PSA JAKL Full Review — Is It Worth the Hype?

This was a genuine first look for me — my brother owns a JAKL, but I'd never fired his, so these were my legitimate first shots and you're getting my 100% honest first-look opinion. What we have is the PSA JAKL pistol version chambered in 5.56, Palmetto State Armory's take on a long-stroke piston system. It runs a monolithic upper, and the entire buffered action is handled inside that upper receiver — no buffer tube, no recoil spring hanging out the back. It uses a hybrid AR/AK style bolt and carrier group that's unique to guns like this.

Because there's no buffer tube, the back of the gun is just a Picatinny section, so you can run your favorite pistol brace or — if you SBR it, and hopefully SBRs come off the NFA soon so we don't have to worry about it — an actual stock. The side charging handle is ambidextrous and swappable for lefties, though you can't change the ejection port side, so you're still getting brass out in front of your face. Sorry lefties — that's what you get for being a lefty.

The rest of the package is smart: standard PMAGs, nothing proprietary. The upgraded trigger comes on it, plus Magpul furniture — the MOE grip with the little storage compartment in the bottom. The full-length rail is one of my favorite things; I pushed my optic way forward and you could add flip-up irons front and back. Standard A2 birdcage up front. I know PSA had some issues in its past, but I'm telling you, this one is really well built — there is literally no play at all between the monolithic upper and the lower.

For glass I ran my Sig Romeo 4S, the solar-powered one, and I have to gush for a second: you can get these sub-$300 right now and it's one of my favorite optics, period. That circle dot is absolutely beautiful and it was bright as out there — no problem picking it up in any light.

At the range, shooting about 45 yards, the recoil story was good with one caveat. Sometimes smaller ARs give you a ton of kick; the only reason I felt anything here is the flimsy triangle folding brace pushing back on me. That's my one real complaint on the whole gun — I'd swap that brace out, and once I can make this an SBR, problem solved. Beyond that, this thing feels fantastic to shoot.

Where the JAKL really makes sense is versatility. With a folding brace it folds down to fit in just about any small sling bag — a Vertx Commuter sling, the new Eberlestock, whatever — or under the seat as a truck gun. It can serve a ton of purposes. Big shout out to PSA for sending this one out; if the new 9mm JAKL runs as good as this gun, I'm going to be a happy boy.