Palmetto State Armory SABRE 10.5-Inch Pistol [Review]

Just another AR-15 pistol or can this be more than the sum of its parts? Built by Palmetto State Armory the SABRE line includes names like MicroBest, Hiperfire, Radian, Sprino, and a lot more in the parts list.

We’ve shot the SABRE rifle already, so how does the AR-15 pistol stack up? 

SPECS

• Barrel Length: 10.5″
• Gas System: Carbine-Length
• Barrel Steel: 4150CMV 
• Barrel Finish: Nitride
• Chrome Lined: Yes
• Muzzle Thread: 1/2-28
• Chamber: 5.56 NATO
• Twist Rate: 1:7
• Barrel Extension: M4
• Diameter at Gas Block: .750 
• Muzzle Device: Sabre Compensator
• Receiver Material: Forged 7075 T6
• Receiver Type: M4 T-Marked
• Hand Guard Type: 10″ Sabre Two-Piece Quad Rail
• Bolt Carrier Group: PSA Custom Fathers of Freedom BCG by MicroBest with Sprinco Extractor Spring
• Bolt Steel: Carpenter 158
• Bolt Carrier Finish: Mag-Phosphate Finish
• Charging Handle: Radian Raptor LT
• Trigger: Hiperfire RBT Trigger with JP Reduced Power Springs
• Takedown/Pivot Pins: Battle Arms Development
• Buffer: H2
• Safety: Radian Talon 45/90 Safety
• Buffer Spring: Sprinco White
• Pistol Grip: Sabre Grip
• Brace: Magpul BTR Brace
• Finish: Black
• Furniture Color: Black
• Lower Material: Forged Aluminum

Extras

In addition to the base SABRE pistol, this build has a Lead & Steel Promethean LP-1 red dot, Lead & Steel rear BUIS, Strike Industries stacked angled foregrip, Magpul 1913 fillers, and a Goonbeam Long V2.

I also changed out the BTR brace for an SBA3 brace. More on that later.

KEEP IT STUPID SIMPLE

I have to admit, I don’t normally love 10.5-inch barrels. For most of my shooting, the anemic muzzle velocity of a 10.5 inches doesn’t cut it. But since that is what comes with this gun, that’s what I ran. Knowing what I was getting into, I chose to keep this build pretty simple and fairly lightweight. 

Red dot only since this is going to be a short range build, backup irons just because I have the FSB, and a Goonbeam Long V2 because it was super cheap off a buy/trade site and I wanted to give it a try.

The BTR was changed out for a SBA3 because it only took two range sessions to discover that I really don’t like the BTR. While it does look the part and fits a very “MK18 At Home” aesthetic, it’s really not a good brace and dug into my shoulder pretty hard. 

PSA SABRE BACKGROUND

Just if you’ve missed it, the SABRE line is PSA’s upgraded line that uses mostly parts from other brands. The receivers are made by PSA, but everything else might not be. For this example, the barrel was PSA, but nothing else (that I know of). 

The upside to this is you get a build using premium parts, but at a lower price because PSA is flexing its buying power.

For assembly, PSA puts their more experienced builders on the SABRE line to deliver a higher level of build quality and QC.

The end result is that the SABRE line has, so far, been incredibly impressive.

ON THE RANGE

As much as I’m not normally a fan of 10.5” barrels… I sometimes forget just how handy they feel and how well they shoot. Even with the added weight of the quad rail, this SABRE pistol is short, handy, and really easy to lay lead down with.

The hyperfire trigger is awesome, L&S red dot has a big window and makes finding targets fast and easy.

Honestly, I have nothing to complain about. I ran about 800 rounds total and never had any malfs or issues. Shooting in the moon dust or in the mud, the gun just ran.

After dropping the BTR brace, this has quickly become one of my favorite guns to shoot. Even on range days where I need to shoot other builds, I still take this out for a mag or two just because it’s fun. 

The SABRE is tuned perfectly right out of the box for my bulk M193 I normally shoot (big shout out to AmmunitionToGo.com for providing it!) and the SABRE compensator makes the normally barky and fireball throwing 10.5 inch shockingly tame. 

Precision wasn’t perfect, but for bulk ammo getting about 2 MOA was pretty standard using just a red dot and a magnifier. 

While this gun is, to me, more of an MK18-ish fun gun, I would have no hesitation in using it as a home defense weapon or taking it to classes or competitions. 

BTR Vs. SBA3 Brace

The weakest part of this SABRE is the Magpul BTR brace. As soon as you shoulder this brace it is entirely clear that this was designed for the looks and not for the function. It’s fine to shoot with, but starts to grind into your shoulder pretty fast. 

Because I actually enjoy shooting this SABRE pistol and wanted to do so a lot, I switched the BTR for an SBA3 and improved the comfort by a huge margin. 

SABRE FLAVORS

This is the SABRE I got because it was the SABRE pistol that PSA had in stock at the time I asked for a SABRE pistol to review.

Since then, PSA has built a lot more flavors of SABRE pistol and has a ton of options on their site.

What exact one you might want will depend on what features you’re looking for, but I don’t think you’ll be unhappy with any of them. Honestly, a quadrail 10.5-inch pistol was basically the configuration I was least interested in, and it still turned out to impress me and win me over. 

LOOSE ROUNDS

Palmetto State Armory’s SABRE line has blown me away. This is the second SABRE gun I’ve tested and both the rifle and now pistol have wildly exceeded my expectations. I’ve also met the man behind the SABRE project and I have to say, I think it is in good hands going forward. From what I’ve heard, there are some pretty awesome things coming down the line. 

As with the SABRE rifle, I’m going to keep running this MK18-at-home pistol and I’ll update this article if anything breaks or changes.

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