. During my ownership with the rifle, I purchased a Nickel Boron BCG. When I received the BCG, it was badly oxidized and tooling is evident on most surfaces. Looks like turning patterns. Usually this is from either a very sharp tool or a dull one. Nonetheless I polished the BCG, oiled and run this using a PSA upper and PSA lower with no issues whatsover. I'm keeping it but my disdain level is just up there. It's a shame, I thought I had one of those budget friendly but reliable AR with this one but in the end, my PSAs filled in the spot very well. Just a note, Core Rifle Systems do have Lifetime Warranty on their firearms and parts. No hassle warranty if you are not happy. I could have opted for a repair or replacement but I couldn't take off my displeasure to a point I just want it gone from my armory.
My PSA 10.5 had a wayy canted front sight. It is zeroed (but almost maxxed out in windage) and has never malfunctioned. I’m sure they’d fix it if I sent it back but the wait time is killer. Food for thought.
I'm surprised when you talked about Bushmaster that you didn't mention Windham Weaponry. They are the original Bushmasters, owned and operated by the same team that built BM rifles prior to the Freedom Group buying the company and moving it to NY. I usually recommend their rifles whenever someone asks for a recommendation on a decent sub--$1000 AR.
I have a Spikes tatical with complete Adams Arms upper and an older pre ban Bushmaster with Wilson Combat/BCM parts and mil spec trigger also have an older pre ban Bushmaster piston AR and a POF 6.8...prayers to everyone , take care of you and your families
@@SmallArmsSolutions its the only one I've ever seen..got it from a friend who was dieing of cancer..I don't shoot it much..I run it wetter than windex
I've never had any issues with either of my PSA AR-15s, or my PA-10 gen 3. Matter of fact I was getting MOA accuracy out of my PA-10 just yesterday with 147 grain FMJ. On the AR-15s I did have to dimple the barrel myself but all the other gauging and fitment checked out.
I bought a used Bushmaster that already had a mil spec barrel, muzzle break, several other quality upgrades. I have no complaints with it, on fact I love the rifle. And I used to use the Colt M16 in the corps. I do t see much difference in the 2 rifles in respect to quality.
Great video, as usual. Back in February before the panic really kicked in, I bought a new Bushmaster M4A3 (removable carry handle). I would agree that the fit and finish are quite nice. My barrel is marked "1/7", although I understand that previously 1/9 was the norm for Bushmaster.
PSA offers many different options. I bought an M4 upper last year with the A2 style handguard, and the barrel is 4150 Chrome-Moly Vanadium. Cost a little bit more than the one shown here.
Another great video, Chris! My first AR is the Bushmaster of the Ilian NY ilk . Still runs like a champ. Only gripe is it came with a commercial stock and an AR 15 bolt not full auto, both of which I’ve changed out.
Companies hire through LLC contracting houses for manufacturing usually saves a lot on everything. The downside is that there is no securities for the employee.
If you want to spend your money in a quality and functioning (BUDGET) weapon get a Diamondback DB15 out of Cocoa Beach Florida. I had a Radical, a Palmetto, and a Bushmaster and you are buying a firearm that you can tell people you have one.... Having one is better than nothing (I understand)........ My Diamondback is going on it's 4,000 rounds or even more of 7.62x39 and she functions like day 1 and shoots any quality ammo you put through it and it's 100% manufactured by Diamondback .... and get a pistol since the form one is currently going on a 14 month wait .....
I think the jurry is out on the Nitride vs Chrome lined debate and it's an objective truth that nitride barrels are more accurate and have less point of impact shift. The only place where Chrome beats nitride is in over barrel life however no civilian or LE is ever going to fire enough to wear out an AR15 barrel and if they do it's still far cheaper to replace a barrel the cost of the ammunition needed to get that barrel to the point of degradation. The main reason Militaries uses chrome lining is because A. That is alm that is offered and B. Because they want to squeeze every bit of life out of a component.
One thing to remember is that militaries are resistant to change. It's how it has always been done is the mindset. Lances were used in WW2 by cavalry. When the lieutenants of today become generals, then we will have nitride military barrels, maybe.
@@GunFunZS yeah but the average soldier doesn't carry 400 rounds of ammo on theur person and they most certainly arent dumping 400 rounds in quick succession not even crew served weapons are going 400 rounds without a barrel swap.
Great overview :) A couple sub $1000 offerings I would add to the list: IWI Zion-15 Springfield Saint Victor (free float B5 or BCM version) Troy Midlength A4 with Troy $ights I have experience with both the Troy and Springfield offerings and they are excellent rifles esp for the money.
best price I did was $254 I built with on sale parts most was the barrel for $110 chrome lined no name 1/7 m4 - DSArms lower on sale for $35 used spikes upper $30 - Sarco LPK $35 - AU rails $19 PSA stock and buffer kit $25
DS Arms has Chrome plated barreled uppers starting around $309. I think that might fit the bill for this price point. For $89 more you get the phosphate chrome plated BCG. I know its just the upper bit the complete rifle starying point i believe is aroind the 700 range. I have had great results from the one i putchased back in April 2020. I know you did the high end titanium DS Arms review. Just wanted to throw my hat in the ring.
