So I was the owner of this barrel. It came as a complete upper from PSA. From the factory none of my bolt carriers would go into battery. The upper was dead on arrival. I disassembled the upper and discovered that PSA had sheered the index pin and installed the front sight base to look straight with an improperly clocked barrel. I reinstalled with a different gas block and it functioned fine but I sent it in to Chad for a possible fix and to make a video/use in his classes as an example.

When you bought it as a blem, but cant find the blem.

I was in QC at a major truck manufacturer for 25 years, and I had more than my share of arguments with production supervisors AND QC upper management. I've seen some sketchy things go down the line. We were told not to right up some things, and got into trouble if we did. A bit of advice.... if a tractor-trailer pulls up along side you on the interstate... get away from it.

You have gotten my attention. I am searching Brownells and elsewhere for similar tools and gauges.

Here's my hypothesis on the confluence of issues: The barrel extension was out of spec and/or installed improperly; this results in the headspace issue. When it was then installed in an upper, it was over-torqued to get the gas tube to align with the barrel nut (maybe the bad extension, against which the nut torques, had something to do with this), and that probably sheared the index pin and rotated the whole barrel a bit, resulting in the lugs misaligning. It was later observed that the front sight base was canted, so instead of uncovering the root of the issue, PSA just redrilled the pin holes and straightened the FSB, even though the barrel alignment underneath it was still a problem. I think a logical progression can trace every observed symptom back to a bad extension.

Man! You have some really nice tools. This shows that you, sir, are a "professional". I once had an Army officer tell me that I had no respect for authority, I told him to show me an authority and I would show him all the respect that he deserves.

Watching your videos is like being in a Forensic Science lab. 👍

I had a BCM barrel rotate and the bolt started peening the BE after 2500 rounds, so bad QC can happen with any company. A nearly $800 screwup. I also threw together a PSA 10.5 Upper pistol build that didn’t have the FSB using a spikes lower that’s gone about 4000 rounds that so far has passed the gauges. So who knows.

3 months ago, I built my AR15. I’d never shot one, and clumsily handled one once. My rifle is awesome! I’m intensely curious about understanding the AR platform. Chad’s videos explain things that I want to know. Thank you so much, Chad! /Respect!

Great. Now I can't sleep until I completely dissect my AR. Thanks.

Here is why you spend most of your build money on BCG'S AND BARREL'S!

Very thorough testing and I'm impressed with your selection of armory tools. I appreciated your video very much

Absolutely impressed by the knowledge that Chad has. Razor sharp. I would give anything to be able to download his brain

your videos are very helpful and informative. You should have at least 100k subscribers.

I wish I would have seen this video before I shipped my 10.5 barrel back today. I appreciate your time and explanation you provided me here. It sure helps a novice understand an AR15 barrel.

Subbed because these are the only autopsy videos that still turn my stomach

What a professional! I am a former machinist and I am very impressed with Chad's skills. I am so glad that I found this video. Please keep posting. If you notice all the gauges and tools he has. These are very expensive and it is why gunsmiths much charge what they do.

Very educational. Very glad i watched. Watched some early videos also. The Rosco barrel video big education on wear also. Would love to see this kind of look at all manufacturers with the the same use and rounds thru them.

Thank You, I learned a lot from this video.

Thanks so much for posting this video. People need to understand that no one should order parts, especially bolts and barrels, from various suppliers and just assume they'll fit properly. You're the man!

EXCELLENT VIDEO! I learned a lot! Thanks!

Super interesting video. My first time seeing one of there. Thanks

Everyone is forgetting about covid parts and this goes for anything made during covid A LOT of things got sent out with issues to keep company's afloat

Really great video, I learned alot just from this one,thanks for taking the time to do these very interesting.

Eye opening, thank you so much! First time viewer and will return.

Very informative video. Thanks!

Great video as always! Thanks for the knowledge

Informative video. Thanks for posting 👍🏻

Great video! I sure learn a lot from these videos and as I expected, I have a long way to go with buying tool$.

Great stuff! You never know what you're putting together unless you have every component inspected and data verified...

Thanks for another super video.👍

I love these videos, I remember when I first found you I forgot the account name and couldn’t find any of your videos, almost thought your account got taken down. Definitely dropping a sub this time so that doesn’t happen

Great demo of headspace - a bonus to the index pin issue. So much fail with that barrel.

I was just in an armorer class, and the instructor had those rimless headspace gauges. Very clever idea!

Now this is the kind of video that I i nerd out on

Most interesting, thank you.

Very cool. Thanks for sharing.

Looking at the way the pin sheared, it was definitely broken during installation and not removal. You can see where the LH (from shooter's side) of the pin tore away first. You can see where it looks like the LH side of the pin sheared and the RH looks more like a tension break.

