NEA 15 PDW Newb Experience. *Updated 01/06/2012*

FastFord58

CGN frequent flyer
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
35   0   0
Alright, so there have been a few of these reviews. Rabid fanboys have fanboi'd and rabid haters have hated. And here is another chance for another kerfuffle. I actually hesitate to call this a review. Let's call it a discussion about an experience.

TWK

Caveat: If you look at my post history, I have been pretty defensive for NEA. Some of you would call me NEA nut-hugger, finger f**ker, fanboi, or what have you. I promise you that I did so on the auspices that we are getting a Canadian AR manufacturer offering reasonably priced guns to all of their buddies of the North. I do still believe this is the case. I mean, I want to believe. Mulder? Skully?

Where the hell am I....Oh yeah...

That being said, I will give no quarter to NEA or any other manufacturer in the process of testing a product. I have video and pictures to go along with this write up so there is nothing left to question. Alright, you might have questions, but I should be able to answer those. Of course I have lots of questions of my own.

I'm also pretty much a newbie. That may be a good thing. Other newbies can read and be like "I know that feel bro." I will use terminology that is probably wrong, I certainly do in the videos. So bear with me.

I posted my out of the box impressions in some other thread. TLDR is that my rifle was tight, all of the parts work as they should, fit and finish is great, and it performed basic function tests without fail. Also, BCG was properly staked.

The subject as tested: NEA 15 PDW, Vortex Sparc, vertical grip. Pmags and LAR15 mags.

SAM_0061.jpg


Testing conditions:

Clear, sunny skies. Negligible wind. The faint smell of wild grasses caressing my nose...wait, where was I again?

Ammo: AE .223 Tactical, 55gr. ~300 rounds down the pipe.

The Good.

I started my day doing a 50yd sight in with the Vortex Sparc red dot. It was my first time using a red dot style sight. Once I got used to it, I quite liked it.

I was only firing three round groups for the sight in procedure and the rifle worked flawlessly during this period. It probably took me about 30 rnds of dicking around to get it where I was somewhat happy with it.

Now, I am not a great shot, So the following groups probably suck, but I never claimed to be an elite marksman. In that respect, I can only comment so much on accuracy. I consider myself to be a "combat effective" shooter, meaning I can hit targets at pretty much any distance, I'm just not making sub-moa groups out of anything. And I might aim for a head shot on a zombie target and shoot its #### off, but whatever gets the job done, right? That would be a head shot on a male zombie anyway, but I digress.

50 yd. sight in targets. There are more than one group on a couple of the targets, but I'm sure you can tell which ones belong together. I also managed to keep my gnarly feet out of the photos. I didn't have a moose plaque to put down though.

SAM_0077.jpg


SAM_0076.jpg


SAM_0075.jpg


SAM_0074.jpg


I felt these were ok. Certainly enough to get me on paper to 100 yds. We need to remember this is a shorter range rifle anyway.

That being said, I have no pics of my 100yd/100m targets. I was on paper, but the groups were...well, let's not call them groups. The random smattering of holes had some distance between them. I was on paper with all of my shots. Perhaps with a magnifier I would have been tighter. The red dot on the spark covers a HUGE amount of paper at 100m.

The gun worked great...when it was working great. There were some major issues which I will get to, but for now let us be all cherubs and roses.

Again, when the rifle worked, it worked great. It kicked a little more than longer ARs do, but was manageable of course.

The trigger is heavy right now, but perhaps it will loosen up in time. I actually don't mind heavy triggers and I'm usually a #####, but some people would probably find this trigger to be a little too gritty with a pretty heavy pull. You can hear the trigger reset in the videos. I mean...it sounds heavy. When the trigger resets, it's like it is using a tiny little trigger fist to punch the back of your finger.

The rifle is loud! I'm pretty sure I'm the reason the two old farts sighting in their hunting rifle in the same dock as me moved to the next dock over. Once, I fired right before they did. I could tell I screwed the guy's shot up. He was mad and swore. Then they left.

I had the dock to myself for the remainder of my sight in time. So the NEA PDW is a fantastic Fudd repellent (some angry bastard is going to break into my house tonight and beat with the butt of his 12 foot long shot-gun if he can get it around the corner at the bottom of my stairs).

So happy sunshine...here are vids of the gun working great!

[youtube]69zpHf62Blo[/youtube]

Notice in this vid the very consistent ejection pattern of the brass. Only one round goes a different way.

[youtube]4oWJS-hxPdE[/youtube]

Now onto the bad.

Here is the big problem, and I am going to blame the victim a bit here. I am an AR noob. I'm pretty much a gun noob. So when I run into a recurring problem, I have no clue on what is causing it or how to fix it.

The gun had an early failure to feed when I went over to the 100m range. This was after the first batch of sight in rounds. By failure to feed in this case, I mean the round wasn't even grabbed out of the magazine and chambered.

I didn't think too much of it. I expected some failures as the gun broke in. But then they started happening a lot. And it went from no round being chambered to rounds half being chambered and the tops of the cases being dented in. After the first couple, I was all ok, no problem, probably growing pains. But then it started to happen more and more.