Late to the party here, but i recently built my first AR through Psa. Their sales are killer and they have them all day long. Psa pistol lower, 10.5 upper from another mfg, holosun aems red dot, various other gadgets. I've since swapped over to a 14.7 i got on clearance for $350. Pinned A2 hider, listed as Premium PSA upper, CHF-CMV barrel manufactured by FN and bears their stamp on the barrel. It's a fantastic weapon and I am now an addict. Send help.
Bought a PSA 16" midlength basic rifle as a 2nd to my Colt M4/6920. Both have run flawless so far. That said the Colt has quite a few more rounds thru it, the PSA is fairly new.
Like you, I have a PSA-15 and an LE6920. Both function flawlessly. The only difference is that I keep the PSA in my jeep and the Colt is in the house. PSA is the unsung hero of the gun world -- they made a cheap and reliable weapon that virtually anyone can afford.
Love your content. If you get the chance, you should really at DS Arms. They make a budget M4 style AR. I have an upper I bought from them, and it’s been an absolutely awesome upper for the money. Completely mil spec and didn’t break the bank
The PSA also has the EPT nickle plated trigger from what I am seeing. Right now the PSA phosphate rifles are $549. They haven't been $4**.** for a very long time since the plan-demic started.
I have been very impressed with my palmetto rifles. BTW Chris, my PA10 308 does not recoil hard. It is 20" rifle length. Makes a big difference in felt recoil on that gun I think.
I'm noticing that all these AR's from pt 1 and 2 have erratic ejection patterns compared to Colt AR's that seem to have a consistent 4 o'clock pattern.
My Radical upper has been nothing but problems. Fail to feed every few rounds and no responses from their customer service. My Palmetto upper has been flawless.
I bought 2 bushmaters in 1994 right before the AWB. The 1st was their CAR-15 with 11.5 inch barrel and permanently attached long flash suppressor and went back and bought their XM-15 with 20 inch barrel. I still have both to this very day. I have never experienced any issues with either. When I purchased these rifles the gun store could not keep them or Eagle in stock yet had plenty of Colt Sporters.
I just bought WW R16M4 MPC-7 law enforcement model with detachable Carrie handle sight. I hope this was a good decision.. the barrel is 4150 steel chrome lined so just for that feature it seamed like a good price. I paid $799. What do you guys think?
Does not ring a bell to that degree of price change, especially on uppers or lowers or complete rifles. I’ve been buying PSA regularly since 2014 and the lower prices they usually have fluctuate back to market level at times but that’s not uncommon. Never seen them drastically beyond market price or MSRP on anything.
Awesome video! I bought a PSA upper on sale for $230 and it’s a great upper for the price. AR stoner is junk in my opinion. I have Colt, HK, Sig, and others. Core 15 is pretty legit and mil-spec.
Great... I just bought an AR Stoner .350 Legend upper yest as the only other one I could find in stock over the last week or so was BCA, and I tend to avoid them at all costs. Guess I can always send it back when it arrives
@@christurbo951 Ah, damn. That's not good... Well thank you for the heads-up, I'll be sure to give it a proper disassembly check and getting it zero'd before committing to it. Oh, and I just found a CMMG upper in .350 for only $80 more, and I know they have good material/build quality... That's what impatience gets you, lol. Have a good one, and thanks again!
Haven’t finished watching the whole video yet but I own mostly PSA and checking their prices as of late, I wouldn’t necessarily say they’re budget options anymore. Last year they were very inexpensive but those days are gone now because of civil unrest, pandemic and election year.
I haven’t checked the website in a short while but I’m guessing prices must have started to normalize because earlier this year the prices were way up.
@@BT_Spanky I think it is more a case of people still *claim* that parts kits and uppers/lowers are cheap. I spent a fair bit of time looking at PSA's stuff . By the time you acquire everything you need to assemble a full rifle or an atf avoidance sbr with an arm brace, you are going to spend over $600 if not 700-800+. Most people don't have the tools necessary to properly assemble a rifle from a parts kit. You can tell yourself that you got a cheap rifle, but unless you're going to build so many of them that the tools pay for themselves, you're not saving any money.
Great Video!!! Seems like you have a lot of knowledge with the AR platform with different manufacturer's. Was wondering if you have any knowledge of the F1 firearms king FDR? Thx William
I bought a core 15 upper (1/9 twist ) for an ex girlfriend during the Obama scare in 2012- she put it on a " Hebron,KY poverty pony" lower and assembled it with PSA MOE with enhanced trigger) that Franken-gun continues to run and run and she takes it to the range and pumps Winchester and federal 55gr ammo through it and is happy with it ( a holosun 403 red dot rides atop the little carbine) Total cost? Upper :$475, lower :$75 . PSA lower parts MOE kit :$129 = $679.00 I've range fired for fun competition against her with my BCM midlength with an overweight dinosaur aimpoint PRO red dot, and truthfully ? It's got to be my eyes cause I'm getting 2" groups with BCM on the federal 55 gr rds, while she's averaging 1 3/4 -2" groups!!!! My BCM carbine : $1,350.00 My PSA premium Mid length was $800 ( upper on a complete Aero Precision lower) and it also shoots better on the cheap 55 gr ammo than my BCM I guess the " poors" have caught up.
I noticed when you shoot you squeeze the trigger and immediately release. Why do some shooters squeeze and hold the trigger for a second before releasing? That's not what i was taught in the Army during BRM.
