Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Noveske uppers...worth the price??

Thinking about using one for a build....are they worth a grand or so? Accurate? Dependable? What say ye.....

Yep, they are very nice. I love all my Noveske stuff.

Simply excellent.

kd

I had one of their uppers. I would not buy one of their double chrome lined barreled uppers, you can get a PSA with the same barrel in it.

I used to reply no to this type of thread all the time.

Here is my take on it from a less aggressive stance...

The top makers like Noveske and La Rue etc... all turn out good products. If you have the money to spend and want one ready to roll and they make one that suits you, go for it.

OTOH, A lot of the top makers don't use the very best barrels, but kind of sort through mid range tubes, and accuracy test each upper, if it doesn't work, they put another tube on it until they get a good one. I've heard rejection rates at times can be around 30%. But they make it work.

Me, I desire some specific things, and since its a tool, I don't want to pay more than I have to for it. Recent example. buddy wanted a flat top upper, for yotes out to about 200 at his home and some at night.

So instead of paying for a 200 buck or so float tube with all kinds of rails, that actually kind of dig into you and that you end up putting covers on the ones not used... we bought a hogue float tube. Bought 2 machine screw swivel studs. Put 2 on the front, for sling and bipod if he ever does. Float tube was somethign around 50 bucks IIRC... a bit more. And then decided to pay 15ish bucks for 2 short rails... for light and laser possibly later. 4 more holes and good to go. Put a used tube on it, as it doesn't take less than MOA for 200 yard anything generally. Put a Burris PEPR mount on it.

Came out reasonably priced. And my bet is it'll hold around 3/4 moa. 65 bucks for a flat top upper with forward assist, and port door. 50ish for the tube. 15 for the 2 rails. 30ish for a low profile gas block. 15? for the gas tube. Barrel was free, but could buy a new one for 200 or less easily. Ad charge handle and bolt carrier at around 150ish. Well under 1000. That includes the scope mount at about 70.

On my personal builds I go about the same route, just buy exactly what I need but no more but I typically put on a better tube, my 300 whisper has a rock tube sitting here waiting on other parts..... So I add 150 or more to the barrel price...

FWIW we've run from the highest to cheapest parts in lowers and uppers out there, and as long as the parts are right and "in spec" and the barrel is a top line and set up right, they run and run and run, and are very accurate.

Bottom line some folks just want to pick up top line and run and have no real idea of exactly what they want. Wilson, LaRue, Noveske are all good ones for that.

Some folks don't need the best out there and can get by just fine with DPMS or the like and the guns will outshoot them for their life spans likely.

And then there are folks that by trial and error know what they need, and have that built or build it themselves. Rarely at more cost than the likes of a Noveske, often about the same but generally at least as good or better than...

And then there is the ammo issue... if you don't reload, you'll never know what your gun is capable of... and that would factor into a lot of what i used to make up my mind which route to go.

Its very much like John Burns guns..... I'd never pay that price because I can part together as good or better gun and load as good or better ammo, but I take and make the time to do it and enjoy what goes into it. But for those that want to plunk down and go, John has worked up a good system with his bolt guns.

Good luck.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff for taking time to give me that thoughtful answer. I have recently built two rifles using psa uppers and lowers. These are my first "black" rifles. They are both minute of hog,(1.5 to 2 moa at 100yds) especially with reloads using barnes tac-x 55gr bullets (same as triple shocks). I have about $500 each in them not counting a Gisselle trigger I got on sale for about a hundred bucks for one of them. I really like the platform and they are fun to shoot. Just wondering if more money equals more accuracy, since mine almost never fail to feed or fire, so dependability is already there. Sounds like some upgrades help, but a guy who uses the rifles like me might not notice the small (relatively) differences.

I've used 3 of their barrels, an 18" SPR and two 16" light weights.

The SPR is a 1/2" barrel while the 16's are both closer to 3/4" shooters. They are chambered for MK 262 ammo and can be run hotter than my old Krieger but the Krieger was more accurate. They are all ported about right, leaning towards reliability rather than "smoothness" which is all the rage now.

I think they offer a decent product for the price.

Never seen many ARs that wouldn't do 1 inch. IMHO probably spend 300ish bucks on a good barrel, that would/should put it to under an inch, and often chasing half inch.

The barrel is a MAJOR IMPORTANT part of the formula. The rest of the parts just ain't gonna make as much difference, IMHO, as a top line barrel.

