Palmetto State Armory PA-15 A2 Classic 

How times have changed. I bought this same gun from PSA in May 2019 for $519.99 shipped.

Seems like too many guys like to relegate these types of PSA produced ARs to being "just a HOBBY rifle" and not something anybody should risk staking their life on. Your review seems to indicate that they can reasonably be relied upon by civilians and security/LEO users for the purposes most people purchase them for. It's nice to finally hear a detailed review by an expert source who doesn't make me feel like a know-nothing for buying one of the PSA ARs.

Just got this today. It's on order and was 617 all in. I cannot wait

If PSA is ever in stock, I'd get one

Love the full length AR. Looks awesome and very nostalgic

I love my 20” upper from PSA. I have the CHF chrome-lined FN barrel’d version. It’s a sweet shooting rifle!

LOVE my 20" rifle. It smacks hogs and coyotes hard and its tremendously effective with M193.

PSA hit another one again. Dont own one but appreciate manufacture that do produce quality and affordable product.

PSA is a fantastic deal. I have several DD's and an LMT but over the past 3 years Ive found myself running these PSA budget rifles as well as mothballing them for "doomsday". Price for what you get just cant get any better.

To each his own, I love the psa nitride treatment. When I was in I was always battling rust on the m16 and m4 barrels and have yet to see a speck of rust on the nitrided barrels. I’ve been very impressed by this and for semiautomatic fire only, I see no reason to choose chrome over this. Great rifles all around in my very limited experience.

I have one of these, ordered it a little over a year ago for $550 with taxes, shipping and transfer fee. I have about 2k rounds through it and it's been reliable and accurate enough. I've kept it stock as I wanted it as close to a military issue rifle as possible. If you just want a functional rifle, it's tough to beat as it includes everything except a case, cleaning kit and ammo. I don't shoot it very often though, I like my modern optics and rails. But when I'm in the mood for retro, it's great.

I have several A2 rifles, all came with that "thick" handguard. It looked weird, it felt weird. I ended up replacing them all with used surplus USGI A2 handguards from Numrich. They were all worn, but had the correct dimensions. They were the best "upgrade" I've made on those rifles.

I’m a Patreon supporter now. You and Heather do a great job.

PSA has great value and I love the M16.

Just wanted to say I greatly appreciate you not forgetting about the little guys...you have so many high end firearms, most ppl are more likely to have the budget options so thanks

I love full length M16s. Thanks for the video.

Interesting hearing the rapport from the muzzle after the action completely cycles during the slow motion.

December 2019 I paid 519.99 with free s/h. Last time I saw it for sell it was marked "was" 1080.99, now 899.99. The 20" is king imo, great and fun shooter. The psa-103 is great as well.

Own several PSA based rifles. My favorite is their Dissapator build with FNH barrel and mid-length gas system. I also will only buy chome lined barrels for ny ARs. PSA sell great rifles and build components.

Its easy to upgrade. you can swap out the hand guard for a rail. and there you go

I got a 20" upper from Del Ton with the chrome barrel and bolt. since Del Ton and PSA source their parts from the same vendors they are essentially the same rifle.

Validation at last! Built two of the exact rifles. One with chf and one melanite. Both with have the kac quad rail. Both run flawlessly after thousand of rounds. PSA knocked it outta the park with these for the price. In my opinion they haven’t gotten the respect they’ve earned in the ar world. Your review will certainly help! As for the previous comments about availability, Supplies are thin on everything these days. Be patient they’ll come back.

I’m a big fan of my nitride barrel version I got for like $300 on a Black Friday deal a few years ago. I swapped out the upper receiver for a Rock River A2 fixed carry handle receiver. I love it.

I like the old school look as well. I am in process of building a stock a2

I was raised on the M-16 A1, an have a M4 styled carbine, but you can't beat the old school simplicity in my book, thx for the vid

I definitely agree on a basic look . 20" is 👑

I had the m16a4 in bct at ft benning. I bought the psa upper and built a lower for it with a polish trigger. I had a duffel bag bring back rail and carry handle sight and out it on. It was my favorite ar to go shoot! Back to basics marksmanship with a sling.

LOVE me an A2/A4 20”....

I love all three of my OG AR15's as I was issued in the Marines.