I got a complete upper from them back in May 2020. I am very happy with it. Nothing special, just the basic 16 inch carbine upper for $309. I believe they have raised the price to $319 now but still, its hard to beat that price. Chrome lined barrel and its built solid. Its on an Anderson lower and its a nice fit with very little wobble. The bcg and basic charging handle was $89 more. Im shooting solid groups at 100 with my old eyes and im sure someone that shoots better woild get MOA results with good ammo. They have more premium uppers and they arent that much more, between 380 and 420. A few service models are in the 5's, but im happy with my basic model. I wish they had a mid length but as of now all the mids are stainless. A year ago they had the mid length slim line on free float fde rails with i believe melonite barrels for $239. No bcg, charging handle, or forward assist. I wish they would get them back in stock as it looks just like the 7 inch upper just bigger. I really wasnt expecting much for the price but im pleasently suprised. Again, im very happy with the upper from them and would def buy again. Hope this helps if your thinking about getting one...
Do any of these rifles shooting one minute to the angle they all function and they all go bang we don't know if they're shooting one minute to the angle and that's what we are looking for ????
Yup. Only snobs turn their noses up at budget rifles/parts nowadays. Got a PSA Upper on an Anderson lower. Im perfectly happy with standard milspec as long as it lasts and can hit ~2.5 or lower at 100 meters.
You have to test your budget guns and optics. Not to the level of Sage Dynamics/Aaron Cowen, but some testing must be done. For a budget gun i would only use quality magazines and pmc/wolf ammunition and never change out the fire control group. Maybe change the buffer to H.
I purchased a Stag Arms side sling mount for my Bushmaster XM177 A2, and its loose. Is that normal or is there a way to tighten it up? I might replace it with a Colt part amd see if thats tighter
Help me understand something with the chrome/melonite thing. You said one of the benefits to chrome plating is the fact that the chrome plating is 3 times harder than the barrel steel, but a downside to melonite is that the inner steel isn't as hard as the outer later that's melonited. But isn't the barrel steel in a chrome-plated barrel exactly the same thing? If both barrels are 4150 CMV, how are they different internally?
Chrome plating doesn’t affect the barrel steel at all so in that case they are the same. chrome plating holds up to lots of full auto fire better but if your gun is semi-auto only then it doesn’t matter. Also the fact the melonite doesn’t harden the inner steel is a good thing not a downside if the entire barrel was hardened it would become brittle and shatter much easier. like glass. Inrange tv has a great series of interview videos with faxon where they talk about all this
@@XTRaptor That doesn't answer the question I was asking; in a nutshell, he said that the greater hardness of the chrome plating is a good thing, but the greater hardness of the melonited steel is a bad thing. Which makes no sense.
@@parsecboy4954 my mistake I misunderstood what the confusion was. The only advantage that I can think of is that chrome is still harder then Melonite but as I mentioned earlier in semi-auto it doesn’t matter. Maybe he simply misspoke because the internal steel is the same on both. Apologies
Remember way back in 2019 when you could get these rifles for under $500? Pepperidge Farms remembers...
My first psa was $450.
Yes i bought a couple freedom line uppers when they were on sale for 229 w/ a BCG lol
That pepperidge farm meme has been dead for like 10 years bro
@James Scalzo Ya, right? Brothers are soooo 1999. It's all about sisters in 2020. Step-sisters, that is.
@James Scalzo Irony: When somebody accuses you of using a dead meme by using an even deader one.
I can say from my firsthand experience with Radical Firearms that I will NEVER EVER recommend their products to anyone, ESPECIALLY not for real world use. Not their complete assemblies nor their components. This is experience working in a retail environment, so there were many instances of issues.
There were dozens of lowers that were so out of spec that we could not sell the guns to customers. These were complete guns, but the lowers were made so poorly that we encountered a multitude of problems. Their anodizing was pretty bad, didn't hold up well even to just disassembly. The biggest issues were the actual dimensions of the lowers themselves. The pocket for the rear lug of the upper receiver where the rear takedown pin goes through was SO out of spec that you could not swap uppers. There were dozens of lowers that could not take Colt uppers, BCM uppers, etc. They could only mate up with the factory upper they came with, or if we really tried we could squeeze the life of the upper to lower and tap the pin through with a nylon hammer. But generally speaking, these lowers could not interchange with any other uppers.
Then there were lowers where the threads for the receiver extension were out of spec as well. We found this out when trying to swap extensions for customers, and all of the various mil-spec receiver extensions would turn in maybe one thread, then stop dead. Most of the lowers actually had out of spec machining near the fire control group/takedown pin pocket AND out of spec extension threads.
These lowers were sent back and when they were returned to be reassembled by us to sell, they had the same problems. They took the lowers back, fixed nothing, and sent them back saying they were fixed. This was around 40-50 lower receivers by the way, not just a few.
That is just the lowers. There were numerous upper receivers that were completely built from the factory and had issues. A couple uppers had their forward assists stuck in the forward position, requiring you to "mortar" clear the gun. Then there was at least one upper that a customer wanted a rail and barrel nut changed, and when we went to untorque the factory barrel nut it was only on the upper hand tight.
For those reasons, I would tell anyone considering a Radical Firearms product to look anywhere else. Buy something from Aero or another reputable company, or save up to buy a complete quality build from somewhere like BCM.