Wow. PSA seems to be pretty proud of their barrels, too.

Wow... really informative. Those tools are neat!

Great video!

That was an amazing video. It's been a long time since I've learned so many new things from a single video. I have a Radical AR-15 with some 20,000 rounds on it. It's still shooting. I use it as a beater gun in tactical shooting. I'm sure your Gauges and Barrel Scope would show some amazing things!

Awesome Video!

Definitely a good channel to watch for me considering I'd like to get into smithing at some point

Thanks for sharing. I have learned quite a few things. I will be a new subscriber shortly !

could you maybe do a video on what the basic gauges people should have to check and keep their ar-15s running. would be super helpful

I enjoyed this video so much I subscribed. . . .

Great vid brada ppl dont understand how important headspacing is

I bought a PSA 10.5" Premium upper back in 2017 and it's been a great shooter. Even mounted it on a full auto post sample NFA lower and ran crazy amount of ammo out of it on a 102degree day. Never once had a problem. However, I have no doubt that the newer PSA uppers are having issues. Most people buy the bottom of the barrel cheap PSA uppers and naturally have problems with them. I do think the "premium" PSA barrels and uppers are of decent quality for the value.

I have 2 PSA uppers, both have a canted front sight.

I learned something. Wow. Thanks and i am subscribing now.

A few weeks ago, I had short stroking and feeding issues on my 10.5 PSA build. Ended up finding 2 broken gas rings and a sheared firing pin retainer pin. Only had 500 rounds through this gun. Ended up ordering a toolcraft bolt and carrier to replace the PSA. I fixed the original PSA, and now have it as a back up for my AR's. Its unfortunate, but seems like inferior metallurgy in the gas rings and retainer pin.

I'm the person that removed that barrel. The owner of the barrel purchased the upper without a bolt carrier assembly and he did not put it to immediate use. When he tried to use it, the bolt would not enter the barrel extension at all. I told him that the barrel was out of index from the factory and would not be usable. I said possibly a new barrel extension might work but the barrel as it stood was unusable. We then agreed to remove the barrel from the upper. I used a reaction rod. The barrel nut really would not budge even with a breaker bar on it. I then used a dead blow mallet (not something I would usually do) and, finally, the nut moved. Regarding the front sight pins, that was as they appeared from the factory. Whether I sheared the barrel extension pin or it was like that from the factory, I couldn't tell you for sure. The impacts on the extension lugs is from the reaction rod.

Good stuff

I need to get some of those gauges.

Made me a subscriber!

Sub'd for knowing your stuff👍 great video thanks for posting.

Extremely informative video. What set of gauges do you recommend that someone should obtain prior to purchasing an AR rifle, since it appears that some manufacturers have issues with supplying not fit for use parts? Would you also provide us with a list of the various gauges that you are using. I would also like to know which manufacturer has the lowest defect rate.

I think there was a burr on the inside of the lugs in the barrel extension that interfered with the gauge. That barrel had been shot a bit and that would be hard to do if the barrel extension was off that much to not take the gauge.

That was great thanks.

I’ve seen it several times...Improper use of reaction rod to use to tighten barrel nut instead of the receiver where the threads actually reside. Customers call in time and time again and it’s always the case.

Does anyone else get massive anxiety watching these videos thinking you need to check every part of your rifle because something MUST be wrong with it now :’d

Could you list all the tools you used in this video? Would be good info for the DIY-er at home.

i agree with what others have said, too many dudes are gunsmithing and pushing the limits (myself included) the difference is guys like myself that know and admit when we maybe broke something and others that will just blame the part that broke. its like JDM tuning all over again

Subscribed 🤘🏻😎

Very interesting. Wonder if PSA would send him another barrel in this case? Seems really like a manufacture or assembly issue for sure. Good stuff! Lots of great info here.

Damn you almost had to do one on my PSA 10.5. 😬

So much for nitride! That erosion was horrible for only a few hundred rounds

I have a PSA barreled upper that also has a canted FSB. My pin holes are way uglier than this one, but they are obviously misaligned. I haven’t been able to detect any issues with the pin or lugs though.

I’d love to have a set of those gages. Most I could make if I had specs but a few would be difficult! I’m a gage maker in aerospace mfg. Idea on how much they all cost?

Just curious. I noticed the locking lug area looks dirty. Doesn't it make a difference in performing all specification checks with the gauges if the barrel internal surfaces are not not clean?

Hay brother , very informative . Question , do you have a video on pen removal and replace ?

I had one shear off because the factory torque on the barrel nut was waaaaaaaay too high

Thanks !!!!

Can you share some of the manufactures that are in your bin of shame? Curious if it's primarily the low cost brands or if you have any top tier barrels in there also.

