PSA vs Rise Armament: AR-15 brands compared
PSA leads in 5 of 7 categories.
PSA for the price, bolt carrier groups and charging handles. Rise Armament for the price and triggers.
From tens of thousands of real builds and live prices at 30+ retailers.
Our take
PSA sells affordable AR lowers, uppers, BCGs and complete rifles, and it makes them in house from forging to finished part.
Lifetime warranty · Transferable warranty · Value pricing · Vertically integrated
- Spending less: about 41% below average
- Bolt carrier groups, picked 11x as often
- Charging handles, picked 3x as often
- Receivers (Rise Armament receivers are rarely picked)
Rise Armament makes the RA-535, a single stage drop-in AR trigger with a 3.5 lb pull. They also make mag releases and complete rifles.
Drop-in triggers · Lifetime warranty · Single stage
- Spending less: about 28% below average
- The more popular pick: in 24% of builds
- Triggers, picked 28x as often
Many builders mix them: 25% of PSA builds add Rise Armament, most often the trigger.
Biggest differences
"Picked" is the share of builds with that part that chose each brand.
| PSA | Rise Armament | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price vs average | 41% cheaper | 28% cheaper | PSA cheaper |
| Share of builds | 17% | 24% | Rise Armament 1.4x |
| Triggers picked | 1.1% | 31% | Rise Armament 28x |
| BCGs picked | 7.7% | 0.7% | PSA 11x |
| Parts listed | 2,037 | 243 | PSA 8x |
| Retailers carrying | 9 | 18 | Rise Armament 2.0x |
Price: PSA wins
For the same part, PSA parts run 41% cheaper than average and Rise Armament parts run 28% cheaper than average.
Builder favorite: Rise Armament wins
PSA is in 17% of builds and Rise Armament is in 24% of builds.
Why Rise Armament: Rise puts a lifetime warranty on everything it makes.
Receivers: PSA wins
PSA upper receivers picked often, Rise Armament rarely.
Why PSA: PSA owns its supply chain, including Spartan Forging and DC Machine, from forging the receivers to finishing the muzzle brake.
Most picked PSA receivers
PSA Upper 5.56 16" Mid-Length Nitride 13.5" M-LOK$249.99, in stock at 1 store
PSA "Stealth" Stripped Lower Receiver$79.99, in stock at 1 store
PSA Built Stealth Upper Receiver$99.99, in stock at 1 storeMost picked Rise Armament receivers
Rarely picked
Internals: Rise Armament wins
Builders pick PSA bolt carrier groups (11x) and charging handles (3x) more often than Rise Armament. Builders pick Rise Armament triggers (28x) more often than PSA. PSA barrels are picked often, Rise Armament's rarely.
Why Rise Armament: The RA-535 is a single stage drop-in with a 3.5 lb pull and Nickel Teflon coated internals.
Furniture: PSA wins
PSA stocks picked often, Rise Armament rarely.
Most picked PSA furniture
Palmetto State Armory MOE Stock KIT$79.95, in stock at 1 store
Palmetto State Armory MOE Stock KIT Flat Dark Earth$79.95, in stock at 1 store
PSA AR-V 10.5" 9mm 1/10 Hex M-LOK MOE EPT SBA3 Pistolout of stockMost picked Rise Armament furniture
Rarely picked
Complete rifles: PSA wins
PSA complete rifles picked often, Rise Armament rarely.
Most picked PSA complete rifles
PSA PA-15 16" Nitride M4 Carbine 5.56 NATO Classic 13.5"$549.99, in stock at 1 store
PSA PA-15 16"Nitride M4 Carbine 5.56 NATO Classic Rifle$499.99, in stock at 1 store
PSA Guardsman-15 16" Midlength 5.56 NATO 1/7 CL$617.49, out of stockMost picked Rise Armament complete rifles
Rarely picked
Shopper clicks: PSA wins
Of recent clicks through to a store for these brands, 89% went to PSA and 11% went to Rise Armament.
The full record
Everything we track for PSA vs Rise Armament, from builds, store listings and daily prices.
| PSA | Rise Armament | |
|---|---|---|
| Share of builds | 17% | 24% |
| Price tier | Budget friendly | Budget friendly |
| Parts listed | 2,037 | 243 |
| Part types | 29 | 13 |
| Retailers carrying | 9 | 18 |
| In stock now | 93% | 77% |
| Price change, 90 dayson the most picked parts | n/a | Flat |
| On sale now | None | None |