Radical is definitely trash. Like the Kimber of the ar world
My experience is very different from you all. Over 4k rounds and accuracy never dwindled. Never malfunctioned. Mag dumps to long range shooting, my rifle has been adequate at all aspects
@Fui Gebhardt1 At the risk of sounding stupid, what's I.O.
@Fui Gebhardt1 Thanks for the info.
@@alexjoseph8363 Ruger isn't even milspec
With current COVID One Niner situation and political climate. I don’t think there is such a thing as “budget AR” rifles. Not right now anyway... 💥🤷🏻♂️💸
If you buy the upper and lower separately, you can still get almost any PSA ar15 for $500-$700. I used to thjnk they were junk but I've had a couple of their ar's and an ak for a couple years now. All have been reliable, accurate, and show no undue wear. The first ar and ak that I bought cost less that $1k for both.
@Shawn Patricio The USD isnt worth the same. Thats all. Hyperinflation soon lol
@@andreahighsides7756 you called it, 3 years later and getting worse every month
Brought my first AR last year after watching your PSA review, still shoots great, thanks steering me in the right direction
I bought a palmetto too mid length.
They make a good mid length. Matched with the PSA premium nickle bcg and you have a pretty decent rifle.
No complaints with PSA from anyone I know.🇺🇸
Love My PSA M16A4 Clone 😀😊😇
@@toynazi that's what I did for my first rifle. It's been a great bcg. I did upgrade to a ballistic advantage barrel but same rifle for 2 years
I trust Chris’s opinion over all others. Thank you for making these videos!
Definitely prefer chrome lining in a rifle. It has been crazy watching PSA grow. I used to buy ammo from them before they ever became a manufacturer. Now look at them!
My first ar15 was last year from PSA. I bought a basic mlok 16 inch ar15 and I spent 450 on it. And so far, it's held up well. Eats anything from brass to steel(3k rounds so far) and my same rifle goes for 850 now. Crazy, wish I bought more.
DSArms makes a m4 forgery for 665 and you can special order from with a phone call. They also make a war companion which has a Midwest industry free float handguard and magpul furniture for 865.
I have the Radical RF-15, and am extremely happy with it so far. Mine is the same as the one you reviewed, except with a 15" handguard. I'm new to the AR platform, and have been able to get 1 to 1.5 MOA 10 shot groups out of it at 200 yards, with Federal 55 grain JHP. It opens up a bit to about 2 MOA at 300 yards. I consider that more than acceptable for a $600-650 rifle (plus the $290 Primary Arms 1-6x ACSS LPVO I mounted). I've shot 5 different types of .223 and 5.56 ammo through it so far, and it's been completely reliable. It really seems like a lot of gun for the money.
Wouldn’t mind hearing your opinions on budgets guns/manufacturers to avoid
Edit: even if Chris doesn’t want to call out certain manufacturers, it would be beneficial to make a video on what to not look for or what to avoid in terms of quality, materials etc
Not gonna happen. In youtubeland, anyone who reviews anything always focuses on positive reviews for 99% of their output. When they say something negative they badmouth one product, not the whole company
Honestly, it follows the "you get what you pay for" mindset. You pay cheap, you get cheap.
Stay away from bear creek ar15, they suck!
I ordered two build kits and two stripped lowers from PSA (one pistol and one carbine) for $1000 and change a month ago, they have plenty of kits
Core and Stag have always been very good. Underrated for sure
Ive got 2 PSAs one is a freedom and the other is a premium CHF FN 10.5 upper.. Been real satisfied with my PSAs .. I trust them as much as my old issue Colt A2 back in the infantry and the old A2 with the ammo ussed back then was rock solid.
M+P 15. Gen 1. Could not be happier. I run it real hard. Vortex red dot. Keep it clean it won't let you down. My favorite gun is my Henry 22 golden boy. Lots of fun to shoot. Have fun.
My first ar15 was a bushmaster. Paid a 1000 dollars in 2003. M4 a3 model. Fixed stock and compensator on it. Great rifle
Took your advice and bought an LWRC-DI last year.
Bought a Smith and Wesson M&P 15 Sport 2 optic ready for $499 in July. Now it's up to $799+.
I found one ,. Called all the big stores and checked on line no one had ,. Jumped right on it. S&W. M&P ll looks nice haven't had it out yet ,. It was the only one @ 800 LUCKY
@@TheLoneRanger745 yea I bought 2. More the better. Lol
Core has my attention due to chrome bore and phosphate carrier
Just got a Bear Creek 20” upper and aPSA lower for my birthday,quality appears to be spot on! The coating matches on both upper and lower receivers, and parts! Looking forward to range time with it.
I own Palmetto State Armory PA-15 PA-15 multi bought it for bout $ 689.00. Shooting 223 and 5.56. With truglo red and green dot scope . Love it
I put together an AR pistol for just over $400. It is Anderson lower with BCA upper in 300 AAC. Would have been cheaper if I didn't buy during this shortage, but still affordable.
PSA is really putting out some interesting firearms. Nothing groundbreaking, but well made at good prices, and that's enough. It's hard to beat the value of a reliable and well made AR for $450. I have one of their "Premium" line rifles, FN made CHF chrome lined barrel, HP/MP 158 shot peened bolt, proper carrier, and I got it for $750.