I used a psa bolt in my a2 clone and I have bought their uppers before, happy enough with them for what you pay their great

By coincidence I sighted in a new one of these today. The premium kit with FN barrel and HPT/MPI bolt carrier group. I sold off just the flat top upper itself, and replaced it with a fixed carry handle A2 upper as nature intended. Got a Bushmaster A2 profile handguard to replace the abnormal oval one PSA includes with these. Got the "M16A2" PSA marked lower to finish it off, and makes for a great 1980's A2 clone rifle. With iron sights at a measured 50 yards with 62gr Hornady FMJ had several 7/8" to 1/2" 3 shot groups with 46 year old eyes! So don't be afraid of hammer forged chrome lined barrels for accuracy, at least if FN is making them. Worst thing about the A2 is you have to round up a fixed carry handle upper yourself, as PSA doesn't make them, and although Rock River makes a nice carry handle upper, they don't offer a traditional A2 profile barrel, so you pretty much have to combined PSA's kit with someone else's upper if you want the fixed carry handle. Rock River A2 upper and FN barrel both have M4 feedramps, so historically wrong, but functionally fine, and the FN barrel IS NOT over gassed at all, it throws 5.56 ammo out at 4-5 o clock

Chris packs as much information into his videos as PSA packs value into their rifles. I got one with the FN barrel for $600 last May, 2020. I put an M1907 sling on mine for position shooting. Now I need a bayonet.

In 2018 I bought both the complete upper and lower, 16" and 20", when they went on sail with no shipping. I bought carry handles from FN when they were available. Charging handles and BCG are both after market. All my magazines are metal from Mk.II ones from the same company that has long had the US Government magazine contract. Took most of that year to get everything and in total, for rifle and carbine and 10 total magazines and everything, cleaning and tools that Chris talked about, I spent, after 500 rounds .556 too, $1200. I consider it money well spent.

I bought this rifle 3 years ago I have absolutely zero complaints about it cycled very well I had no problems with magazines no problems with the sights and I just checked just a few moments ago and they are back in stock

When i comes to PSA you get what you pay for. I purchased one of these about four years ago and my thoughts mirror the ones in this video. It is a very good rifle for the price. However, not to long after that I purchased one of their bargain basement uppers. I believe that the price at the time was somewhere around $160. The hole in the upper for the rear takedown pin was about 1mm too high and the takedown pin wouldn't fit. I also had trouble with windage trying to zero it at different ranges. Long story short the front sight was pinned slightly crooked. I wasn't too upset because I wasn't expecting that much from an assembled upper at that price point. At any rate PSA replaced it for a new one that I could at least put the takedown pins through. Long story short, when buying from PSA (whenever they're back in stock) don't sort by lowest price first. Spend the extra money on something that they will actually take the time to build correctly the first time.

Love the full length, this is the one I learned on in 1966 and the one I carried in Vietnam in 1968.just can't get into the carbine line. My son has a colt LE and it's a fine rifle but just doesn't feel right .

If only it had an A2 carry handle upper.

I had one of these. The FSB was canted to the side. I sent it back to PSA and they fixed the issue a little bit but I sitll had to move the rear sight aperture like 2 clicks from the left. Other than that the rifle worked fine. Was a real tack driver at 100 yards like an A4 clone should be. Once I saw the price of putting a KAC rail and an ACOG on it I sold it and bought an Colt 603 upper instead. Now it's an A1 clone. Still, a good entry level 20" rifle. If you want to take a woman shooting seriously consider a 20" AR. They are great for getting people into shooting.

Nice! Really appreciate the way you spread the love of this platform! If it were the premium (FNC) with the Magpul furniture in OD green..... It would be very similar to mine.......😉 Best Wishes to you and yours Chris......🤠

That was sorta my first AR when I was 15. Over the years I changed almost everything on the gun so only the upper receiver itself and internals stayed the same. Great tool for learning marksmanship

When I got back into the AR platform, I had to have a 20-inch A2-style upper like I had back in the day. I purchased one from PSA and it's outstanding. However, after many months of ownership, I began to wonder why she felt a bit different and looked a bit different from my memories. I finally noticed the handguards are fat! Sure enough, I started to research this and found that some aftermarket manufacturers began to make fat 20-inch handguards at some point and most companies use them. Anyway, I found a set of old surplus GI handguards and they are perfect. Looks like my rifle went on a diet and hit the gym! Peace.

I am currently building a M16A2 clone on a PSA M16A2 marked lower and a Colt A2 stripped upper I found at an estate sale (integral carry handle). I was a bit dismayed that the PSA lower seemed more "glossy" than the Colt upper, but after a good degreasing prior to assembling the lower, it is a perfect match. That glossy finish come right off with degreasing. Apparently some sort of preservative oil.

Mine had the issue of the barrel nut not properly timed. The gas tube was improperly centered and bent, It would get stuck when charging and I’m glad I didn’t fire it. Thankfully, they’re covered under lifetime warranty. I’ll have to get back home to test it out but they kept their word. I did pay $530 in total. Bought the upper and lower separate around March (lower) and August (upper).

God I'm jealous of how you can just casually mention having several types of 5.56/.223 available to go through.

I have one. It’s awesome, shoots straight. Not a big fan of the wobble between the lower and the upper, but nothing a little accu-wedge didn’t fix.

