I am in the process of saving up for a Noveske N4 and hope that once they are accepting orders again that I will have saved enough for the purchase.
I know that I want the Low Profile version but am undecided on the 14.5" with pinned flash suppressor or the recce 16". This will be my first and probably only AR style rifle.
This rifle will primarily be used for target/range but also serve as my home defense and SHTF rifle.
Can you tell me the pros and cons of the 14.5" vs the 16" and which you would recommend and why?
my recommendation is buy a colt or lmt if they are available in stock anywhere close to you ASAP rather than stick it out for the wait with Noveske, im in the same boat and really want to wait it out, but am afraid im going to wind up buying a colt for now until our new guy in office leaves office and guns are no longer an issue of interest to the oh so wonderful Gov’t
Vicious: Shorter and Lighter is NOT ALWAYS better,like you said, it depends on what you will do with it. A shorter barrel might not make sense for you in some situations.
When in doubt, stick with 16" – it will give you more options with less headaches down the road. That’s not to say that the 14.5" is any less versatile, but the pinned FS will complicate matters somewhat if/when you decide to start making changes.
new here and just wanted to ask if the N4 16" