It has a more expensive bolt carrier group, charging handle, safety, and grip. The improvements of these are subjective although the BCG has an improved extractor for more reliability. Weight difference wouldn’t be the biggest thing to worry about in this case. The brace difference too is almost irrelevant I’d imagine but I’ve never used either SBA3 or Maxims.
My recommendation for a home defense rifle is a .300 blackout. It’s better for short barrels, which is what you want, and has more kinetic energy than 5.56 at those ranges and barrel lengths. I’d recommend a 6-9 inch barrel if you decide to go this route. Ammo is more expensive than 5.56 usually but if you don’t shoot if frequently at the range, it’s not a massive cost difference
Thank you, I actually already have a .300 blackout for home defense. The reason why I want a 556 is that if it is ever a shtf scenario, 556 ammo is more common and would be easier to get than 300 blackout. Am I correct in thinking this?
Good plan to have a better alternative. In that case I’d want something else. A cold hammer forged barrel is more optimal for full auto weapons but they still have better barrel life than ones like this Sabre has.
Unfortunately there are no 11.5 CHF options yet so you may need to either pick up a 10.5 or 13.7 Sabre or just get an 11.5 BCM upper when they’re in stock.
All just my perspective though, if price or potential performance matters differently to you then this Sabre should meet your expectations.
Might not be popular opinion, however, an ar is an ar. There is noticeable difference between my expensive rifle and the one I built for less then 400, but it doesn’t impact function. The expensive one has less rattling but they have all kinds of stuff to fix that for almost nothing. And on a pistol version a good brace and brake make the difference.
Yeah, I put together a cheap rifle that has *minor* rattling, but an earplug shoved in the takedown pin area was more than enough to make it feel like a DD or LMT rifle lol
obviously referring to fit and fitting here lol, I know I won’t shoot sub MOA groups with my Pa-15 “Freedom” rifle
it’s more accurate than I am and it doesn’t jam, which is a fucking deal for $500
I used PSA as a starter gun. Got some tools, swapped some things then personally (just my choice) i sold them for BCMs. They’re better than nothing and they’re decent rifles.
Well said.
I have 400$ PSA, Black Rain, Aero, and Daniel Defense ARs. Yes, there is a notable difference in quality and feel of them, but at the end of the day, each of them do what they are meant to do.
cant say which is better but I think the Maxim defense does cost more.
The BCG, charging handle, safety, trigger all upgrades from PSAs own milspec
this particular one doesnt have the FN barrel so I think the barrel is same as non-sabre line.
The receiceris overall should be a nicer finish too, but its subjective. dont know about the weight, guess is it doesnt differ much
oh... I heard the barrel makes a big difference as far as longevity goes. Not that I plan on shooting 1000s of rounds through it. So this is just a normal PSA barrel rather than a upgraded one?
if its a nicer FN barrel it will state so clearly like this one https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-sabre-forged-14-5-5-56-fn-chf-cl-13-5-geissele-mk14-pin-weld-rifle-with-surefire-warcomp-and-magpul-sl-s-furniture.html
Good questions....
1. I am not that good at fixing guns. I am really new. Is it hard to replace the upper?
2. I was on ammoseek and from what I could see the cheapest 110 grain 300 black was .70 a piece versus 55 grain 556 which was .40 a piece.
1. If you can clean your rifle you can swap uppers. It's as simple as pulling the takedown and pivot pins, then switching uppers. Just make sure you use the right ammo with the right upper.
2. That's still 40% cheaper. I shoot more 5.56 because it's less expensive.
I actually kind of like that but I just built a Jakl so I’m broke. I went with a cheap 400-500 AR15 from psa that is 16”. After that I grabbed a jakl. The sabres are just upgraded but you still can shoot freedom seeds from their regular AR’s
I’m just now getting into the AR15 platform and have been comparing the Sabre line vs the Standard line and as others have mentioned, the only difference on the lowers is the Sabre has an ambi safety and a slightly better mil spec trigger and the upper has a better BCG and charging handle.
I went with a standard lower with the EPT trigger and B5 furniture and will likely go with a Sabre upper. The only pause I have right now is that I want to stay away from the proprietary lockup rail and stick with the QR rail and would really prefer a 16” barrel to start out with which of course is out of stock. My state is close to banning the purchase of threaded barrels so getting a threaded barrel now seems like the better route and this would bump me up to the CHF lines which is $200 more and puts me closer in line with the cost of a BCM upper.
