PCC build from PSA AR9

[CO3Gunner]

On 6/22/2019 at 4:07 PM, CO3Gunner said:

I picked up a PSA AR-9 for $550 and put a Holosun 510c on it to run Open 2x4 class. I've run it in two matches this season and it has been impeccably accurate and reliable. I am a JP fan and use a lot of their rifle parts, but for slightly less than 1/3 of the price for a GMR-15, the PSA was the right choice for me! 

UPDATE. 

 

So, I wrote my original post just over seven months ago. Since then, I've put approximately 2,000 rounds through the PSA AR-9 and noticed a problem. It is eating Glock 33 mags. I noticed it at a match in November when I experienced numerous failures to fire, which turned it into a bolt action PCC. I couldn't figure out what was happening, until I took a closer look at the magazine. The front lip of the mag was broken and pushed forward. The result was that the mag got "bigger" such that it would not drop free and created all manner of feeding malfunctions. 

 

At the time, I thought the issue was a single bad magazine. So, I threw it away and started using a new one. After approximately 300 rounds, the same thing started happening with the new mag. Hmmm, must be the gun. 

 

After further inspection, I noticed that the magazine sits very loose in the magwell and there is a lot of play both side-to-side and up-and-down. I suspect that this play allows the magazine to move up from time to time under rapid fire, causing the lower part of the bolt to catch the front lip and stress it over time until it first enlarges and then breaks. This is my first AR-9 and don't know if that is normal or not, but clearly not the case with any of my other AR type rifles. 

 

I contacted PSA and they said to send it back. I sent them the requested information three days ago, but have yet to receive an RMA and shipping label. PSA is notoriously slow (sigh). 

 

In the meantime, I wonder if a different lower (e.g., Foxtrot Mike) would fix the issue. I am reluctant to throw money at the problem until I give PSA the opportunity to make it right. 

 

Has anyone else experienced this problem? 

[obsessiveshooter]

UPDATE. 
 
So, I wrote my original post just over seven months ago. Since then, I've put approximately 2,000 rounds through the PSA AR-9 and noticed a problem. It is eating Glock 33 mags. I noticed it at a match in November when I experienced numerous failures to fire, which turned it into a bolt action PCC. I couldn't figure out what was happening, until I took a closer look at the magazine. The front lip of the mag was broken and pushed forward. The result was that the mag got "bigger" such that it would not drop free and created all manner of feeding malfunctions. 
 
At the time, I thought the issue was a single bad magazine. So, I threw it away and started using a new one. After approximately 300 rounds, the same thing started happening with the new mag. Hmmm, must be the gun. 
 
After further inspection, I noticed that the magazine sits very loose in the magwell and there is a lot of play both side-to-side and up-and-down. I suspect that this play allows the magazine to move up from time to time under rapid fire, causing the lower part of the bolt to catch the front lip and stress it over time until it first enlarges and then breaks. This is my first AR-9 and don't know if that is normal or not, but clearly not the case with any of my other AR type rifles. 
 
I contacted PSA and they said to send it back. I sent them the requested information three days ago, but have yet to receive an RMA and shipping label. PSA is notoriously slow (sigh). 
 
In the meantime, I wonder if a different lower (e.g., Foxtrot Mike) would fix the issue. I am reluctant to throw money at the problem until I give PSA the opportunity to make it right. 
 
Has anyone else experienced this problem? 

If you mags can move up and down, is you mag release also moving up and down?

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[CO3Gunner]

Good question. No, the mag release operates just fine without any movement or wobble with and without a magazine seated. It may be that the part of the mag release that actually latches onto the magazine is too small and/or the magwell is machined too big. Whatever the case, it isn't a good combination. 

[obsessiveshooter]

Are the notches in the magazines enlarged on the side of the mag catch? It's not hard to imagine forceful reloading with a super heavy big stick and a metal magazine release resulting in the plastic notches getting enlarged and wrecked.