Palmetto State Armory 9mm Pistol Caliber Carbine Review

In late 2018 I received my first firearm built by Palmetto State Armory. Now, after a full year of use, I'm excited to share my thoughts about the quality of the firearm and the customer service experience.

My PSA Gen 4 16″ 9mm M-Lok Classic Rifle

One of my range trips with this PCC from Palmetto State

I'm a big fan of Pistol Caliber Carbines (PCC) for a number of reasons. I primarily like 9mm carbines because I can go to the range and get practice time in running the carbine but without the cost of .223 ammunition. Further, one of the indoor ranges at which I'm a member doesn't have a backstop that allows for traditional rifle calibers but with a PCC I can go to the indoor range and practice my rifle craft without breaking the rules, or the backstop.

Palmetto State Armory is a major firearm manufacturer and retailer (both of firearms they make and other major brands) but this was my first transaction with them directly. The firearm was shipped quickly and after a quick background check and transfer fee at my local dealer, I was the proud owner of their Gen4 9mm Carbine.

Please note you can click here to see it on the PSA website but if you find it isn't currently in stock I suggest clicking the black “Notify when back in stock” button as they are always producing these firearms, but sell out quickly.

My rifle is composed of the PSA Px-9 Lower Receiver which takes Glock Mags and their Gen4 16″ 9mm M-Lok Railed Upper. This build is extremely affordable but my biggest concern was reliability.

In the first few range trips between myself and my good friend Riley Bowman, we put a total of about 600 rounds through the gun without a single malfunction.

Riley Bowman takes a turn on the PSA Gen4 9mm Carbine.

Then I had a weird issue. The ejector came loose and I lost it. It is held in place by two set screws and they must have worked their way loose and during a mag change it fell out. I saw it and identified it but somewhere between the range and home I lost it.

So I called Palmetto State and explained I had lost a part. They shipped me a new one at no additional cost.

The part I stupidly lost and PSA replaced for free

Since getting the replacement part I've put hundreds of more rounds through the gun without any failures or malfunctions.

In my opinion, this is a great firearm, especially for the price. You can add your lights, sling, optics, and most other traditional carbine accessories and run it like you would any other carbine.

Palmetto State has a reputation for low cost and great customer service and I experienced both. My next purchase will be a AR Pistol and I'm looking forward to building it with Palmetto State Armory!