PSA Sabre Mixtape Vol. 1 Review: A Suppressed .300 Blackout PDW
A compact .300 Blackout AR with a matching suppressor is an easy combination to appreciate. Getting the components, handling, and reliability right is what makes it worth owning. After approximately 300 rounds through the PSA Sabre Mixtape Vol. 1 with its accompanying Mixtape-300 suppressor, I think Palmetto State Armory has put together a package that deserves serious consideration.
My testing included roughly 200 subsonic rounds and 100 supersonic rounds, all fired suppressed. Reliability was flawless. The gas system stayed exactly where PSA set it at the factory, and the combination delivered the compact personal-defense-weapon feel that drew me to it in the first place.
Disclosure: The pistol and suppressor were sent by Palmetto State Armory to AmmoLand for this review.
PSA Sabre Enhanced Mixtape Vol. 1 300 Blackout Pistol
The Mixtape Vol. 1 pairs an 8-inch .300 Blackout barrel with a 1:5 twist, pistol-length gas system, and adjustable gas block. PSA’s Sabre Enhanced receivers provide ambidextrous magazine and bolt controls, along with a flared magazine well.
The component list includes a chrome Microbest bolt carrier group, Radian Raptor LT charging handle, Radian Talon safety, Sabre two-stage DLC-coated trigger, B5 P23 grip, and Maxim Defense CQB brace. A 7.25-inch Sabre handguard and Plan B-compatible flash hider complete the front end.
All those components help explain the Mixtape’s appeal. This is a step up from PSA’s entry-level AR offerings, with furniture and controls that most gun owners would be happy to keep on the gun. But a gun is more than a nice Cerakote and an impressive pistol brace. A pistol like the Mixtape has to deliver on what it is attempting to be, and in my mind that is a PDW.
In my mind, a pistol like the Mixtape should primarily be compact, easy to handle, and able to stow away in a bag for concealment and transport. With that in mind, I set up the Mixtape for testing, which really only required an optic.
For testing, I mounted a Trijicon MRO and added an Arisaka Defense M-Lok Indexer handstop. The handstop is the one addition I would recommend with a pistol like the Mixtape. Although now, with all the changes to the NFA, if you want a vertical foregrip, that is entirely up to you. Otherwise, I liked the factory setup.
Flawless Reliability With Subs and Supers
During testing of the Mixtape pistol and suppressor, I used Gorilla Ammunition 147-grain FMJ .300 Blackout and Winchester Super Suppressed 200-grain subsonic ammunition.
Throughout approximately 300 rounds, I experienced no failures to feed, fire, or extract. The pistol ran both ammunition types with the Sabre suppressor mounted and the adjustable gas block left at its factory setting. I did not fine-tune the gas system during this review. I plan to explore that adjustment in future testing, but the Mixtape did not require it to function with either load I used.
That is a strong starting point for a suppressed .300 Blackout pistol. The ability to move between these subsonic and supersonic loads without interrupting a range session to chase a functioning gas setting made the experience straightforward.
Just as welcome was the absence of meaningful gas blowback in my face. Even with the suppressor installed and the factory gas setting unchanged, gas was not something that distracted me while shooting.
PSA Sabre Mixtape-300 Suppressor
PSA describes the Mixtape-300 as a suppressor developed alongside the pistol and powered by B&T. Its specifications include 3D-printed Grade 5 titanium construction, a 7.1-inch length, 1.96-inch diameter, and an advertised weight of 11.6 ounces with the included titanium HUB adapter. It uses the common 1.375×24 HUB interface and is not full-auto rated.
With the Winchester subsonics, the Mixtape suppressor sounded great. I would not describe it as hearing nothing but the bolt cycling, but I was very pleased with the sound reduction. These are subjective impressions; I did not conduct instrumented sound testing. PSA recommends hearing protection even when using its suppressors.
The combination’s sound and handling make it particularly appealing to me as a home-defense firearm. A suppressor belongs on a defensive gun, and the Mixtape gives owners a pistol and suppressor designed to work together from the outset.
A Compact Pistol That Feels Like a PDW
Handling the Mixtape is a pleasant experience. It feels like a PDW intended to excel at close ranges, and its furniture contributes directly to that impression.
The Maxim brace, B5 grip, and Sabre handguard feel good together. I also appreciate the ambidextrous controls, especially the ambi bolt controls. There is never a need to take your firing hand off the gun with the controls like this. The result is a compact firearm that feels thoughtfully assembled when you actually spend time shooting it.
The trigger is good and noticeably better than a standard mil-spec trigger group. The two stage Sabre trigger has a slight take-up and crisp break. Fast, accurate follow-up shots are easy with the Mixtape. It is another component I would be content to leave in place, at least until Florida changes its laws on FRTs.
