Palmetto State Armory Responds to AK Criticism in a Big Way
October 12, 2015
Firearms enthusiasts who have followed PSA’s entry into the AK market are probably aware that the early stages of the journey have been challenging at best. Quality control and shipping issues have frustrated the company’s good intentions and have truly put a damper on the post SHOT Show excitement that the PSAK-47 generated. While the build quality issues have been concerning, my (and other shooters’) primary issue with the rifles has been PSA’s decision to use a cast barrel trunnion.
Readers may remember my Inter Ordnance AKM247 review wherein I heavily criticized the use of cast front trunnions in Kalashnikov variants. Of all the parts in the rifle, the front trunnion is in the top three as far as high pressure exposure goes and as a process, casting is less consistent than forging. Though many Warsaw Pact nations did transition to cast parts (including front sights and gas blocks) over the lifespan of the AK, no military ever issued rifles with cast barrel trunnions. With 7.62x39mm ammunition pushing 45,000 PSI or more at the chamber, leaving a cast trunnion (with potentially hidden voids) in charge of locking the bolt seems less than ideal. Moreover, trunnion failures have been reported with the Inter Ordnance rifles.
Fortunately, PSA appears to have either heard the criticism or more likely, had bigger plans from the outset. Below is an excerpt from a recent company post on AR15.com.
We want to be America’s gun company. The Freedom AK builder series was introduced to satisfy the market for an easy, affordable way to build your own AK using the efficiencies of modern manufacturing and materials. We are not stopping there. Premium models with forged components, to include front trunions, and hammer forged barrels, will be available as well as side and underfolder variants, for the buyer who sees cost as less of a concern. We welcome input from the AK community, and want to hear from you as we expand the product line.
Not only does PSA plan to bring forged trunnions to market, but they also have plans for cold hammer forged barrels, side folder, and under folder models. Hammer forged AK barrels would be a first as far as American made AKs go (assuming the barrels will be US parts), but the folding variants are every bit as exciting. Typically, a side folding stock on an AK pushes the overall price up to around $1,000. If PSA can beat that price point, I think several enthusiasts will be impressed. Hopefully some of this comes to fruition very soon.
An information security professional by day and gun blogger by night, Nathan started his firearms journey at 16 years old as a collector of C&R rifles. These days, you’re likely to find him shooting something a bit more modern – and usually equipped with a suppressor – but his passion for firearms with military heritage has never waned. Over the last five years, Nathan has written about a variety of firearms topics, including Second Amendment politics and gun and gear reviews. When he isn’t shooting or writing, Nathan nerds out over computers, 3D printing, and Star Wars.