Thread: NEA.

Are they as good as the rest? Also the stag model 8 with the piston, is this a reliable system seems more straight foward to me.

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Avoid piston ARs. They're a shitty bandaid fix tacked on to solve an imaginary problem, and have problems of their own (carrier tilt, decreased accuracy, decreased parts life). They're actually less straightforward than a direct impingement AR as they add more parts. In a DI AR the gas acts on the BCG itself, effectively making the BCG a piston.

As for NEA I've heard of problems but not seen any NEA rifles firsthand.

Also you may have more difficulty finding parts for your special snowflake piston system in 5 years.

NEA rifles probably get a fair amount of being picked on. Might be due to the fact they were the first AR15s to sell below $2000 so everyone had to criticize a brand that just made their AR priced like an expensive Euro rifle need justification for the price difference. End of the day they are an AR so you can change anything you want when you want. No they dont have RRA match trigger feel or JP accuracy but they dont cost the same either. Buy what level of quality you can afford and get out shooting it.

Yea doesnt boad so well now you can get dpms and rra for 2300-2500ish.

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I've seen an NEA that wouldnt take a Yank upper without filing or bashing the pins in, one without a staked gas key that was loose, and another that had many issues with cycling and FTF than were fixed instantly by dropping a Bushmaster BCG out of another gun straight into it. The BCG was tight in the upper - you simply dont get issues like that with Yank built stuff.
100rds of dicking round + a new Bolt carrier makes it worth MORE than anything else.
Whatever you buy, buy somethign thats made to a milspec standard (ok - its not true milspec and the Mil doesnt use/approve but you get the point)

As far as Gas piston goes - each to their own - typically not as accurate as a gas gun, issues with carrier tilt etc
A piston bashes the carrier back to unlock the bolt, a gas gun directs gas into the back of the bolt to assist unlockng
Cleaning is a non issue - I fire prob 500rds before even wiping the BCG down with no issues at all - I run new guns quite wet - carbon and oil creates snot that is a bit abrasive and laps the upper in nicely. Then a good cleanup and a drop of oil on the bolt rails and cam pin and thats it from there on - smooooth as silk

Originally Posted by compound

NEA rifles probably get a fair amount of being picked on. Might be due to the fact they were the first AR15s to sell below $2000 so everyone had to criticize a brand that just made their AR priced like an expensive Euro rifle need justification for the price difference. End of the day they are an AR so you can change anything you want when you want. No they dont have RRA match trigger feel or JP accuracy but they dont cost the same either. Buy what level of quality you can afford and get out shooting it.

We get a fair amount of NEA bashing but its always the usual suspects who have a financial interest in the price reduction of AR's. Its interesting the comments we get from customers who have visited a couple of North Island vendors and the big South Island one - then end up buying NEA.

There have been a few growing pains as you would expect from a company that has only been producing a gun for the last 18 months. What we are seeing though is constant improvements to the product as they take on feedback. As long as customers dont expect a Noveske for sub 2k then they will be happy. The latest crop of guns is superb value - and you get a local manufactures rep.

NZers can also thank NEA for changing the market here. All NZ vendors (part timers through to the bigger companies) were screwing you until NEA arrived. We even saw the resident part timer here drop his prices as soon as NEA entered the market. The good news is that the competition is going to get even hotter very soon with sub 2k Stags in 6.8spc... I expect that will rip holes in the panties of one NI vendor

At least NEA is approachable and listens to feedback from little old NZ. Keep up the pressure on creating competition Digit.

If you buy one you probably need to budget in a replacement trigger, ($400) as the three I've seen we're awful, 10-14lbs & one wouldn't fire, one if you pulled the trigger & held it while it cycled then released the trigger it would fire again!

Also on some the dust cover jams when you close up the upper, hopefully NEA have fixed that?

Apart from that they are Ok & def cheaper than some other brands. A friends one shoots very accurately.
They just need to get there shit sorted on the triggers.

They have brought the prices down on other brands so that's good for the consumer.

All early NEAs had a trigger spring in the region of 10-12lbs. All customers were sent a replacement trigger spring of 5-6lb. We had 4 guns with fire control groups that needed replacing. All 4 customers had those groups replaced. Again early guns. With the quantities that are walking out the door the number of issues is extemly low.
The NEAs have a very nice barrel - medium profile - that is very accurate shoots well above its price point.

Originally Posted by compound

At least NEA is approachable and listens to feedback from little old NZ. Keep up the pressure on creating competition Digit.

The pressure will soon force many vendors to give up

I just wanted to put my plug in for NEA (though I have only used NEA) I guess I have one of the later versions. It's run flawlessly so far and I have had no issues with it ... and it is accurate. I did upgrade the Grip to a Ergo but this is now a standard feature (if I'm not wrong) and I did replace the trigger with a Timney type (not sure if the NEA trigger had the latest spring or not but I wanted a trigger I was used to and I got a good deal on one). Digit has been very helpful through the whole process and gone above and beyond to help me out.

Im working thru a issue with one currently for a friend of mine, the paddle switch is not engaging with the mag follower so no last shot hold open,

talked to digit, get put directly in contact with the CEO of NEA in canada to work out the problem, all emails quickly replied to.

took 3+ weeks to get the photos to show whats going on because the guy that owns it is useless with a computer and camera so I had to do it for him when I saw it next, that was about a week ago. and im waiting for the reply from either digit or Jeff from Nea.

all in all I think its going well. and they are both more than happy to help.

yea it also had the problem with the dust cover gouging the lower when you put them together with it open. that has also been fixed by the owner by replacing it with a different cover

more about the gun tho, its an accurate rifle, shoots the hornady steel case at bout an inch at 100 with the standard heavy trigger.

upper and lower fit well enough together, a little movement more than my RRA alot less than the GC chinese ones

all the switches and things work as they should with a good positive feel again not like the GC chinese one which the safety was very bound on the one I played with

the uppers and lowers not fitting other makes dusnt fly with me as iv tryed fitting both to my rra to solve the paddle switch issue and my upper fits his lower and the only reason my lower dusnt fit his upper is the forend on his potrudes back a little to much. ten seconds with a file would fix it but he wont let me file it.

my RRA is a better rifle, it has had no issues and is slightly more accurate with hornady has a better trigger and fit and finish is nicer.
but i did pay more for it.

I hope you dont see this as slander digit because it is not. Im just expressing a view point. without these two issues that hopefully will be quickly fixed it is a fine rifle. much much much much nicer than a GC one. which I frankly wouldnt buy. and alot closer to my RRA

Just honest an honest opinion - thanks I belive there is a replacement part on the way - will follow it up.

chur almo will be a happy boy. he loves that rifle like a baby