I have a first gen AK of theirs and it has held up well. Now they have some more premium build AKs and they are still reasonable in price. A new pistol that is a competitor to the G19, that looks promising and at a low price point... Then that monolithic upper they are releasing sometime in the future, looks interesting as well.
@@geneotrexler8246 My Premium Line rifle, I would trust any time and place, just like my BCM rifles. I might not be comfortable pulling a PSA fresh from the box and jumping into a warzone, but after a few hundred rounds to verify no immediate issues, I would be fine.
Ihave a few builds from them and they have been great. My higher end, a pistol build which is my current HD rifle, and one I got setup as a SPR/DMR type.
The last one has become a bit of a Frankenstein, in that I replaced the barrel with a Ballistics Advantage 18in, put on a free float tube from BCM, and currently a Larue MBT trigger (prior Geissele)... But that rifle is my most accurate, it was built for my fiance, and on our last outing, she was consistently putting out sub MOA 5rd groups, one after another using some factory match loaded with Sierra 69gr.
She is a Ruger fangirl so when she found a stripped Ruger AR lower for sale, she had to get it for me to use for her rifle... So it's a Frankenstein, but it started life as PSA, that ran well and was pretty accurate to start.
Starting with a basic AR and building from there is a lot of fun, especially if you end up with something that performs very well.
I have some really nice AR builds but now I’m infatuated with these basic guns and I’m gaining a few of them , so far I’ve had no issues.$450-$500 for a decent AR ain’t bad.
Core15... I had a few months of romance with my Scout MLOCK carbine. Feels premium, packaged premium, manuals and documentations are very presentable and vibrant. Unfortunately it didn't keep it's good reputation on this weapon. Bolt catch wasn't catching on certain magazine not because of the magazines but because the machine seat where the bolt catch was installed into was too wide and it the play was terrible. I remedied that with a 0.08" shim and done. No, changing the bolt catch didn't fix it.
Next, some magazines were tight int he mag well. So tight it wouldn't freely drop once released. I guess I can live with that.
Then a few more runs I noticed that my magazine insertion was getting clumsy. I kept dropping mags! So I did a dry run on the magazine insertion and instead of firing or running into the target, I just shook the carbine. The magazine fell. Insert again, tapping hard on the bottom to make sure it engaged. Shook the rifle and the magazine fell again. I tested this action with my PSA and Ruger ARs and none dropped during vigorous shaking.
I had to divorce this weapon. I believe that when you machine off center on one thing, it leads to other dimensions being out of whack. Poor QC.
During my ownership with the rifle, I purchased a Nickel Boron BCG. When I received the BCG, it was badly oxidized and tooling is evident on most surfaces. Looks like turning patterns. Usually this is from either a very sharp tool or a dull one. Nonetheless I polished the BCG, oiled and run this using a PSA upper and PSA lower with no issues whatsover. I'm keeping it but my disdain level is just up there.
It's a shame, I thought I had one of those budget friendly but reliable AR with this one but in the end, my PSAs filled in the spot very well.
Just a note, Core Rifle Systems do have Lifetime Warranty on their firearms and parts. No hassle warranty if you are not happy. I could have opted for a repair or replacement but I couldn't take off my displeasure to a point I just want it gone from my armory.
My PSA 10.5 had a wayy canted front sight. It is zeroed (but almost maxxed out in windage) and has never malfunctioned. I’m sure they’d fix it if I sent it back but the wait time is killer. Food for thought.
I'm surprised when you talked about Bushmaster that you didn't mention Windham Weaponry. They are the original Bushmasters, owned and operated by the same team that built BM rifles prior to the Freedom Group buying the company and moving it to NY. I usually recommend their rifles whenever someone asks for a recommendation on a decent sub--$1000 AR.
Outstanding job Chris.
Spreading the love....for a decent produce on a working mans budget!
😃😃😃😃😃
Rated at Five Smiles!
I have a Spikes tatical with complete Adams Arms upper and an older pre ban Bushmaster with Wilson Combat/BCM parts and mil spec trigger also have an older pre ban Bushmaster piston AR and a POF 6.8...prayers to everyone , take care of you and your families
I would love to do a review on the Bushmaster piston upper. Never seen one
@@SmallArmsSolutions its the only one I've ever seen..got it from a friend who was dieing of cancer..I don't shoot it much..I run it wetter than windex
I've never had any issues with either of my PSA AR-15s, or my PA-10 gen 3. Matter of fact I was getting MOA accuracy out of my PA-10 just yesterday with 147 grain FMJ.
On the AR-15s I did have to dimple the barrel myself but all the other gauging and fitment checked out.
I bought a used Bushmaster that already had a mil spec barrel, muzzle break, several other quality upgrades. I have no complaints with it, on fact I love the rifle. And I used to use the Colt M16 in the corps. I do t see much difference in the 2 rifles in respect to quality.
Great video, as usual. Back in February before the panic really kicked in, I bought a new Bushmaster M4A3 (removable carry handle). I would agree that the fit and finish are quite nice. My barrel is marked "1/7", although I understand that previously 1/9 was the norm for Bushmaster.
I enjoyed this mini series Chris, wouldnt mind seeing more.
Just got my first AR a WW - 15 I haven't shot it yet ..next week I'll be at the range!
That's gonna be B5 Systems furniture on the Radical AR. Not Bravo. I imagine you simply misspoke. Good vid as always.
