Palmetto State Armory Media Days 2019
I am going to post a series of short articles – more pictures than words – on the Palmetto State Armory Media days being held around the Columbia, South Carolina area that I am currently at. If any of the AP readership wants to send me some questions to ask the men & women at PSA, put them into the comments section. I will try to get them answered and posted in tomorrows update.
Day One was a blast…Literally. There were three stations set up at The Clinton House Plantation shooting range in Clinton, South Carolina. First let’s talk about the fantastic facility there. The Clinton House Plantation sports 2,000-acres of shooting fun that include; clays, pistol and rifle shooting with ranges up to one mile long. Hunting is allowed on much of the property and lodging is available. Looking at prices, they seem very fair for what the place offers. They also provided food for both lunch and dinner for us media types which was both exceptional. Lunch was sandwiches and dinner was something called a “southern Boil”. Now that was some good eaten!
The Clinton House Plantation Club House
Palmetto State Armory was founded in 2008 by Jamin McCallum a returning veteran from deployment. As described on their home page…
McCallum soon noticed that there did not seem to be a customer friendly company available for the everyday gun enthusiast. With the help of a few family members and friends Palmetto State Armory was created to meet those needs. Starting as just an ammunition and magazine website, PSA has grown into a full-service company represented by the website, multiple retail locations, and its own personalized firearms brand. With a dedication to quality and customer service, Palmetto State Armory has their sights set on continued excellence and growth.
Upon arrival at The Clinton House Plantation a safety talk commenced and we were broken down into 4 to 6 person teams and whisked away to one of three shooting stations around the facility. Station A was set up with 9mm pistols and two Lead Star Competition rifles in 9mm.
PS9, PSAKP and PSK-AKV pistols
Lead Star Prime PCC and LSA-9 Special edition rifles
Location B saw us shooting Freedom 556, LSA7, Grunt III pistol & carbine, PSA 15” barrel, PA224 Valkyrie, TS47, and a AK47. Shooting at steel targets targets from 25-yards out to 300-yards. The Valkyrie224 along with a Vortex scope, was a nail driver at 300-yards.
Location C was located at a 100 to 1,760-yard range. The steel target being shot at for the day were set at 1,760-yards or for you Elizabeth Warren supporters – One mile. There were two benches set up with three spotters. Bench one would fire and receive correction coordinates and then bench two would fire and receive corrections, then bench one would fire…Et cetera till the target was hit. The rifles being used were two PSA Gen 3 with a 2-stage trigger and stainless steel 20-inch barrels in 6.5 Creedmoor. The optics used on both rifles were, PSA Custom PS2001, 6-24x50mm glass. They got the job done as all folks who attended the event received their 1-mile coin.
In the foreground, Hawkeye from UW Gear showing us all how it is done
Closing thoughts from Day One;
- Over 4,000 rounds were launched downrange during the day and I saw no, nor did I hear of any malfunctions the whole day. Rock solid tools that will not break the bank.
- Great group of people over at PSA! We had men and women from all departments of the company there to answer questions and provide pointers to all that attended.
- The folks that work at PSA, live and breathe firearms. Their enthusiasm for the shooting sports is contagious.
Yours truly is here for two more days. Do not hesitate to ask any questions you might like and I will strive to get answers to your questions on Day Two’s update.
Freedom Through Self-Reliance®
Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!
About the Author: admin
13 Comments
Comments are closed.
Related Posts
GUNS N GEAR
5
I received a package from PSA today. Fast delivery of quality gear. Congratulations on the mile coin!
Thank you Jackalope!
There was a retired Marine Gunny running that station. He and his team did an awesome job walking us in. \”/
Enjoy the heat Brother. ;-)
I can’t say if their customer services are any good cause in the years I’ve used them I’ve never needed them.
That is a good thing
That does look like a lot of fun!
Yeah Matt in OK. I can’t say if their customer services are any good cause in the years I’ve used them I’ve never needed them.
Yesterday, we visited the barrel machining facilities. The quality control they have in place is mind boggling. This one 50,000 sf shop puts out 2,000 barrels a day of which 1,500 are used in PSA firearms. The men & women at the shop, ~150; take their job VERY seriously.
I should have written about it last night; However, do to an accident on Route 26 we arrived back at the hotel rather late.
Today off to see lowers being made and assembly.
Take care Brother.
