Nea-15
- Thread starter Handsomebob
- Start date
If you can still find it, Colt Canada's IUR 15.7 complete was selling for $1500 or so with a CC bcg/ch. I would start there and then look at Daniel Defence, but that's just me. NEA has garnered a decent amount of negative press, but I can't speak from experience.
Runningfool
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
They produce like what, 10X more ARs than any Canadian manufacturer, and yet they are sold out at retailers???
To the OP, they are not junk. They've had issues. I own 3; one of their first gens which has over 11k rounds through it without issue, a second one I built from a z-marked lower and other nea bits as they came on sale in 2014, and a current gen that I picked up in September 2015. They are terrific ARs for the money IMO.
Look around, there are some great deals on ARs out there. But don't discount NEA based on the posts of a certain collection of butt-hurt CGNers who can't wait for ANY NEA thread so that they can jump in and spread their wisdom based mostly on heresay and second hand accounts or things that happened years ago (there are a couple of CGNers who've actually owned NEA-15s that wouldn't recommend them but most would). If you're not sure who they are, don't worry, they will be along soon enough to tell me that you don't need to own one to know they are crap, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Runningfool
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
Sure is. That was when their bolts were supplied by someone else. Those in the know are aware that a certain other "premium" AR brand was buying the same bolts at the same time and had the same issues...they didn't get the press on CGN that NEA did, who knows why. But the fact remains that once they started making their own AR-15 bolts I don't believe they've had a single shear...so what is the point of advising someone buying one from a retailer today about a known issue that was resolved 18+ months ago?
I know a couple of guys who own/have owned NEAs, with mixed results. Personally if I was on a budget, I'd be looking on the EE for a used mid-level rifle before a new NEA for the same money - Bushmaster, DPMS, Core, Armalite, etc.
- Location
- South Ontario
From what I have witnessed with my own eyes NEA is only slightly better than the norinco product. For the money you have for a new NEA you could get your self lots of quality with a proven track record. For example. CC IUR, Core, WW, colt 6920, bushmaster,etc etc etc etc. Do your self a favor and get something with a proven record of reliability.
I don't like to get into the NEA stuff too hard because I know too many of the people involved, and I don't like to get into situations in which my objectivity is hard to establish...but I know for a fact the "more flaws than any other manufacturer" statement is not based on any numbers at all.
People here sometimes forget that CGN is a tiny part of the Canadian shooting community; NEA has a terrible rep here for reasons ranging from valid to factually wrong. But I have seen their actual return and repair rates and they are not at all out of the ordinary for an AR manufacturer. The overwhelming number of issues they have can be directly traced to the fact that they sell a lot of their guns to people who don't really know much about ARs, simply because of the price point.
And RF is right...those same bolts were purchased by at least one other (and IIRC three other) manufacturers whose names everyone here would recognize.
I hate to appear to be a fan of ANY manufacturer except maybe BCM, who've been exemplary in my experience, but IMO the reputation NEA has on CGN is fairly inaccurate. They've had phases where they manufactured or resold really substandard parts, but I've seen people slam NEA who think DPMS has never had junk phases.
So to the OP, I'd say take CGN with a massive grain of salt. There are really valid critiques of some of NEA's decisions and past business practises, but personally I wouldn't hesitate to run one of their current production ARs. I have one of their early ones, which I bought with my own money after doing a level of research I GUARANTEE nobody here has come close to on the company, because I wanted to see how it would do.
It's done fine and I still shoot it. I think it's just under 4000 rounds now, mainly because I have a bunch of ARs and I spend most of my time with 16" (or thereabouts...yeah, looking right at you, CC) guns with low-powered variables, and my NEA is a SBR with a red dot.
I'm not telling you to get an NEA, nor am I telling you NOT to get something else. But I am telling you that if you did get an NEA, odds that you'd be unhappy with the performance of the gun are no higher than a lot of other manufacturers, and lower than plenty I could mention.
ok... I own colt canada rifles as we speak. I owned many good brands in the past too. Now what do you say about my 100% reliability of any norinco I owned?
At first I really wanted to bash on NORC product as much as you guys do. But I am still looking for a reason to do it.
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- Location
- South Ontario
ok... I own colt canada rifles as we speak. I owned many good brands in the past too. Now what do you say about my 100% reliability of any norinco I owned?
At first I really wanted to bash on NORC product as much as you guys do. But I am still looking for a reason for what I paid.
I say I have watched 3 norinco ARs fail catastrophically injuring the user on 2 occasion and seen m305 fall apart in the users hands. And one right out of the box have a major failure resulting in a missing digit for the user. You may be one of the lucky ones that got a good one. For me I'll always recommend against them for reasons stated above.
Cause its an under $1000 Ar and its a good product despite the few negative feedback being spouted on here.
I have a NEA, I bought the lower because the price was less then a Norc and I wanted a Suck it Trudeau AR. Using a NEA seemed fitting. Sure the machining was better then a norc, It did have a issue and the roll pin flopped out for the bolt stop. Rather then deal with sending it off to get replacement I just put in a bigger roll pin.
- Location
- South Ontario
Yes. all with in the last 5 years as well.