PSA offers many different options. I bought an M4 upper last year with the A2 style handguard, and the barrel is 4150 Chrome-Moly Vanadium. Cost a little bit more than the one shown here.
Take a look at Stag arms. 1 in 7 twist with chrome lined barrel.
I had to stop somewhere. There are a few more that I like.
Another great video, Chris! My first AR is the Bushmaster of the Ilian NY ilk . Still runs like a champ. Only gripe is it came with a commercial stock and an AR 15 bolt not full auto, both of which I’ve changed out.
I would say the Ruger AR 556 is a good one too.
Companies hire through LLC contracting houses for manufacturing usually saves a lot on everything. The downside is that there is no securities for the employee.
If you want to spend your money in a quality and functioning (BUDGET) weapon get a Diamondback DB15 out of Cocoa Beach Florida. I had a Radical, a Palmetto, and a Bushmaster and you are buying a firearm that you can tell people you have one.... Having one is better than nothing (I understand)........
My Diamondback is going on it's 4,000 rounds or even more of 7.62x39 and she functions like day 1 and shoots any quality ammo you put through it and it's 100% manufactured by Diamondback .... and get a pistol since the form one is currently going on a 14 month wait .....
I think the jurry is out on the Nitride vs Chrome lined debate and it's an objective truth that nitride barrels are more accurate and have less point of impact shift. The only place where Chrome beats nitride is in over barrel life however no civilian or LE is ever going to fire enough to wear out an AR15 barrel and if they do it's still far cheaper to replace a barrel the cost of the ammunition needed to get that barrel to the point of degradation. The main reason Militaries uses chrome lining is because A. That is alm that is offered and B. Because they want to squeeze every bit of life out of a component.
One thing to remember is that militaries are resistant to change. It's how it has always been done is the mindset. Lances were used in WW2 by cavalry. When the lieutenants of today become generals, then we will have nitride military barrels, maybe.
There is a moderate advantage under the heat of continuous full auto fire.
@@GunFunZS yeah but to get a barrel that hot you would need hundreds if not thousands of rounds of continuous full auto fire.
@@nemisous83 Yes it's about 400 without more than a couple second pauses During mag changes.
@@GunFunZS yeah but the average soldier doesn't carry 400 rounds of ammo on theur person and they most certainly arent dumping 400 rounds in quick succession not even crew served weapons are going 400 rounds without a barrel swap.
Cool series! My first AR was a CORE15 and it's been an excellent carbine.
Great overview :)
A couple sub $1000 offerings I would add to the list:
IWI Zion-15
Springfield Saint Victor (free float B5 or BCM version)
Troy Midlength A4 with Troy $ights
I have experience with both the Troy and Springfield offerings and they are excellent rifles esp for the money.
I'd love a series on all the AR's (Budget and more expensive) that you've looked at that you haven't liked.
best price I did was $254 I built with on sale parts most was the barrel for $110 chrome lined no name 1/7 m4 - DSArms lower on sale for $35 used spikes upper $30 - Sarco LPK $35 - AU rails $19 PSA stock and buffer kit $25
imgur.com/a/zwIN9dI
DS Arms has Chrome plated barreled uppers starting around $309. I think that might fit the bill for this price point. For $89 more you get the phosphate chrome plated BCG. I know its just the upper bit the complete rifle starying point i believe is aroind the 700 range. I have had great results from the one i putchased back in April 2020. I know you did the high end titanium DS Arms review. Just wanted to throw my hat in the ring.
Great vid- keep up the good work. We can always trust you to give us the straight dope.
Believe it or not you can build a Brownells BRN-10 pretty cheap price right now but you have to go with a different bolt carrier group
Can’t believe that Core rifle would use a plastic delta ring! Especially since they used the chrome lined barrel.
Had a complete lower laying around so I recently bought a PSA 300Black out 10.5 upper. 1st time buying a PSA firearm, parts. Hope it works out well.
Its good shit youll be impressed when you get it running..
Late to the party here, but i recently built my first AR through Psa. Their sales are killer and they have them all day long.
Psa pistol lower, 10.5 upper from another mfg, holosun aems red dot, various other gadgets.
I've since swapped over to a 14.7 i got on clearance for $350. Pinned A2 hider, listed as Premium PSA upper, CHF-CMV barrel manufactured by FN and bears their stamp on the barrel.
It's a fantastic weapon and I am now an addict. Send help.
Bought a PSA 16" midlength basic rifle as a 2nd to my Colt M4/6920. Both have run flawless so far. That said the Colt has quite a few more rounds thru it, the PSA is fairly new.
Like you, I have a PSA-15 and an LE6920. Both function flawlessly. The only difference is that I keep the PSA in my jeep and the Colt is in the house. PSA is the unsung hero of the gun world -- they made a cheap and reliable weapon that virtually anyone can afford.
Love your content. If you get the chance, you should really at DS Arms. They make a budget M4 style AR. I have an upper I bought from them, and it’s been an absolutely awesome upper for the money. Completely mil spec and didn’t break the bank
I can vouch for the old Windham era Bushmaster. Mine is a great rifle
The PSA also has the EPT nickle plated trigger from what I am seeing. Right now the PSA phosphate rifles are $549. They haven't been $4**.** for a very long time since the plan-demic started.
