The firearm market has seen incredible surges and contractions over the last several years. With that has come some innovative solutions to driving business. Many rifle companies have turned to making slides, knives, and other assorted widgets to keep their numbers up. A few have taken the opportunity to really change things up and venture into new territory. One of those companies is Palmetto State Armory (PSA). At SHOT Show 2020 PSA proudly announced the release of its first striker-fired pistol: the PSA PS9 Dagger.
PSA PS9 Dagger Details
The Dagger is a polymer striker-fired pistol chambered in 9mm. It’s compact and completely manufactured by PSA using its own molds and designs. At first sight it’s very obvious the Dagger is the PSA version of the Glock 19. In fact, G19 Gen 3 components, including the trigger group, are interchangeable with the PS9 Dagger. This is a nice feature in the event you want to drop your aftermarket G19 trigger into this new blaster.
PSA ships the Dagger with Magpul P15 magazines, but because of the similarities in dimensions and design, you can use your existing G17, G19 and other 9mm magazines with the gun. All the internal components are stainless steel and PSA designed a hinged trigger for its new offering.
PSA planned a basic model to get things going. But PSA also has plans to make several versions of the gun. Plans are already in the works for suppressor-ready versions that includes threaded barrels and suppressor-height sights. Also, there will be options for optic- ready PS9 Dagger pistols in the future.
Knock-Off Glock?
While there are many similarities to the G19, there are a few differences worth noting. First is the grip stippling. It is well thought out and reminiscent of well-placed skaters’ tape that we would use in the earlier days. While some people say it doesn’t matter, the gun looks good. Another difference actually comes with a big “hallelujah.” PSA chose to include metal sights on the Dagger, as opposed to the plastic versions found on a majority of Glocks. Standard is a three-dot set; it’s dramatically more durable than polymer sights.
The gun is feature rich and includes forward cocking serrations on the 416 stainless steel slide. It also has an accessory rail for a light and or laser, as well as a cut out at the mag well to assist in magazine removal. The trigger guard has a nice undercut to help us get a lower bore axis and improve overall recoil management and shot follow up. Lastly, the PSA Dagger uses a traditionally rifled barrel. This translates into being able to run lead bullets without issue should you choose, unlike the Glock.
PSA PS9 Dagger Price
All of this in totality may have you sitting there saying, “Well, OK, that’s nice. But a Glock clone doesn’t exactly move the needle in the gun world.” What does move the needle is that this gun has a suggested retail price of only $299.99. It’s a compact 9mm striker-fired gun for less than $300; that is going to catch people’s attention just as it caught mine. Meanwhile, the “advanced” offering that accepts the Trijicon RMR red dot, has high profile iron sights and a threaded barrel comes in at $349.99. Throw into the mix that PSA is providing a lifetime warranty on the gun and it quickly becomes the center of serious discussion.
I look forward to getting one in my hands and giving it a run. But at first glance and investigation, the PS9 Dagger shows a great deal of promise. PSA originally scheduled the release date for March. However, with COVID-19 wreaking havoc on the country, PSA pushed it back to mid-May. Now we’re told that testing is still in progress, specifically with parts that were delayed because of said pandemic. So late June is more likely. For more information, please visit PalmettoStateArmory.com.
PSA PS9 Dagger Specs
- Caliber: 9mm
- Capacity: 15+1
- Barrel Length: 4 inches
- Trigger: PSA Hinged
- Trigger pull: 5.5 pounds
- Sights: Nitride metal three dot
- Frame: Glass filled polymer
- Finish: Matte black
- MSRP: $299