I was wondering if they are making their own BCG’s or still using the different offerings from tool craft(nothing wrong with tool craft).I had read a article a year or two back how they were really moving forward to do as much as possible “in house”,they used to sell a lot of stuff with FN barrels.
I was also wondering why they do not sell actual 80% receivers as they seem to sell all else one would need for a private build.
I do believe they are the largest Magpul sellor as far as their mags go,they ever see making their own or just not worth the time/effort with Magpul having their syatem down.
This PSA day,open to public or just the “media”,anyhow,sounds like a lot of fun and could see a road trip in future if open to public,enjoy!
James, I will try to answer your questions in the order offered.
1) I have two more articles coming out on my three-day visit to PSA. One of them will address the machining part of their business however, in a nutshell,
PSA rifles are 95% produced in house. The other 5% is as you wrote, Magpul stocks and tiny parts like springs that are not cost effective to produce in house.
2) I do not know why they do not sell 80% lowers. I suspect it is a monetary issue, e.g. they want to make money. With that written, I will send my contact there an email
and ask.
3) I think you nailed it squarely on the head when you wrote, …just not worth the time/effort with Magpul having their syatem down.
4) The PSA Media event I attended was the first they had done in SC. They had done a limited one in Wyoming last winter and that one like this one was only for
media types who write and use video for their reports. I have been in business for 35+ years and I have hosted similar events when I worked for West Marine. Based on
my experience this event was a B+/A- first of many more events like this to come down the pike. Stay tuned for public events not this year but as early as the fall of
2020.
Some good questions Brother. Thanks for reading.
I’ve had to send an AR upper back to them TWICE…first time for severe accuracy issues….they sent it back 7 weeks later with a new barrel..only to have to send it back AGAIN immediately because the gas block was hitting, i.e., pressed up HARD against, the cheese grater handguard. Either the barrel was overtimed, or the gas block was put on incorrectly.
Either way, I’m told by their customer disservice department that no special ‘line cutting’ privileges apply…up to two weeks before they can ‘have another look at it’….called yesterday…only can say that it was received and is in ‘repairs’. Said management will not return emails of complaints.
Bought an AR lower from them on another build. Absolutely the worst trigger on an AR I’ve ever experienced. Called them about it…they sent an ‘improved’ trigger. I had already replaced the trigger with a LaRue tactical that works, of course, fine.
PSA….never again.
K.J., sorry to read about your challenges with PSA items. I will send to your email account a GREAT contact that might be able to help you.
Thanks for reading and posting Brother!
I know many who have dealt with PSA and would say 98% great transactions.I am surprised KJ having a issue with customer service as believe it has improved vastly in the last few years(was needed,believe they were always shorthanded that dept.).Issues can come up with any company,tis how they handle it they will be remembered for,hopefully a nudge gets KJ ‘s issue fixed.They have always had great mag deals(went up a buck a piece since the last few shootings)but still,10 good mags delivered for 89 bucks will soon seem like a great deal as it is and with laws who knows what will happen.
I know many with PSA uppers ect. and feel they are a good value for the monies,hopefully they keep on that path.
Yes James, their quality has improved over the eleven years they have been in business. They too admitted that fact while I was there.
Ya’ got to think up till within the last several years most of their parts came from other vendors. Today, 95% of their firearms components are made in-house. What I saw at the machine shops was a true effort to maintain quality. One of the shop managers boasted that they do not turn out mil-spec but 4 x’s mil-spec components.
One quick observation I would like to share…I was in the assembly room, ~35,000 sf. There was a bulletin board up with printed negative comments from customers on rifles/parts received. I stood there and read all five and chuckled to myself that some of the comments were unrealistic and to be quite frank someone whining for whining sake – While some were valid. A company that didn’t want to produce an A+ piece of hardware and didn’t care, would not have this bulletin board up.
Good stuff Brother.
This is an update regarding the return of the PSA upper for the second time. I was put in contact with Josiah, management and part of the family that owns PSA. Work on the upper was completed by their #1 guy, their ‘ace spoon coon’, ‘pros from Dover’, Mr. Greenjeans (?)….anyway, they tried to deliver it Monday, I picked it up today. Looks just fin.
AND (important) Mr. Josiah, mentioned above, actually called me to fill me in on the details, and class act customer service job.
“Young man….you have redeemed yourself….”, meaning the company, collectively speaking…..
KJC
[…] I was in South Carolina touring Palmetto State Armory (PSA) You can read about my visit going here. I had several folks approach me asking how to get their Technicians ticket. I explained to them […]