I'd take the best barrel with the cheapest set of parts rather than the other way around any day.

Their barrels come with a good low profile, pinned, gas block and gas tube. Most Krieger barrels run $450 without, while others run less. I've been quoted $50 to bead blast a barrel, which Noveske already includes, the VLTOR gas block runs $50 and having someone pin it runs $35 or so.

It all equals out as long as you get what you want. And please don't base Noveske's accuracy reputation on my shooting.

What about the Wylde chamber? Free float rail? Accuracy enhancers worth the $$ or not?

Wylde chamber is about all I run except for my 90 grain barrels. Best of all worlds IMHO.

Float rail doesn't make anything more accurate that most can tell. But if you are going to put a bipod, or sling tension on the gun, it'll sure help it maintain zero.

TWR, I'm guessing, but have not priced barrels, that you are quoting ready to go at 450, I was still seeing blanks around 300 last I looked a while ago.

But 150 is about standard to set em up then.

What is a noveske running? I could google but I'm lazy and have a feeling you know.

I'm thinking when I read, they are made well and have a really good shot at being a pretty dang good tube.

Noveske barrel $410
Stripped upper $80
BCG $175
FF Rail $175
Muzzle device $100(?)

That all comes out to $950. So if the upper is exactly what you want "about a grand" could be worth it.

That's assuming you're talking about a SS barrel with their NSR rail.

Jeff, a 5.56 SS barrel runs $410 with pinned lp gas block and has tube from DSG.

Blue where are you getting them for $410? Their site shows $455 with a pinned gas block. That might twist my arm.

Noveske uses PacNor blanks, they are polygonal rifled and I never seem to need to clean mine. I like em.

Afterum, the barrel is the accuracy enhancement. A free float rail makes em easier to shoot accurately along with a good trigger. Don't buy into the billet crap or any other "enhancements" as long as the bolt locks up square, the barrel lets the ammo do all it will do.

One has to keep in mind that a new Noveske upper "around a grand", is not going to have a free float handguard, nor a decent muzzle device, nor most likely a SS barrel, so you will have to include the additional cost of upgrading it if one is to compare apples to apples on the cost of building it yourself.

That's not a knock on Noveske, they make great stuff, but my last Wilson Combat build cost me around $800. The equivalent Noveske upper runs $1475.

You can save a ton of money if you have any mechanical skills using top end Noveske, Wilson Combat, Larue etc., components and build it yourself.

Sorry TWR, $455 is right. I was logged in when I looked and can get 10% off.

"You can save a ton of money if you have any mechanical skills using top end Noveske, Wilson Combat, Larue etc., components."

This is true to a degree, I can't remember exactly but when I built my first faux Rogue Hunter, I might have saved $100 by the time I added shipping from a half dozen companies.

I do like to use parts of my choosing and enjoy putting them together and don't see myself buying a built upper ever again.

Yeah, I haven't bought a complete upper in years.

When you figure out you can build a sub MOA AR with top quality components for $$hundreds less, it becomes addictive.

Wilson Combat

Barrel SS 16" tactical lightweight $274.95
Lo pro gas black $29.95
Upper Receiver $109.95
BCG $98.57 or $199.95 for NP3 coated
Accutac flash hider $49.95
Gas tube $16.95
Trim rail $246.46
BCM Charging handle $44.95

Around $875/$975(NP3 BCG) plus $20+- in shipping, one stop shopping...
for the equivalent of a $1250 upper from Wilson or the equivalent of a $1450 upper from Noveske.

To me its mostly that you get what you need, not what someone thinks you need.

If you want top accuracy, buy the best barrel you can. The rest of the parts, really don't matter all that much, the barrel and bolt and chambering etc... are really what matters most. You can pay for the name on a lot of htat stuff, but in the end thats mostly, what you get. But I will give you the named stuff can be better than others, but its generally not required. Depends on what you want.

What about the Colt 6724 upper? I bought one from Colt before the last scare for around $750 I think. I don�t remember exactly. They just ship it to you in a box. How does it compare accuracy wise?