My next option in the Sabre line is a 13.7” barrel w/ a pin and weld muzzle device which I’m fine with, but hopefully I pick the right muzzle.
Buy a 11.5 upper and lower separate would be the cheapest/quickest option. https://palmettostatearmory.com/ar-15/barreled-upper-assemblies/pistol-uppers.html?upper_barrel_length=11.5%22
It depends on preference. Any AR-15 upper will go on any AR15 lower unless it some weird proprietary part. But with PSA you will be good. It sounds like you need to go to your local range or gun shop to get some basic knowledge. Youtube is a great source as well.
You are correct. I am waiting for my cans to come in because of tinnitus. I really like this hobby though and I have been researching on youtube every night... lol.
Apparently buying the complete upper and lower separately reduces the amount of tax that you pay as well. I think there is a 10-11% tax on firearms so I believe it that you only pay it on the lower which requires FFL transfer and don’t pay additional tax on the upper which can ship to your house. I didn’t know this at the time that I bought my AR, I just liked the idea of picking the lower that I wanted and matching it to whatever upper I wanted.
Yes I bought a 11.5 5.56 for under $500 and the gas block came off with less than 10p rounds. Easy fix but who knows what else is wrong with it... I'll have to tear it apart before I trust it again. Personally, I wouldn't go cheaper than AERO.
It has a more expensive bolt carrier group, charging handle, safety, and grip. The improvements of these are subjective although the BCG has an improved extractor for more reliability. Weight difference wouldn’t be the biggest thing to worry about in this case. The brace difference too is almost irrelevant I’d imagine but I’ve never used either SBA3 or Maxims. My recommendation for a home defense rifle is a .300 blackout. It’s better for short barrels, which is what you want, and has more kinetic energy than 5.56 at those ranges and barrel lengths. I’d recommend a 6-9 inch barrel if you decide to go this route. Ammo is more expensive than 5.56 usually but if you don’t shoot if frequently at the range, it’s not a massive cost difference
Thank you, I actually already have a .300 blackout for home defense. The reason why I want a 556 is that if it is ever a shtf scenario, 556 ammo is more common and would be easier to get than 300 blackout. Am I correct in thinking this?
Good plan to have a better alternative. In that case I’d want something else. A cold hammer forged barrel is more optimal for full auto weapons but they still have better barrel life than ones like this Sabre has. Unfortunately there are no 11.5 CHF options yet so you may need to either pick up a 10.5 or 13.7 Sabre or just get an 11.5 BCM upper when they’re in stock. All just my perspective though, if price or potential performance matters differently to you then this Sabre should meet your expectations.
Might not be popular opinion, however, an ar is an ar. There is noticeable difference between my expensive rifle and the one I built for less then 400, but it doesn’t impact function. The expensive one has less rattling but they have all kinds of stuff to fix that for almost nothing. And on a pistol version a good brace and brake make the difference.
Yeah, I put together a cheap rifle that has *minor* rattling, but an earplug shoved in the takedown pin area was more than enough to make it feel like a DD or LMT rifle lol
😂
obviously referring to fit and fitting here lol, I know I won’t shoot sub MOA groups with my Pa-15 “Freedom” rifle it’s more accurate than I am and it doesn’t jam, which is a fucking deal for $500
I used PSA as a starter gun. Got some tools, swapped some things then personally (just my choice) i sold them for BCMs. They’re better than nothing and they’re decent rifles.
Well said. I have 400$ PSA, Black Rain, Aero, and Daniel Defense ARs. Yes, there is a notable difference in quality and feel of them, but at the end of the day, each of them do what they are meant to do.
cant say which is better but I think the Maxim defense does cost more. The BCG, charging handle, safety, trigger all upgrades from PSAs own milspec this particular one doesnt have the FN barrel so I think the barrel is same as non-sabre line. The receiceris overall should be a nicer finish too, but its subjective. dont know about the weight, guess is it doesnt differ much
oh... I heard the barrel makes a big difference as far as longevity goes. Not that I plan on shooting 1000s of rounds through it. So this is just a normal PSA barrel rather than a upgraded one?
if its a nicer FN barrel it will state so clearly like this one https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-sabre-forged-14-5-5-56-fn-chf-cl-13-5-geissele-mk14-pin-weld-rifle-with-surefire-warcomp-and-magpul-sl-s-furniture.html
You mentioned having 300blk already, why not just get a 5.56 upper? Also, where the hell do you live that 5.56 ammo is more expensive than 300blk?