You should do a review of the Stag 15 M4 AR-15 or a Spikes Tactical St-15 M4. Both are fully mil-spec AR-15's that are under a thousand dollars.
Core15's are solid rifles. Best on the list imho.
I love my Eagle arms. Budget armalite line. I can’t find them anywhere. I tried to but another one.
I have been very impressed with my palmetto rifles. BTW Chris, my PA10 308 does not recoil hard. It is 20" rifle length. Makes a big difference in felt recoil on that gun I think.
I'm noticing that all these AR's from pt 1 and 2 have erratic ejection patterns compared to Colt AR's that seem to have a consistent 4 o'clock pattern.
My Radical upper has been nothing but problems. Fail to feed every few rounds and no responses from their customer service. My Palmetto upper has been flawless.
I bought 2 bushmaters in 1994 right before the AWB. The 1st was their CAR-15 with 11.5 inch barrel and permanently attached long flash suppressor and went back and bought their XM-15 with 20 inch barrel. I still have both to this very day. I have never experienced any issues with either. When I purchased these rifles the gun store could not keep them or Eagle in stock yet had plenty of Colt Sporters.
I just bought WW R16M4 MPC-7 law enforcement model with detachable Carrie handle sight. I hope this was a good decision.. the barrel is 4150 steel chrome lined so just for that feature it seamed like a good price. I paid $799. What do you guys think?
PSA is a little overgassed, but good to go with steel cased ammo. Not my preference, but a lot of folks like it.
How about Bear Creek Arsenal review
I seem to be the only person that remembers PSA doubling, sometimes tripling their prices every time there was a mass shooting or gun grab scare.
Does not ring a bell to that degree of price change, especially on uppers or lowers or complete rifles. I’ve been buying PSA regularly since 2014 and the lower prices they usually have fluctuate back to market level at times but that’s not uncommon. Never seen them drastically beyond market price or MSRP on anything.
They seem to be the least expensive of everything else imo.
Awesome video! I bought a PSA upper on sale for $230 and it’s a great upper for the price. AR stoner is junk in my opinion. I have Colt, HK, Sig, and others. Core 15 is pretty legit and mil-spec.
Great... I just bought an AR Stoner .350 Legend upper yest as the only other one I could find in stock over the last week or so was BCA, and I tend to avoid them at all costs.
Guess I can always send it back when it arrives
@@mfallen4277 try it first and then make the determination.
@@christurbo951 Any suggestions on what I should be checking? Is it their gas system, bcg, etc or just overall quality you had issues with?
@@mfallen4277 it was a the barrel. I had my irons almost all the way to one side to sight it in.
@@christurbo951 Ah, damn. That's not good... Well thank you for the heads-up, I'll be sure to give it a proper disassembly check and getting it zero'd before committing to it.
Oh, and I just found a CMMG upper in .350 for only $80 more, and I know they have good material/build quality... That's what impatience gets you, lol.
Have a good one, and thanks again!
Could you look into doublestar ars? Would like to see a vid and your opinion on them
I am very curious of your opinion on Rock River A2 Standard and the Springfield Saint? Thanks, I love my Colt LE6920
Haven’t finished watching the whole video yet but I own mostly PSA and checking their prices as of late, I wouldn’t necessarily say they’re budget options anymore. Last year they were very inexpensive but those days are gone now because of civil unrest, pandemic and election year.
their rifle and pistol kits can still be bought for under 500? how is 550 not budget?
I haven’t checked the website in a short while but I’m guessing prices must have started to normalize because earlier this year the prices were way up.
@@BT_Spanky I think it is more a case of people still *claim* that parts kits and uppers/lowers are cheap. I spent a fair bit of time looking at PSA's stuff . By the time you acquire everything you need to assemble a full rifle or an atf avoidance sbr with an arm brace, you are going to spend over $600 if not 700-800+.
Most people don't have the tools necessary to properly assemble a rifle from a parts kit. You can tell yourself that you got a cheap rifle, but unless you're going to build so many of them that the tools pay for themselves, you're not saving any money.
They are still cheaper than everything else imho.
The side sling swivel disappeared from the Bushmaster when you went to the range. 🤔
That video was from the original review of the rifle. It was later modified.
@@SmallArmsSolutions I assumed that...just giving you a hard time. Keep up the videos, I love them.
Anderson Manufacturing *
Great Video!!!
Seems like you have a lot of knowledge with the AR platform with different manufacturer's. Was wondering if you have any knowledge of the
F1 firearms king FDR?
Thx William
omni hybrid was a surprise
I wish more companies did a fixed carry handle upper option.
Why? What’s wrong with buying from the companies that already do?
I wish more companies included a ram rod and musket ball casting mould. JK, no I don’t because its 2020 and that shit is obselete.
@@andreahighsides7756 That was a polite way to express your opinion.
I bought a core 15 upper (1/9 twist ) for an ex girlfriend during the Obama scare in 2012- she put it on a " Hebron,KY poverty pony" lower and assembled it with PSA MOE with enhanced trigger) that Franken-gun continues to run and run and she takes it to the range and pumps Winchester and federal 55gr ammo through it and is happy with it ( a holosun 403 red dot rides atop the little carbine)
Total cost? Upper :$475, lower :$75 . PSA lower parts MOE kit :$129 = $679.00
I've range fired for fun competition against her with my BCM midlength with an overweight dinosaur aimpoint PRO red dot, and truthfully ? It's got to be my eyes cause I'm getting 2" groups with BCM on the federal 55 gr rds, while she's averaging 1 3/4 -2" groups!!!!
