Palmetto State Armory PSA 5.7 Rock RK1: Full Review

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The 5.7x28 was originally developed by FN in response to NATO’s request for a new cartridge to replace the 9mm Luger. The 5.7x28 shot flatter and faster than the 9mm and the case design allowed for more rounds in the magazine. Terminal performance proved to be excellent, and the cartridge eventually was adopted for service around the world. Though originally conceived as a military and law enforcement cartridge, the 5.7x28 has become a popular commercial chambering as well. Today, Palmetto State Armory, Ruger, Smith & Wesson, FN, Kel-Tec, and other brands all offer pistols chambered in 5.7x28.

Palmetto State Armory’s PSA 5.7 Rock is a versatile, affordable 5.7 handgun that offers a long list of standard features which make the pistol stand out among other 5.7s. Like other Palmetto State firearms, the 5.7 Rock is manufactured in Columbia, South Carolina using modern machinery. The slide of this striker-fired pistol is made from 416 stainless steel while the frame is made from molded polymer. The Rock is a striker-fired, delayed-blowback 5.7x28 with an impressive magazine capacity of 23-rounds, which is higher than both the Ruger 5.7 and the Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7.

The PSA 5.7 Rock features a slide that is cut for optics, and the RK1 version I tested features cutouts in the slide, a Cerakote finish and a threaded, fluted carbon steel 5.2-inch barrel. The barrel is threaded ½ x 28 and so it can accept most muzzle devices, and the barrel comes with a durable QPQ (quench-polish-quench) finish.

With its 5.2-inch barrel, the PSA Rock 5.7 measures 8.75 inches long, and is quite narrow, measuring just over an inch at the widest point. The front, sides, and back portions of the grip feature micro-texturing that is modern and functional, and that texturing extends to an index point on both sides of the front of the frame. The forward texturing offers a landing spot for the support hand thumb, helping improve consistency while shooting. There’s a generous trigger undercut that corresponds with the higher beavertail on the rear of the grip to promote proper hand position for maximum control of the pistol. A three-slot Picatinny rail on the dust cover offers a landing spot for lights or any other accessories you’d like to add to your Rock pistol.

The slide is machined to reduce the Rock’s weight and footprint. A trio of “windows” look modern and help trim a bit of the weight from the 416 slide, and the front and rear slide serrations offer excellent control of the pistol and offer a secure hold on the slide when conducting press checks.

Rock pistols feature a trim profile. Controls include a reversible magazine release and a slide stop that sits within a molded fence in the frame. There’s a transverse takedown bar that is located within the trigger guard. Disassembly of the PSA 5.7 Rock is extremely simple and straightforward, which makes this gun appealing to new shooters who are still learning to maintain their gun.

Though it lacks a traditional manual safety the PSA Rock comes with a pair of passive safeties. There’s a trigger safety as well as a striker block safety, both of which prevent the gun from firing unless the trigger is pulled. The Rock’s simple, streamlined design and prodigious capacity make it a natural choice for a self-defense firearm.        

The Rock’s RK1 slide features an optics cutout with plates that accommodate RMR and Docter footprint optics, and a cover plate is also included with each of these pistols. Despite being milled for red dot optics the Rock features functional black front and rear sights. Because PSA uses Glock-style sights there are many aftermarket options if you choose to replace these sights, but the extra tall iron sights that are included with the gun work just fine and will likely co-witness with your optic.

As with other PSA guns there are a lot of accessories and interchangeable parts available through Palmetto State Armory. There are a host of different polymer frame colors available in colors ranging from gray to zombie green and robin egg blue. There are also slides, barrels, optics, and holsters that can be ordered directly through Palmetto State Armory as well as finished guns, so you can customize your Rock however you’d like.

Palmetto State has a history of offering quality products at very competitive prices, and in the 5.7x28 pistol market the PSA 5.7 Rock is a standout. The RK1 that I tested came with a configurable nylon carrying case, optic mounting plates and ten extra magazines for $649, which is less than half the cost of an FN Five-seveN.

At the Range

The PSA 5.7 Rock RK1 I tested was a pleasure to shoot. The grip design is very comfortable and promotes a secure, high hold on the pistol that helps reduce muzzle rise and mitigate recoil. The 5.7x28 isn’t a hard-recoiling handgun cartridge, but with velocities up to 1,700 fps it can be snappy. The 5.7 Rock is designed so that you can shoot it quickly and comfortably for extended periods, and with 23 rounds in the magazine you’ll spend more time shooting and less time reloading.

The provided metal magazines are excellent and performed without any issues, and since the combo gun came with ten magazines included, I could stuff each one full of Fiocchi ammunition the night before and enjoy my time on the range even more. It’s really remarkable that Palmetto State offers this pistol with 10 mags, and I don’t know how they’re making much profit with a $649 asking price, but this truly is an exceptional value in 5.7 firearms. It’s little wonder that 5.7 Rock pistols are in such high demand.

I mounted a Viridian RFX25 green dot optic on the pistol using the supplied Docter footprint base and there were no issues with the optic loosening during firing. And believe me, it’s easy to fire a lot of rounds of ammunition through this pistol. The Rock is also quite accurate, and during drills and accuracy testing it consistently shot at 2-inches or less at 25-yards from a fixed rest.

Trigger weight lightened over time, and by the time I had a few hundred rounds through the gun (which, as stated, doesn’t take very long when you’re popping off 23 rounds per mag) the trigger break weight averaged just under six pounds on a Wheeler gauge. Reliability also proved to be excellent throughout testing with no malfunctions.

PSA certainly has a winner with their new 5.7 Rock RK1, and this gun is an exceptional value. Now that 5.7x28 ammunition has become more widely available (Fiocchi recently released 150-round boxes of 40-grain FMJ ammunition as part of their Range Dynamics line) 5.7x28 pistols like the rock are even more appealing, and with such a wide array of frame, barrel, and accessory options the 5.7 Rock is a natural choice for anyone who’s looking for a 5.7x28 pistol.

Palmetto State Armory PSA 5.7 Rock RK1

• Action: Striker-fired semiauto
• Chambering: 5.7x28
• Capacity: 23-rounds
• Slide: 416 stainless, Sniper Green finish, cut for optics
• Barrel: 5.2-inches, fluted carbon steel with QPQ finish. 1:9 twist, threaded ½ x 28
• Frame: Polymer, Sniper Green
• Safeties: Trigger, striker block
• Weight: 25-ounces
• Width: 1.1-inches
• Overall length: 8.75-inches
• Sights: Glock pattern
• Extras: Configurable zippered nylon case, 10 magazines, gun lock, optic plates
• MSRP: $649
• Manufacturer: Palmetto State Armory, palmettostatearmory.com

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