It was happening at a rate that became a major annoyance and now a source of concern. Like I said...noob. At first I thought it might be a magazine problem, but it was happening with both types of magazines. Maybe an ammo problem? Gun problem? I don't friggin' know.

This is the major issue here. I'm thinking that perhaps the NEA 15 is not a good gun for a newbie. Ok, I'm not a newbie to ARs per se, but I am a newbie to AR problems. I never had problems with the Norc AR. Never, not one. Why would I expect to have these problems with this fine piece of North American equipment?

So this is where it kind of falls apart for me. If the gun behaved consistently as it did in the first videos, I would be completely positive. But I can't be. Failures are not fun and I am not sure how to diagnose the issue.

Now maybe someone will chime in here and be like "oh you so stoopid, this is the problem," which is great. I'd rather feel like an idiot and have the problem fixed than feel like an idiot anyway and not have it fixed.

These vids supplement the FTFeeds. I didn't take vid of the entire day (I was at the range for like 7 hours), but these were the ones I caught. There were about 20 FTFeeds of the damaged-case nature and 10-15 of no rounds being chambered at all.

This one has the FTFs culled from a 14 minute video. Pay no mind to me climbing all over the rifle to clear the stoppages. The one that I bang on the table actually had dented cartridge half chambered. I was afraid it was going to get stuck...but you know, f**k it. I got it out.

[youtube]qSWwIOAtIs4[/youtube]

And this one is on the action range where I muse idiotically about what the problem might be. Bad language warning. I was starting to get aggravated.

[youtube]6BP3oCIqi04[/youtube]

Here are some of the damaged cartridges. Notice how consistent the damage is.

SAM_0073.jpg


Here are pictures of the internals after the range day today. They don't tell me anything, but maybe someone will notice something and chime in.

SAM_0071.jpg


SAM_0072.jpg


SAM_0064.jpg


It's like I'm wearing a sock made of hair...

SAM_0063.jpg


This is the only weird thing I noticed. The hammer seems to be striking...uh, that piece there. Not sure what it is. There is a deep gouge on it that matched to the back of the hammer. Couple of views:


SAM_0066.jpg


SAM_0068.jpg


SAM_0067.jpg


Final word. Potential.

Potentially the problem is a non-issue. Potentially there is a real problem. Potentially I will learn how to fix it. Potentially the rifle will yet prove itself to be as good as I really want it to be.

When it works, it feels and handles great. When it doesn't, I want to kick un-neutered kittens in the harbl.

I can't really recommend or not recommend the rifle. My experience is my experience, but it is framed in a limited knowledge base. People can take what they want from it, I'm not here to opine. I am very disappointed, but I am probably the creator of my own misfortune here. I read about all the other issues people were having and still jumped in, right?

I am going to begin AR15 research about problems and issues, but I really have no inclination to learn the ins and outs of them all at once. It is knowledge I prefer to gain over time. Ah well...I stepped in it, I'm going to have to step out of it.

Fake edit: Short stroking?
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure what the problem is but here is a solution. Go back to your Norinco.;) My friends NEA was having the same FTF issue his first time out. First 5 rounds no problem then all of a sudden it became a bolt gun only firing 1 shot and then nothing on the second. He received a new bcg and has fired 20 rounds without issue so far. We'll have to confirm the issue's are gone with a lot more rounds through it because it seemed to be working great for you in the beginning.
 
Last edited:
Nice looking rifle it sucks that it's failing to feed, like you said i have NEVER had a problem with my norc. Im not sure what the problem is but it seems like you either have really ####ty mags or ,ore likely something is going on with the gas system. It could be that not enough gas is coming through to cycle the action all the way. You bolt assemble is also filthy as fu*k, i would give that a torough cleaning and lube job.

good luck. nice cam tho
 
Thanks for sharing

Your groups are not as tight because i noticed you didn't bench your rifle, you may or may not have used the vertical grip to assist but it doesn't replace a benchrest for accuract / sighting testing. So your groups aren't too bad in the grand scheme of things. That and you shot pretty fast too
 
In some of your video's your cases are ejecting forward at one two o'clock and in some of them they ejecting more toward five o'clock. I'm no expert, a lot of things determine how the rifle ejects, but if everything is the same in each video; same rifle, ammo, components, then perhaps it has to be something to do with gas.

Did you check your gas block? Is it loose? What buffer is installed in the rifle? Is the Castle nut loose? Is the gas key loose? That's where I'd be checking first.

Also the 20 round p-mags and newer LAR mags are not the most reliable out there from what I've been reading. Perhaps try some USGI or 30 round Pmags.

Or just send it back. NEA has a lifetime warranty.
 
Check your gas block.......

Mine was loose, just sitting there not tightened down at all.

Ensure that it is @ 12 o'clock and tht the screws are tight. Use red locktite.

You could contact NEAs customer service hot line and they have more insight.....

Cheers
 
I'm going to agree with the mags. I had some older thermolds that caused the same FTF problems. The follower wouldn't quite fully seat and the BCG would just barely touch the rim, skip off and the bolt lugs would drag the round forward. Looked identical to the rounds you pictured above.
 
dont use locktite get a properly staked bolt carrier nea should replace this... could this be also maybe a magazine isnt seating fully problem?
 