A2 will always be my setup

Reagan Era Army guy and this brought back memories. Just bought this and waiting on delivery to my FFL. In the meantime, i did buy my poly triangle front guards and sling as well as bayonet. I am a very happy camper. I will spend the 300.00 on the hammer forged chrome barrel inb the near future! Can't wait. This will replace my IDF ..45acp Uzi as my go to when the courts get the Forced Reset Trigger fiasco straightened out.

Fulton armory makes an A2 upper with m4 feed ramps. I got one for my psa 20” a2 build to make it more authentic. Never been a fan of detached carry handles.

I have one of these. I replaced the upper receiver and handguards with stuff from Fulton armory. Now it's basically an A2 clone from 10 feet away. I love it though.

Just recieved mine last week. I put the Brownells M16A1 retro handguards on and it takes me back to Ft. Knox KY for Basic Training! I bought the old style aluminum mags 20&30. I wish the carry handle was built on..I'd pay the extra for that. It's art.

Got one a few years back. Threw a KAC rail and an old Surefire m962 on it. Couldn't be happier.

This is a rifle for us "poors." See most RU-vid channels.

I purchased the upper receiver about a year ago from PSA and mounted it on an old colt lower. I then put OD green furniture and a carbine buffer tube on it turning it into my version of a C-7.

I always saw the m16a2 as the sign of US military might

Good to see PSA finally getting some legitimate respek! I have the same rifle but added a CMMG trigger. I also have a brand new RAS 5 rail but can't bring myself to install it. I am prior Air Force (3rd Mob CC). When we were issued rifles this is what we got in the 90s. I also have a 14.5 M4 clone and an AK. I see them as a set and hard to think to break them up.

A2 was my service stick. This video makes me want to get the PSA.

That rifle reminds me of the one I shot for qual in 1986, and then my squadron had 5 A2s that we used for squadron range training. One even had the triangular handguard, I want to think one was missing a forward assist, maybe an A1. In later years we carried GAU-5s, which were common around AFSOC. I have a few Palmetto State rifles, they are very nice for the money. Nowadays they are not as inexpensive as they used to be. I got my SAS patch in the mail, it's really nice! Thanks.

Had one of these. Front sight post was canted pretty bad. Kinda annoying but fun to shoot.

A 20 inch barrel, just as God intended.

Hope we can keep em.

My new Colt M4 LE6920 is total retro...my builder friends can take a hike baby! Lol

I think the info on Melonite being more accurate AND more corrosion resistant than chrome is well established. I could be wrong though.

I have one of their M16A4s with a premium barrel and it’s a sweet shooter. I also had a 10.5” pistol with their FN barrel and it was a sweet shooter as well.

I stop in at PSA at least once a week just to see what's in stock.

Form is fantastic. Function is fantastic. I think they hit a home run for a bare bones rifle.

Have two! One from PSA and one from BCA. Love them both and have maybe 4-5 thousand rounds through them. Never an issue. One thing I didn’t like in the PSA is the hand guard is just alittle to thick. Switched out for a surplus set.

It's not an A2 classic without an A2 upper receiver. I almost got excited when I saw this and thought they were finally making an honest to God A2 receiver. Unfortunately, everybody is sold out and I had to buy my receiver on Gunbroker. Seems they're not making carry handled receivers any more. I do have their CHF offering, which is FN marked, parkerized and chrome lined barrel and chamber.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this Man has probably forgot more about ar15 type rifles than most ever knew. You can't watch his videos without learning something.

Super cool rifle. I carried both A1 and A2. I really liked the A2 except that burst trigger SUCKED in semi-auto.

I used a Palmetto State Armory PA-15 A2 Deluxe Rifle Kit w/ FN cold hammer forged barrel to build a close enough clone of an M16-A4. Collecting the correct accessories and assembling the rifle was an adventure. It is a great shooter! During the past administration I was very very very patient and waited for it to show on on a Daily Deal and think I paid under $500 for the compete kit less receiver. The TA31F ACOG cost more than all the other components combined.

next week mine shall be here :3

Another great video by the Small Arms Solutions team!

Great presentation Chris! I am looking at the CHF A2 and these reviews are priceless. My Nitride PSA 16 inch has been a reliable and accurate platform. 2 MOA out of the box and reliable as the day is long. CANT GO WRONG WITH PSA! As long as they have them in stock.

