Justinian
Well-known member
Sorry for the delayed response.Justinian, do share your thoughts on the PSA rifle. I have argued for years against guys who wanted one in some other caliber than 7.92x33 till I’m blue in the face but it just doesn’t die. Then when HMC announced they were going to build it in 4 calibers I knew it was destined to fail.
7.62x39- get an AK clone
5.56- get an AR or HK93 clone
300 BO- get an AR
It’s just my opinion but I think shooting 7.92x33 is part of the experience. Plus there’s no need to redesign the wheel because MP44/STG44’s were already perfected in 7.92x33. That PSA went from a January 2023 announcement of the same HMC idea to recently “well, sometime later in 2024” release date tells me they’re having trouble trying to create a 4 caliber gun.
I think it's a neat idea, but considering the average quality of a PSA gun (let's be real, they are bottom of the barrel), it's likely to be subpar and serve as a mere "consolation" for people. Are you expecting them to manage AK development, which has been prone to issues, while also conducting R&D for basic ammo? Now they're entering the Krinkov game (which is subpar, by the way), and venturing into the MP44 market isn't wise from a business and development standpoint in my opinion. They're stretching themselves too thin, if you catch my drift. I've seen terrible AK builds from them at the SHOT Show in the past, lol.
When I held it, I immediately nicked my hand on the metal. It felt rushed; mind you, it's probably either the HMG one or a one-off prototype. However, upon examining the magazine well, I could tell something was off. I didn't hold it for long, as the quality control disappointed me. Dabbling in too many caliber variations will only tarnish their reputation. At that point, you're better off considering a different gun, as you suggested. If you want to shoot an STG-44 in 5.56, go for anything else. For 7.62x39? Opt for an AKM. And then .300 BO with a long barrel? It makes no sense to me. The wood felt of poor quality, reminiscent of their knockoff Chinese Type 56 wood (the original Type 56 stuff is great).
As someone who has studied history from an educational perspective and firearms as a hobby, it was disappointing. I commend PSA for attempting innovation. However, if you're going to do it, you need to do it right. I mean, it took how many AK generations to get it somewhat right, like 60%?
Hopefully, this sheds some light on the matter. Honestly, wait for a BD44 to release, get a kit and a BD44 flat, undergo a reweld, or purchase a PTR-44 or even a transferrable. It simply isn't worth it, lol.