Palmetto State Armory is a company that doesn’t seem to be scared of making weird stuff a reality. They started with their AK-V, beating Kalashnikov USA to the 9mm AK pistol and rifle market. Better yet, they chose the very aesthetically pleasing CZ Scorpion magazines as their base mag. They didn’t stop there though.
This year they showed us the AR-V. The AR-V is an AR-15 PCC in both rifle and pistol configurations that uses the same CZ magazines. PSA Produces their own CZ Scorpion compatible mags but you also have choices from CZ, Prepper Gun Shop, and now Magpul. Speaking of Magpul, they’ve released a drum for the Scorpion that is being advertised with the AR-V at their booth.
The AR-V Live and In Color
The AR-V features a proprietary upper and lower receiver as well as a proprietary bolt. The upper and lower make it easy to work with the CZ Scorpion magazine. This includes last round bolt hold open and a unique magazine release as well as a bolt release.
The magazine release is an AK/CZ Scorpion-style ambidextrous paddle just forward of the trigger guard. If the paddle appears small, don’t fret. The guy at the PSA booth said it has been an issue for some shooters and they’re looking at a bigger paddle for smaller hands.
I handled the AR-V rifle and was mostly impressed. The bolt locked back without issue and my big bear paws manipulated the paddle mag release without issue. The magazines ejected cleanly and quickly. One of the benefits of a CZ mag over a GLOCK magazine is the lack of a rearward cant.
GLOCK mags are great, but the CZ mag is meant for a PCC, not a pistol. It’s more ergonomic in my experience and if you don’t own a GLOCK it’s a worthy magazine to invest in. Scorpion OEM mags are cheaper than GLOCK OEM 33 round magazines, too.
If you already have a GLOCK, I could see wanting to use common magazines, but if you are like me and own a CZ Scorpion it makes things much simpler.
My only complaint was the size of the bolt release. It’s very small and is a pull-down device. I feel it needs to be a little bigger for easier engagement. The AR-V will likely also have a reasonable price tag if it follows the PSA mold.