PSA Dagger – Is the clone a Glock 19 Killer?
We all know palmetto state armory for their quality but budget friendly AR-15s and AK clones, but how well do their pistols fair? With the introduction of the PSA dagger, a Gen 3 Glock 19 clone, Palmetto State Armory is trying to give Glock a run for their money.
PSA Dagger FDE (RMR)
You aren’t going to find an RMR equipped glock clone for less money than PSA offers the Dagger.
PSA Dagger : Giving Glock a Run for their Money
The Dagger is mostly compatible with OEM and after market gen 3 glock 19 parts with the exception of a few propriety parts that we’ll discuss.
Today, I’ll be reviewing an upgraded PSA Dagger with RMR cut, ameriglo suppressor height sites, a threaded barrel, and a trigger upgrade. The question that we’ll try to answer? Is the PSA Dagger the new glock killer?
How does it perform as a budget “not a glock” glock? Let’s start with where it’s made?
Made Entirely in the USA (5 out of 5)
The PSA dagger is made in the USA end to end in South Carolina. So big thumbs up to PSA for being 100% American made and yet crazy affordable.
Price (5 out of 5)
The PSA dagger is crazy affordable. The base model comes in with an MSRP of only $300 (and sometimes going on sale for cheaper, or bundled with extra goodies like PMAGs). More expensive models with more features like lightning cuts, threaded barrel, optic ready slide, suppressor height sights, or even bundled with a carry optic are available for very reasonably prices.
I purchased a model with suppressor height sights, threaded barrel, and RMR cut for well under $200 less than a base Glock 19 would cost.
Stock Barrel is Surprisingly Accurate (4 out of 5)
The PSA dagger barrel is surprisingly accurate. I have probably one thousand rounds through it at this point and I can still put rounds one on top of the other at 20 to 25 yards. It shoots just as well as any of my nicer handguns in terms of accuracy, which I think is a testament to the build quality. My main issue with the barrel is the finish wears down quite easily, so I’m not sure over a decade about longevity.
Frame Ergonomics are Excellent (4 out of 5)
The PSA dagger just feels right in your hands. I love the ergonomics. While it does not have interchangeable backstraps, the shape of the frame and the feel in the hand is very natural. It is very easy to present and shoot this gun.
The frame itself can be improved to your liking, and since the gun is so cheap, it isn’t that scary to make some changes. I ended up grinding the finger groove off of mine and stippling the grip including giving it an accelerator cut.
Build quality is the PSA dagger’s biggest issue. Many early adopters have reported issues with the trigger pin walking out. My frame was part of the initial release, so my dagger definitely had this problem.
I had to call PSA customer service to get this fixed, they offered to fix it but I opted to ask them to provide me with a replacement trigger pin, which fixed the issue. Outside of that I haven’t had any issues.
Out of Box Features (5 out of 5)
The dagger has some nice features, even above the OEM Gen 3 glock. If you get the ameriglo supressor sights upgrade, they are much better quality than the stock plastic sights on a glock 19. The front slide serrations are welcome, especially if you purchase the slide option that is cut for an RMR pattern red dot (the pistol is perfect for doing super tacticool press checks).
Out of box you can get a dagger with threaded barrel, supressor height sights, an RMR cut, and sometimes even bundled with a Holosun Red dot.
Not a fan of the stock trigger (3 out of 5)
I personally really don’t like the stock trigger. I changed mine out with an Overwatch Precision PolyDAT trigger. However, after changing the trigger out, I found that differences between the trigger bar and the OEM trigger bar neccessitated that I also change out the ejector / ejector housing with an Glock factory ejector housing (about a $7 upgrade).
Mostly Compatible with Glock After Market Parts (4 out of 5)
The model has all the same simplicity and safety features as a traditional glock 19, which is a major plus. It is very easy to field strip and the parts seem to be identical. Almost everything, save for the striker and frame pins, is identical between the Dagger and Factory Glock. Magazines, slides, nearly all other parts are cross compatible, although it is important to note that Glock after market magwells will not work with the PSA dagger.
There are slight tolerance differences between other generally compatible parts. Like I mentioned above, because of slight tolerance differences between the trigger bar and ejector housing, I had to swap both out. However, I’ve experimented and swapped out Glock Factory parts for dagger parts and vice versa, and they seem to almost entirely run interchangeably.
I do wonder if the Dagger will have the longevity that a standard Glock is famous for, but at the price point and the amount that most gun owners shoot, the difference is most likely negligible.
Durability (4.5 out of 5)
Durability seems to be very good so far. About a thousand rounds in I haven’t had to replace any parts, which is a good sign, and there doesn’t seem to be any wear that would cause a mechanical failure.
Concealability (4 out of 5)
Concealability is descent with this pistol, being about as concealable as a Glock 19. I can definitely get away appendix carrying it and I do that often. It’s not as comfortable as say my Glock 26. PSA has also produced limited quantities of a Glock 43X clone, the Dagger Micro, that I haven’t been able to get my hands on quite yet.
Holster Availability (4 out of 5)
Holster availability explicitly supporting the dagger is not very good at the moment. However, many Gen 3 glock holsters work just fine with the PSA dagger. Some fit just a tad bit tight, to the extent that I had to loosen the screws on the holster a little bit for the gun to draw cleanly.
That said, I have a Skydas OWB glock 19 holster and a Tier 1 Concealed Glock 19 holster. My PSA dagger fits both of them just fine.
Conclusion
The pistol is an amazing value for the price, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Anyone who is on a budget should strongly consider the PSA dagger. I don’t think there is a better pistol on the market for $300.
If you’re looking for the best PSA Dagger upgrades, check out our other blog post.
PSA Dagger FDE (RMR)
You aren’t going to find an RMR equipped glock clone for less money than PSA offers the Dagger.