My BCM carbine : $1,350.00
My PSA premium Mid length was $800 ( upper on a complete Aero Precision lower) and it also shoots better on the cheap 55 gr ammo than my BCM
I guess the " poors" have caught up.
Wish Chris would check out a little company out of FL. Thunder Guns. Thanks for the content!
Awesome man, just awesome.
I noticed when you shoot you squeeze the trigger and immediately release. Why do some shooters squeeze and hold the trigger for a second before releasing? That's not what i was taught in the Army during BRM.
Personal preference
I'm pretty sure the Radical Firearms Rob Ski tested failed.
Funny I got a bushy that won’t run dry and a junky psa that will.
PSA, RF are still a hit or a miss had buddies and myself that have gotten bad examples
Do a review on the Springfield armory Saint
What is your opinion on the quality-built RRA CAR A2 for a basic/essential combat/survival weapon?
Is dsarms any good ? They have an m16a4 that i would like to purchase
I got a complete upper from them back in May 2020. I am very happy with it. Nothing special, just the basic 16 inch carbine upper for $309. I believe they have raised the price to $319 now but still, its hard to beat that price. Chrome lined barrel and its built solid. Its on an Anderson lower and its a nice fit with very little wobble. The bcg and basic charging handle was $89 more. Im shooting solid groups at 100 with my old eyes and im sure someone that shoots better woild get MOA results with good ammo. They have more premium uppers and they arent that much more, between 380 and 420. A few service models are in the 5's, but im happy with my basic model. I wish they had a mid length but as of now all the mids are stainless. A year ago they had the mid length slim line on free float fde rails with i believe melonite barrels for $239. No bcg, charging handle, or forward assist. I wish they would get them back in stock as it looks just like the 7 inch upper just bigger. I really wasnt expecting much for the price but im pleasently suprised. Again, im very happy with the upper from them and would def buy again. Hope this helps if your thinking about getting one...
@@brianl1813 thanks g
im not sure how i found your channel but im so glad i did
Do you have any experience with the mossburg MMR 5 56?
What do you think of stripped Anderson lowers, in regards to using them for builds?
anything good about dpms & Anderson ar-15 thank u
Do any of these rifles shooting one minute to the angle they all function and they all go bang we don't know if they're shooting one minute to the angle and that's what we are looking for ????
Most who buy this type of rifle are not expecting 1moa.
Great vid. Thank u sir.
So Chris in a nutshell it's really hard to buy a bad AR-15 nowadays and is no need overspend for all that fluffernutter to get the job done reliably.
Yup. Only snobs turn their noses up at budget rifles/parts nowadays. Got a PSA Upper on an Anderson lower. Im perfectly happy with standard milspec as long as it lasts and can hit ~2.5 or lower at 100 meters.
You have to test your budget guns and optics. Not to the level of Sage Dynamics/Aaron Cowen, but some testing must be done.
For a budget gun i would only use quality magazines and pmc/wolf ammunition and never change out the fire control group. Maybe change the buffer to H.
@@ComeOnPelican91 You may want to check the warranty before running steel cased ammo.
I purchased a Stag Arms side sling mount for my Bushmaster XM177 A2, and its loose. Is that normal or is there a way to tighten it up? I might replace it with a Colt part amd see if thats tighter
Help me understand something with the chrome/melonite thing.
You said one of the benefits to chrome plating is the fact that the chrome plating is 3 times harder than the barrel steel, but a downside to melonite is that the inner steel isn't as hard as the outer later that's melonited.
But isn't the barrel steel in a chrome-plated barrel exactly the same thing? If both barrels are 4150 CMV, how are they different internally?
Chrome plating doesn’t affect the barrel steel at all so in that case they are the same. chrome plating holds up to lots of full auto fire better but if your gun is semi-auto only then it doesn’t matter. Also the fact the melonite doesn’t harden the inner steel is a good thing not a downside if the entire barrel was hardened it would become brittle and shatter much easier. like glass. Inrange tv has a great series of interview videos with faxon where they talk about all this
@@XTRaptor That doesn't answer the question I was asking; in a nutshell, he said that the greater hardness of the chrome plating is a good thing, but the greater hardness of the melonited steel is a bad thing. Which makes no sense.
@@parsecboy4954 my mistake I misunderstood what the confusion was. The only advantage that I can think of is that chrome is still harder then Melonite but as I mentioned earlier in semi-auto it doesn’t matter. Maybe he simply misspoke because the internal steel is the same on both. Apologies
@@XTRaptor No biggie. And yeah, that much I know, it just struck me as odd how he compared the two.
What is the rifle rest you’re using to fire the AR’s with the 30-round magazines?
Keklle2 here on Amazon....
www.amazon.com/dp/B00GKM4O5O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_bYeJFbBXWR72H
Fulton armory FAR 15 any good?
Does DIAMONDBACK DB15 ARs fall into these categories?
Talked about in Part 1
Where did u get the mag holder stand?
Brownells
I'm referring to the Palmetto state armory
Hey Chris what kind of mag are you using with the core 15
Israeli Ultimag