Probably the highlight of the pistol’s furniture is the Maxim CQB pistol brace. Not only does the brace complete the PDW image, but it functions perfectly for that role. The Mixtape’s compact dimensions also translate into practical portability. With the brace collapsed and suppressor removed, the pistol fits easily inside a Vertx Gamut 26L backpack, even with a 30-round magazine loaded with 200-grain subsonics inserted.
That gives it appeal as a discreetly transported firearm for a truck gun, a camping trip, or home defense.
The suppressor does need to come off for that backpack fit, which is worth keeping in mind when evaluating the complete setup. However, once the suppressor is on the pistol, you hardly notice it is there. The suppressor is so light that it can easily be thrown in the backpack and carried until it is ready to be deployed.
Live Inventory Price Checker
| Sabre Mixtape-300 300BLK Ti Suppressor, Burnt Bronze - Plan B | Palmetto State Armory | $ 799.99 |
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| Sabre Mixtape-300 300BLK Ti Suppressor, Black - Plan B | Palmetto State Armory | $ 799.99 |
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| PSA Sabre Enhanced Mixtape Vol. 1 8" 300 Blackout 1:5 Pistol w/ Sabre Plan B Mount & Maxim CQB Brace | Palmetto State Armory | $ 1249.99 |
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| PSA Sabre Enhanced Mixtape Vol. 1, The Black Album - 8" 300BLK 1:5 Pistol w/ Sabre Plan B Mount & Maxim CQB Brace, Black | Palmetto State Armory | $ 1199.99 |
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Final Verdict
The PSA Sabre Mixtape Vol. 1 and Mixtape-300 suppressor are a match made for gun owners entering .300 Blackout or expanding their collection with a compact AR built around the PDW concept. Once you have an optic on the gun you are ready to hit the range and start shooting, and that is probably the biggest selling point of the Mixtape line.
The furniture feels right, the trigger improves on mil-spec, and the ambidextrous controls are welcome. If I had to change one thing, it would be a handguard with QD points for slings. More importantly, my sample ran both tested loads flawlessly while suppressed, without gas adjustment or meaningful blowback in my face. Even after firing 300 rounds, all suppressed, the bolt stayed relatively clean, and cycling the gun remains smooth.
Now that the Mixtape line has grown to include a new 5.56 upper, you can even expand your caliber options once you have the 300 Blackout pistol.
I consider the parts and performance well worth the price point. The Mixtape earns its place above an entry-level AR pistol through what it delivers on the range.
In the future, I would also like to see PSA offer a factory-stocked version. The Maxim brace works well, but with ATF’s new guidance and the death of the NFA, the Mixtape is begging to be an SBR.
For gun owners looking for a compact PDW that dispenses 200-grain .300 Blackout with lightning-fast speed and accuracy at close ranges, the Mixtape deserves a serious look. After my time behind the trigger, this is a combination I would happily keep shooting.
PSA Sabre Mixtape Vol. 1 Specification:
- Caliber – .300 AAC Blackout
- Barrel – 8-inch 416R stainless steel
- Twist rate – 1:5
- Gas system – Pistol-length, adjustable gas block
- Handguard – 7.25-inch Sabre Lock Up
- Receivers – Sabre Enhanced, forged 7075-T6 aluminum
- Controls – Ambidextrous magazine release and bolt catch/release
- Trigger – Sabre two-stage, DLC-coated
- Bolt carrier group – Chrome Microbest, Carpenter 158 bolt
- Charging handle – Radian Raptor LT
- Safety – Radian Talon 45/90
- Grip – B5 Systems P23
- Brace – Maxim Defense CQB with H1 buffer
- Muzzle device – Sabre Plan B-compatible flash hider
- Barrel threads – 5/8×24
Sabre Mixtape-300 Suppressor Specification
- Caliber rating – .300 Blackout
- Construction – 3D-printed Grade 5 titanium
- Length – 7.1 inches
- Diameter – 1.96 inches
- Weight – 11.6 ounces with HUB adapter
- Mount interface – 1.375×24 HUB
- Included adapter – Titanium HUB adapter
- Full-auto rated – No
About Duncan Johnson:
Duncan Johnson is a lifelong firearms enthusiast and unwavering defender of the Second Amendment—where “shall not be infringed” means exactly what it says. A graduate of George Mason University, he enjoys competing in local USPSA and multi-gun competitions whenever he’s not covering the latest in gun rights and firearm policy. Duncan is a regular contributor and editor-in-chief for AmmoLand News and is responsible for AmmoLand’s daily gun-rights reporting and industry coverage.