Palmetto State Armory PA-15 5.56 NATO
Model: 51655140126
Palmetto State Armory PA-15 5.56 NATO
Model: 51655140126
Full Specifications
Threaded 1/2x28 barrel: compare 5.56 / .223 suppressor prices.
About This Firearm
The Palmetto State Armory PA-15 is a carbine-gas semi-automatic AR-15 in 5.56 NATO built for range work and learning on. It has an MSRP of $899.99. It comes with a removable carry handle and an F-marked front sight base, which together give a complete iron sight picture at matched heights with no optic bought.
The carry handle lifts off the flat-top rail when an optic goes on. The front sight base does not, because it is pinned to the barrel at the carbine gas position. The handguard is the round M4 type with heat shields and no slots, and the buffer tube has six positions behind a PSA M4 carbine stock. The muzzle is 1/2x28 under an A2-style flash hider.
If you're cross-shopping, an Anderson AM-15 has an MSRP of $699 with an M-LOK handguard and a low-profile gas block in place of the sights, and carries 0.20 lbs more. A Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Sport III has an MSRP of $799, free-floats its barrel under a full-length rail and weighs 0.28 lbs less, with no sights at all. Both leave aiming to the owner, and the PA-15 costs more and comes with sights.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- The bolt is shot-peened mil-spec Carpenter No. 158 steel with the gas key hardened to USGI specifications and staked, in a chrome-lined phosphate-coated 8620 M-16 profile carrier.
- The upper is a forged 7075-T6 A3 receiver machined to mil-spec and hard coat anodized, with a forward assist and a dust cover.
- Every part on it is a standard AR-15 part, so upgrades are cheap and reversible.
- The bore is not chrome lined, so it relies on the nitride finish instead.
- The front sight base stays pinned to the barrel, which keeps it in view under a low-mounted optic and limits which handguards will clear it.
- The gas system is carbine length, the shortest of the three AR gas lengths, so the cycle is sharper than on a mid-length rifle.
Category Rankings
How the Palmetto State Armory PA-15 5.56 NATO ranks among full-size 5.56 NATO rifles.
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Alternatives to Consider
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| NAME | BEST PRICE |
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Ruger AR-556 MPR 5.56 NATO
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$932.99 |
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Springfield Armory SAINT 5.56 NATO
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$881.99 |
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Anderson AM-15 5.56 NATO
Anderson
|
— |
|
FN 15 TAC3 5.56 NATO
FN America
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$1,699.99 |
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FN 15 Guardian 5.56 NATO
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does it come with a magazine?
No magazine is listed with this rifle, so magazines are the first thing to add. It feeds from any AR-15 magazine.
Can an M-LOK handguard be fitted?
Yes, as long as it is cut to clear the front sight base, which stays on the barrel. The rails that work are the ones made for a carbine-length gas system with a front sight base in place.
What does PSA's warranty cover?
A full lifetime warranty that extends beyond the original purchaser and includes shipping both ways.