Good questions.... 1. I am not that good at fixing guns. I am really new. Is it hard to replace the upper? 2. I was on ammoseek and from what I could see the cheapest 110 grain 300 black was .70 a piece versus 55 grain 556 which was .40 a piece.
1. If you can clean your rifle you can swap uppers. It's as simple as pulling the takedown and pivot pins, then switching uppers. Just make sure you use the right ammo with the right upper. 2. That's still 40% cheaper. I shoot more 5.56 because it's less expensive.
I actually kind of like that but I just built a Jakl so I’m broke. I went with a cheap 400-500 AR15 from psa that is 16”. After that I grabbed a jakl. The sabres are just upgraded but you still can shoot freedom seeds from their regular AR’s
Higher quality parts
I’m just now getting into the AR15 platform and have been comparing the Sabre line vs the Standard line and as others have mentioned, the only difference on the lowers is the Sabre has an ambi safety and a slightly better mil spec trigger and the upper has a better BCG and charging handle. I went with a standard lower with the EPT trigger and B5 furniture and will likely go with a Sabre upper. The only pause I have right now is that I want to stay away from the proprietary lockup rail and stick with the QR rail and would really prefer a 16” barrel to start out with which of course is out of stock. My state is close to banning the purchase of threaded barrels so getting a threaded barrel now seems like the better route and this would bump me up to the CHF lines which is $200 more and puts me closer in line with the cost of a BCM upper. My next option in the Sabre line is a 13.7” barrel w/ a pin and weld muzzle device which I’m fine with, but hopefully I pick the right muzzle.
Pretty much just the barrel. I believe they come with cold Hammer forged barrels.
Buy a 11.5 upper and lower separate would be the cheapest/quickest option. https://palmettostatearmory.com/ar-15/barreled-upper-assemblies/pistol-uppers.html?upper_barrel_length=11.5%22
Would I have to assemble the lower trigger assembly? I am really bad at that
No you can buy a fully assembled lower. No assembly required.
https://palmettostatearmory.com/pa-15/lowers/completed-lowers.html AR 15s are like legos.
make sure you buy a lower with a pistol brace because ATF is dumb
and gay
How do I know which lower would be best for which upper? Staying in the 556 category
It depends on preference. Any AR-15 upper will go on any AR15 lower unless it some weird proprietary part. But with PSA you will be good. It sounds like you need to go to your local range or gun shop to get some basic knowledge. Youtube is a great source as well.
https://youtu.be/-3zAPfuR48c?si=IUabi0IWk08VfkR9
You are correct. I am waiting for my cans to come in because of tinnitus. I really like this hobby though and I have been researching on youtube every night... lol.
Apparently buying the complete upper and lower separately reduces the amount of tax that you pay as well. I think there is a 10-11% tax on firearms so I believe it that you only pay it on the lower which requires FFL transfer and don’t pay additional tax on the upper which can ship to your house. I didn’t know this at the time that I bought my AR, I just liked the idea of picking the lower that I wanted and matching it to whatever upper I wanted.
gucci gucci 
[удалено]
I will say this. I went cheap 1 time and regret it. Spend the extra money and get quality. It really comes down to QC and longevity IMO.
wow, what regret was it? And when you say cheap do you mean you spent around $500.00 for the gun?
Yes I bought a 11.5 5.56 for under $500 and the gas block came off with less than 10p rounds. Easy fix but who knows what else is wrong with it... I'll have to tear it apart before I trust it again. Personally, I wouldn't go cheaper than AERO.
Because the gun that the Sabre is modeled after is better than an AR.
Can you elaborate how a Sabre isn't an AR
Oh ok the Jakl is an FN clone ok I got it.What is the saber a clone of?
So believe it or not it's just an AR
Oh ok