Very interesting. It seems like using a reaction rod that goes into the barrel extension would keep it from shearing off, not make it more likely. What makes it more likely?

I enjoyed that, a lot of good useful info. I have built several ARs for myself and take it as serous as possible but now I can step it up. I'm going to use your video to find and order all the tools needed. Do you go to the trouble of fitting the bolt head to the barrel/barrel extension on builds? I have and ended up with a bunch of bolt heads that don't seem to fit well in any barrel I find.

Had to get my PSA 10.5 out and have a look at it...

If you don't mind me asking, where did you get the concentric gauge for checking the alignment for the muzzle devices and suppressors? I am looking for one in 1/2x 28 and 5/8x24.

this is for the best. you shouldn't be using such a short barrel for 556 anyway. the owner should go with at least 14 inches or switch to 300 aac blk. other wise your practically waiting your ammo. unburned powder and unused potential air expansion. I know you want a sorter barrel of home defense CQB, and I know that 556 is the standard round for AR15s, but its as useable as a Miata with a V8.

On the head space issue couldn't the chamber just be reamed lightly until it passes? If I am understanding how your go no go gauges work it seems the front seats on the chamber shoulder and then the lugs should clear the barrel extension. Is that correct? Granted the broken index pin and messed up taper bores are issues too. I'm just generally curious.

And these guys are going to be making ammunition soon....

What tool is best to tighten with to avoid breaking index pins? Too bad a beefier design wasn't used from the design of the rifle.

Me, the owner of a fully-assembled PSA 14.5" discount upper purchased for $180 in 2013: "I'm in danger" 😳

It would make sense that the pin was busted during installation. Which is why they had to fix the gas block/front sight at the factory.

Amazing video. So net, net, how do you buy a high quality barrel that leaves all these problems behind? What is estimated price? What are a couple of reliable mfrs?

If I wanted to change out my 16 inch 1-9 barrel on my AR-15 chambered 5.56,, to build a SPR long distance rifle, what barrel would you suggest.?

I'd like to know more about whats in that barrel of shame

Maybe someone tried to straighten the sight and sheared (or started shearing) the barrel pin in the process...? Anyway, thanks for the HEADSpace-UP, I'll have to check my AR for signs...wonder if there is anyone around here who has the gauges?

I use to love PSA but recently their quality control has taken a dump. This year alone i ordered a stripped lower receiver and after getting it I immediately realized how far out of spec it was, improperly machined trigger and hammer pin holes, the detent hole for the safety selector was drilled off center and on an angle. Nothing about the lower was close to being in spec. And to add fuel to the fire the replacement they send out was worse, chatter marks in the hammer / trigger pin holes and the safety selector and detent hole butchered which sums up both lowers. Two buffer tubes they sent me were also very poor and way out of spec to where they could not properly be indexed, both of which also had heavy tooling marks. Don't even get me started with the LPK's. Their products look like they were manufactured in someone's basement, I don't believe they have any qualified gun smith's handling their products. The lowers they make in house are nothing more then a paper weight. When it comes to firearms quality and consistency is everything these aren't toys these are tools to which you have to have 100% confidence in because your life may depend on it, something PSA gives zero Fu*** about. Sorry for the rant but PSA is a no go...

Wonderful. I get my new 10.5" complete upper from PSA Thursday. Not as excited as I was yesterday.

Could you weld up the index pin hole and re-drill it?

Obviously they did this at factory, the index pin was sheared and they "rotated" the front sight to make it strait. All the signs are there.

You have any videos on fixing excessive wobble in an upper and lower? I dont want to use rubber bands. I've got a Ar-10 with more wobble than I'm comfortable with.

Are there any other conditions that can cause damage to the feeding side of the barrel extension lugs like that? I've got peening of this nature on my AR and am trying to diagnose it.

I bought a PSA barrel for a build project. Out of the box I found the index pin was severely canted. Sent it back for an exchange. Replacement barrel arrived and its index pin was also visibly canted, but not as bad as the 1st barrel so I figured I would give it a try. After the install I found the front sight post was not aligned vertically and the barrel extension was not clocked correctly causing the bolt head to crash on the extension. I removed the flash hider, front sight post and barrel nut/delta ring from the barrel and threw the barrel in the trash. Never again, PSA, never again.

Can’t the barrel extension be swapped??

A guy at work just bought a PSA 14.7 CHF chrome lined barreled upper. It was basically the only rifle upper they had available on the website, hopefully it’s good to go. I got a complete gun with a 10.5 inch barrel about five years ago. Got lucky with that one it runs perfectly.

Welp, I suppose this is the reason why I trust my Noveske to protect my life and not my PSA.... I'm sad, now I need to go check my PSA barrel lugs. Lol. These are the kinds of problems I would expect to see when you have the massive amount of production that PSA has.

So are you replacing the tube or not?