I've heard on the 7.5" it helps to open up the gas port or use a heavier buffer. I haven't tried either and if I were you I'd try the heavy buffer first and get someone qualified to play with the gas port.

Just a thought, not a solution though. It's hard to say for sure what the issue is.
 
I took my NEA to the range and shot about 200 rounds, I had 3 issues total:

1. (PMag) The round did not chamber but this was because my dad didnt load the mag properly, somehow the round was angled weird.

2. (DH aluminum mag) The bolt locked back while there was still a round in the mag, my bullet wasnt dented but there was a scratch along the entire casing.

3. (PMag) Same issue as fail #2.

Aside from this, the gun functioned flawless and we were hit by blowing sand so everything preformed well with sand inside every crack
 
I will inspect the gas system.

The mags are all brand new and I was experiencing the issue with every mag. Statistically speaking, the odds are against all of the mags being fubar.

The BCG is properly staked and the bolts in the gas key have not moved.

I know the bolt assembly is filthy. That was after the entire range trip. I wanted to run the gun dirty for its whole life...but it is absolutely filthy in there. So I will give in and clean it.

I am reticent on bothering NEA about this just yet. I am going to try some different ammo, mags etc.

I have eye surgery next Thursday, so it won't be for a good month before I get to try some things though.
 
Its frustrating when a new purchase doesn't work correctly.... But the good news is that from what I have seen their CS is great , I say send them your info and a few pics and see what they think ...
 
Its frustrating when a new purchase doesn't work correctly.... But the good news is that from what I have seen their CS is great , I say send them your info and a few pics and see what they think ...

If it comes to that, I will. I'm going to try and trouble shoot a bit first. It's how I learn. So it is a pain in the ass, but maybe a good opportunity for some knowledge.
 
The mags are all brand new and I was experiencing the issue with every mag. Statistically speaking, the odds are against all of the mags being fubar.

I'd also echo Clobb's suggestion: try a 30-round PMAG and/or USGI magazine. If you still run into the same problem, you can safely rule out the magazines at this point. You could try different ammunition, but I think that's really a stretch.

There are two additional upgrade suggestions you may benefit from: 1) Heavy H2 buffer and 2) Replacing the A2 flash hider with a PWS CQB or Noveske Flaming Pig.

You should almost have no recoil at all on your PDW. My 7" Dlask has about as much impulse as a .22LR...

PS. Really enjoyed the review and videos. :D
 
I'd also echo Clobb's suggestion: try a 30-round PMAG and/or USGI magazine. If you still run into the same problem, you can safely rule out the magazines at this point. You could try different ammunition, but I think that's really a stretch.

There are two additional upgrade suggestions you may benefit from: 1) Heavy H2 buffer and 2) Replacing the A2 flash hider with a PWS CQB or Noveske Flaming Pig.

You should almost have no recoil at all on your PDW. My 7" Dlask has about as much impulse as a .22LR...

Do those flash hiders conserve back pressure or something? I have been meaning to get a replacement for the A2 anyway. I'll look into the spring as well.

I am 98% sure it is not a magazine issue. I used 5 different, brand new mags, 2 pmags and 3 lar mags. The chances of all of them failing in the same way are pretty slim.

I didn't mention in the write up that a good percentage of the time, the bolt was not locking back on the LAR mags. I wasn't sure if that was typical of the LAR mags or a gas issue.
 
Do those flash hiders conserve back pressure or something? I have been meaning to get a replacement for the A2 anyway. I'll look into the spring as well.

I am 98% sure it is not a magazine issue. I used 5 different, brand new mags, 2 pmags and 3 lar mags. The chances of all of them failing in the same way are pretty slim.

I didn't mention in the write up that a good percentage of the time, the bolt was not locking back on the LAR mags. I wasn't sure if that was typical of the LAR mags or a gas issue.

I like the PWS CQB because it functions more like a compensator than simply noise/flash suppression. Like the Flaming Pig, SPEX, etc. it throws the bulk of the noise downrange (nice for those shooting beside you).

With respect to the LAR-15 magazines, it could be related to the followers. I would be inclined to try an H2 buffer first, though - as this will slow the cycling and may mitigate some (all?) or the problems you're experiencing. I personally like the Spike's ST-T2 heavy buffer (it's probably the softest, smoothest and quietest buffer; it's filled with Tungsten powder, so there are no moving parts).
 
I like the PWS CQB because it functions more like a compensator than simply noise/flash suppression. Like the Flaming Pig, SPEX, etc. it throws the bulk of the noise downrange (nice for those shooting beside you).

With respect to the LAR-15 magazines, it could be related to the followers. I would be inclined to try an H2 buffer first, though - as this will slow the cycling and may mitigate some (all?) or the problems you're experiencing. I personally like the Spike's ST-T2 heavy buffer (it's probably the softest, smoothest and quietest buffer; it's filled with Tungsten powder, so there are no moving parts).

I think I will try this. Thanks for your time!
 
Back
Top Bottom