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Palmetto State Armory
Overview
The PSA 8.5" AR-15 barrel is designed for the 5.56 NATO caliber and features a pistol-length gas system, which is ideal for short-barreled builds. With a 1:7 twist rate, this barrel stabilizes a wide range of bullet weights, enhancing accuracy and performance. This barrel is commonly found in compact AR-15 pistol builds, where maneuverability and reliability are key considerations.
PSA 8.5" AR-15 5.56 NATO 1:7 Pistol Length Nitride Barrel
PSA 8.5" AR-15 5.56 NATO 1:7 Pistol Length Nitride Barrel ranked #97 of the 298 barrels builders added on GunPartPicker in August 2026. Builders have been adding it to their builds on GunPartPicker since January 2026. All time, it ranks #78 of the 812 barrels builders have added. Builds with this barrel are nearly all chambered in 5.56 NATO, nearly all on pistol-length gas, and nearly all AR-15.
Availability is good: it was in stock at one retailer or another nearly every day in August 2026, and today the one retailer we track has it in stock. Prices barely moved in August 2026, holding around $99.99, so there haven't been real sales lately. Buying today, the lowest price is $99.99 at Palmetto State Armory, which matches the best price we saw in August.
Updated · from real builds on GunPartPicker · Prices checked · refreshed daily across 35 retailers
We ranked every barrel by how often it shows up in real builds on GunPartPicker.
Read the guide: AR-15 Barrel Length & Brand Report →Check it against the live catalog:
The part most often added in each category by the 31 builds that include this one
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PSA AR-15 Bolt Carrier Group 5.56 Full-Auto Nitride MPI - 516446953
Builds in the community that include the PSA 8.5" AR-15 5.56 NATO 1:7 Pistol Length Nitride Barrel
| Build | Parts | Total |
|---|---|---|
 | 8 | $631.36 |
 | 10 | $815.19 |
 | 29 | $3774.21 |
 | 18 | $643.54 |
 | 12 | $1193.18 |
 | 14 | $872.63 |
 | 21 | $699.24 |
1 global rating
Top reviews
PSA 8.5 inch pistol length 5.56 barrel had correct headspace out of the box with my Forster gauges. Pistol gas at 8.5 is the right length. Nitride coating handles the suppressed heat well. Cycles 55 to 77gr ball reliably.