I like the basic AR15 rifles but they’re more for nostalgia than someone looking for a rifle to cover multiple roles

I have one of these with the FN CHF Chrome lined barrel. I also have the Colt offering of an M16A4 clone. I bought it a few months after the PSA because I caught it on sale and I figured what the hell why not, I'd never owned an actual Colt before so I figured I'd get one just because I wanted it. The finish is slightly better and more uniform on the Colt. On the PSA the Front sight block is noticeably a different finish and color from the barrel which is slightly different than the upper receiver, etc. That's not surprising though as the Colt was probably $250 more expensive as a rifle so I'd expect it to look prettier overall. However that said I see no performance difference whatsoever. I had originally got the M16A4 model because I wanted something close to what I was issued through much of my Army career. It's slightly more flexible with the railed upper reciever than the A2 I had through much of my Army career and exactly the A4 I had for a short time before getting Issued an M4. As you said in the video I swapped out the plastic hand guards with a KAC M5 RAS and put the MaTech BUIS and put an ACOG on it. It's done very well. I have many "better" rifles with optics, lasers, etc hanging off them etc. However this one is quickly becoming my favorite. It's as you said just an excellent "basic" rifle that will do most anything you need it to do.

I put together a m4 set up few years ago,14.5 barrel ect ect,nothing from palmetto on it but I run A2 sights on it no electronic anything,tried a few gave them away,I really just prefer a basic no frills set up myself.

Chris fantastic review as usual. I just built one on an Areo precision US Government marked M16 A4 lower just recently, except mine has the FN barrel, upgraded the BCG with a Fail Zero NB unit, polished GI FCG NB coated (5lb pull), A1 length stock with provisions for side sling adjustments and a USGI metal trap door with drain hole buffer screw (had to machine myself), anti walk polished and nitride coated FCG pins, and a standard USGI silent sling with M4 front side sling mounts. It's a vast improvement over my service A2. PSA puts out some outstanding products and with a little bit of imagination and customization you can have a real nice piece. The basics with all of the enhancements where it counts.

Im wanting this one. Its been a long time favorite for a long time. I keep jumping into the more modern AR-15’s. As far as being able to mount anything without actually installing a different hand guard, they sell barrels clamp mounts for rifles so you can slide a flashlight in a mount, clamp it on the barrel and your ready to go. Obviously not THE BEST but it’ll keep it pretty standard.

Just bought the PSA premium rifle kit. Comes with the FN barrel. Can't wait to slap it together! It is a bit disheartening seeing the outrageous prices on KAC M5 RAS quad rails. I want to make an M16A4 clone but I can't justify spending that much coin on a drop in handguard 😬

Picked up a used on because the A2 is what I used USMC 2002-2007. Only issue I had was a few times I shot it the trigger would not fully reset after a shot but it didn't happen the next time out so no big deal.

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure that Glock's Tenifer is a type of Nitride. So a version of Nitride is definitely used by militaries and in rather large numbers.

Psa has come a long way. Their product are an extremely good value and make excellent projects for experimentation . When shit is in stock lol.

Really enjoyed this video, thank you for the upload! Another excellent “budget” or entry level rifle is the newer Ruger AR556 model 8500. I had an older one that was very nice for the price, comparable to the PSA (even though the Ruger is a 16” & carbine length gas system), but I traded it in for a newer one just last year and the trigger feels far superior to the first one I owned. I don’t have the experience with firearms that you do, but in my humble opinion, the Ruger AR556 8500 is slightly superior to the PSA and others in its price class like the basic s&w M&P rifles. Would love to see a video on it if you ever come across one or get the time. Thanks for the regular uploads! Def one of my new favorite channels

Most sporting rifles are not chrome plated and the last a very long time if you just run an oily rag when you put it away. I have a PSA .300 BLK that shoots a sub MOA.

Hopefully they’ll come out with an A1

I'm an ol school chrome lining guy but melonites winning me over its very accurate and I've talked to guys who put insane rounds through don't see a wear difference

PSA it’s a great company I like their AKS it’s going to be the biggest company in us market

I wish I’d known about the FN barrel before I bought mine

Great to see a classic at an affordable price.

Long live the mighty M 14

THE MARK MCCLOSKY SPECIAL

I want to purchase their dissipator. Been waiting for months for it to be in stock

I love my PSA rifle. I'm wanting this rifle you have there now. just build the lower need the upper now.

My PSA 20” upper has the brass aluminum forge mark and also has m4 on front like my Colt.I thought the m4 marking on the front was only stamped on Colts. Has anyone else ever seen this on any other uppers?I have a few more brass aluminum uppers and none of them have it.

Have a knights rail on mine and Anderson lower.

Thanks,I have 2 already.. Enjoyed your video as usual

If it is not a 20 " and i in 12 twist forget it .... The only Ammo we can Affordablly buy is 55gr. try to find a 1 in 12 good luck ...

Great video Chris, thank you.

Does somebody still make the 1:14" twist barrel for the AR Rifle?

It's not like Chris Bartocci to get small details wrong. Was wondering why he was calling it an "A2" until I realized that's what Palmetto has listed on their site. They really ought to change it.