Never seen a Colt Upper be as accurate as a custom barrel...

at they worth the money?? if you spending 1k on just the upper I would say emphatically hell no it aint worth it. aren't the barrels pac nor barrels?? if so that is better than most but in my mind not really any better than a wilson barrel on a RRA. With that much money to spend your options pretty much explode. my upper would be full custom I would probably have a gunsmith turn my barrel to a custom contour. With a full custom you can save money on parts that don't matter that much. for example palmetto often has blem uppers for $39 bucks, I bought a bolt carrier and charging handle for $89, bolt is carpenter 158. mid west gen 2 ss rail, which BTW I like alot better than what noveske has for sale. Then I am going with a custom krieger barrel. If there is too much metal under the handguard I would have a gunsmith turn it down a bit. 750 gas block stepping to .825 under the handguard and behind the gas block to the barrel shank. further I would ad once you have owned a high quailty barrel like a krieger or the other CUT rifled barrels you will understand how much better they are.

We have had this debate tons of times some people just say buy a colt when telling new people what to buy others say buy a noveske. To all that I say if you actually shoot your gun enough to need all the mil spec and upgrades in materials your probably going to know what you want in your gun and are going to demand a custom with the parts you spec. so my point is save your money buy a lower end gun and spend time with ammo and learn what you want your AR 15 to do. then spend the money on the good parts YOU want.

Learning what you need and want by shooting is a smart answer but then what would we discuss here? asking for advice is not a bad idea either we just have too many different opinions to get one answer.

There are moderately priced parts that work, no doubt but some don't.

Top end gear is expensive but I've yet to see a custom barrel or gear for that matter disappoint.

I thought Noveske made their barrels? I did not think they used Pac nor but I could be wrong. Pac Nor is an ok barrel but nothign stupendous.

from what I understand, Noveske barrels are made at Pac-Nor, but Noveske supplies the materials and pays the crew instead of just buying blanks. not sure why...

Ever seen a PacNor polygonal barrel?

John Noveske worked for PacNor and the two companies have a working relationship.

After a lot of reading a while back, I gathered that Noveske and makes their own barrels but uses PacNor equipment when they clock out.

I don't think Noveske is the be all, end all AR barrel, but they are very nice.

From an interview with John Noveske in 2008. He says that Noveske buys their own steel and has PacNor employees machine them to Noveske specs with Noveske tooling.

LINK

Interesting. Wonder if they are better than Pac Nor?

I shot Pac Nor for a long time and they are good tubes. They never were Krieger/Rock/Obermeyer though. But won a LOT of matches with them on the guns. And its probably mostly related that I'm comparing button tubes to cut rifle tubes and have never been totally happy with button tubes.

Thanks for the info Blue.

I've never heard of anyone being unhappy with a Noveske barrel. If I were to build my comp upper again, I'd get a barrel from MSTN. They have 16" Intermediate gas and 17" Rifle gas Noveske barrels. Light, accurate and smoooooooth.

You know one of these days I'm going to use that float tube and put a barrel on to come play with you... hoping in the next 5 years.... settle on the best barrel for the sport by then... LOL.

the double chromed barrels are made by FN are they not?

Yes, the last I heard they were M249 blanks machined and finished to Noveske specs.

For an accurate chrome lined barrel, I hear great things about Criterion. I am going to try one of their 16" hybrid CL barrels on my next AR.

Thats not what the articles say, at least what I read... says same spec, and done on PN machinery by employees to Noveske spec, but material same spec as 249...

Allow me to be the first....

18" 308 barrel on a MA10 build. It was a 1.5-2.0 MOA $600 barrel. Hugely disappointed and will never buy another. Sold it after several hundred rounds of load development. Now I run a mixmaster 308 I built and a JP 308. Both shoot circles around the Noveske barrel.

The chromed Noveske barrels are they not the same barrels made by FN that Palmetto State Armory uses?

Hopefully you sent it back so they could replace it? Even Krieger puts out a bad tube now and then. But you always give the manufacturer the option..

But Schneider or Lilja, I forget which, refused to replace an undertwisted tube for a buddy once.... ordered X twist, would not shoot heavy bullets, then checked twistt... was off and they refused IIRC< or at least they refused to pay for the smith work to get one off and the other one or such.

Barrel makers are out front with each and every tube they sale. The next barrel could be a dude and if the wrong customer gets it, WOW it can do a lot of harm.

On 3 separate occasions I had an issue with a new barrel. In all of these cases the 3 different manufacturers addressed the problem to my satisfaction.

That kind of response seems pretty typical in this industry provided we approach the issue in a civil and rational way.

I think FN makes those barrels for each company. But that doesn't mean they're the same barrel. FN could manufacture a barrel with different quality or specs for different builders.