I think Tritium will be using his NEA carbine at a course coming up. But as an instructor probably won't be putting that many rounds through it.
The more I think about it, the next upper I buy will probably be a 14.5. Better ballistics, less flash, less blast and more rail to get a better extension of my left arm (I have long arms). I'd like to see NEA make a midlength though.
My rifle will be here on Monday. It's a 14.5 inch, box stock gun with Troy fixed sights and will wear a Lucid for a course (it's for a test and an article) then she'll have my aimpoint H-1 on her.
The owner of NEA and I talked and agreed that I should be running the gun that everyone else gets, in fact, I asked for factory second parts to test. She is getting sighted in and tested for function with about 500 rounds next week.
I've made it clear to the NEA folks that I would run a gun and parts that are readily available from Canadian retail outlets.
Clobb makes a good point, I won't be abusing this gun on a course because a course is not about me shooting but about the students. I'll be firing minimal rounds but my gun will be reliable!
I will be abusing it and running it withhigh caps and suppressors in the future (legally, of course) in order to heat it up and to test reliability with a suppressor mounted. As cqb services pointed out, the OPP Firearms Instructors' course can be a huge torture test for any firearm. I've taken it and taught on it and and I've seen pistols, rifles, shotguns and subguns fail, break, catch on fire, etc on this course. It is the best firearm's course I've ever been on and it teaches their instructors a ton!
Anyway, the abuse I subject the gun to will be akin to a police tac team firearm (I have no military experience other than as an embedded police/tac trainee and trainer). I will probably do some stuff with the gun being dry to test NEA's finish but I don't like abusing guns in such a fashion (all guns need lube, period). This winter she is getting some cold weather testing with only teflon lube.
I've already shot an NEA gun and I like them. Time will tell though but, for now, I stand by the gun.