looking for unbiased review of NEA parts

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If a matching upper and lower is important to you, you can buy matched sets from SFRC. I have an NEA myself and my upper and lower are slightly different shades but thats likely do to the upper and lower being from different production runs that were likely quite a ways apart.

Other than the upper and lower being slightly different shades, the fit between the two is spot on.

I can't speak to how it compares to other brands but once I finally got it together, it consumed over 200 rnds from a couple different cartridge manufacturers as well as 20 of my own that I reloaded, not a sniff of an issue.

Just got my first bag of 1000 once fired brass and now I get to get to work loading up some ammunition for it. Very excited!
 
Hitzy said:
I think Ryan at SFRC has done an excellent job being the NEA rep so to speak. They have some interesting products but quality is sketchy to say the least. The bolt in the bcg I bought blew up on the 3rd round I fired....
That said....I do have one of those $120 uppers on the way for a "how cheap can I build it" project....they cant possibly #### that part up I hope. I wouldn't try one of their lowers though.
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Well shows what I know...got the upper, dust cover doesn't cover the ejection port completely. Gaps on both ends....I'll have to see if it's a ####ty ####ed up dustcover (compare the measurements to my other ones) or if the ejection port is just machined out of spec and too large. Finish is better...but C'MON WTF IS WRONG AT THE NEA SHOP?

 
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The amount of people talking about a tight fit between upper/lower and then bragging about their 100 flawless rounds is a reminder why CGN isn't the best place to seek for AR advice.


Steer clear of NEA and you should be fine.
 
I bought the matched Z set.

No problems at all.

My build is NEA matched Z set, S&J Hardware, Yankee Hill and Magpul

MyAR1_zps5a54d0be.jpg
 
Actually I'm unbiased with NEA.

I bought for the price alone and came away totally satisfied.

I have built allot of AR's over the last 34 years since the first ones emerged on the scene.

My build works perfect with no flaws that I have noticed.
 
BenL said:
Well, this thread has taken a plunge off the deep end.

That the upper actually made it out after the DC was installed is embarrassing. The port definitely looks out of specs.
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I think I can make it work....the DC was ground on the corners....you can see how it's way more rounded off, it probably needed a little fitting, and some assclown went too far on the grinder. It's been touched up with a "sharpee" from what I can tell....real high quality stuff that NEA. So my build is on hold until I can get a new DC and fit it properly....glad it's only a $5 part.
NEA....Norinco Equivalent Arms...

Oh...I also found a simple, cheap alternative to all the gun paints..... this #### right here that you can get at CT, they have a nice flat black that turns out almost like black oxide finish. Goes on much thinner then I thought, looks nice when cured. The NEA "grey" will be corrected shortly for my build. Already did a few muzzle devices and other small parts....it does require a little baking to cure, but it is a ceramic base high temp coating for $15 a can... http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/v...header-paint-312-g-0473704p.html#.UtX6UrTS2Z8
 
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Apparently, I lucked out and got a decently built NEA. The finish was very nice, and I like that it's grey-ish. The fit of the upper and lower wasn't great but not worse than the old C7A1 I had been issued. The railed fore end had to be cinched down and loctited, but once I did that it was solid - easy to do with a hex key. I put about 800 rounds through it. I got very good groups, (~1.5-2 MOA with AE using a 2MOA Aimpoint) and the only problems I ever had was with Norinco ammo, which would occasionally fail to extract leading to the nastiest double feeds Ive ever seen, with the projectiles getting rammed down the neck of the case. I think this had more to do with the ammo than the rifle as everything else ran flawlessly.

At one point it got very humid in my apartment when I was away for a week. When I got back, I opened up the cabinet to find all my guns had rusted up - except the NEA, which was absolutely pristine. Whatever corrosion protection they use, it seems to work.

I sold the upper for a much, much lighter BCM, as I didn't bother with any gizmos on the rail, so it was a little useless for my purposes. The BCM upper fits rock solid to the NEA lower, so I see no need to replace that at all.
 
Hitzy said:
I think I can make it work....the DC was ground on the corners....you can see how it's way more rounded off, it probably needed a little fitting, and some assclown went too far on the grinder. It's been touched up with a "sharpee" from what I can tell....real high quality stuff that NEA. So my build is on hold until I can get a new DC and fit it properly....glad it's only a $5 part.
NEA....Norinco Equivalent Arms...

Oh...I also found a simple, cheap alternative to all the gun paints..... this #### right here that you can get at CT, they have a nice flat black that turns out almost like black oxide finish. Goes on much thinner then I thought, looks nice when cured. The NEA "grey" will be corrected shortly for my build. Already did a few muzzle devices and other small parts....it does require a little baking to cure, but it is a ceramic base high temp coating for $15 a can... http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/v...header-paint-312-g-0473704p.html#.UtX6UrTS2Z8
Click to expand...

My friend, send this upper back to NEA. You paid good money for a properly made rifle. There is no reason for you to be out of pocket in either time or money.
 
Hitzy said:
I think I can make it work....the DC was ground on the corners....you can see how it's way more rounded off, it probably needed a little fitting, and some assclown went too far on the grinder. It's been touched up with a "sharpee" from what I can tell....real high quality stuff that NEA. So my build is on hold until I can get a new DC and fit it properly....glad it's only a $5 part.
NEA....Norinco Equivalent Arms...

Oh...I also found a simple, cheap alternative to all the gun paints..... this #### right here that you can get at CT, they have a nice flat black that turns out almost like black oxide finish. Goes on much thinner then I thought, looks nice when cured. The NEA "grey" will be corrected shortly for my build. Already did a few muzzle devices and other small parts....it does require a little baking to cure, but it is a ceramic base high temp coating for $15 a can... http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/v...header-paint-312-g-0473704p.html#.UtX6UrTS2Z8
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From your picture I can see that both the upper and dust cover are way out to lunch. Return it, get a refund, and get one from a company that uses actual measurements and processes rather than eyeballing it.
 
mg4201 said:
My friend, send this upper back to NEA. You paid good money for a properly made rifle. There is no reason for you to be out of pocket in either time or money.
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Agreed. A $120 upper isn't such a good deal when you have to deal with issues like that. It amazes me that after 2 years, NEA still hasn't ironed out these problems.
 
Jarvy said:
At one point it got very humid in my apartment when I was away for a week. When I got back, I opened up the cabinet to find all my guns had rusted up - except the NEA, which was absolutely pristine. Whatever corrosion protection they use, it seems to work.
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yeah, aluminum does not rust like steel does, i wouldnt attribute the fact that it didnt rust to anything NEA did. lol

Hitzy,
send that #### back...aint nobody got time for that! I am surprised you even considered nea after the bolt blew apart after 3 rounds. their stuff is still garbage, i wouldnt recommend them to anyone.
 
jdman said:
yeah, aluminum does not rust like steel does, i wouldnt attribute the fact that it didnt rust to anything NEA did. lol

Hitzy,
send that #### back...aint nobody got time for that! I am surprised you even considered nea after the bolt blew apart after 3 rounds. their stuff is still garbage, i wouldnt recommend them to anyone.
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The barrels and flash hiders are aluminum now? I am familiar with the properties of aluminum.
 
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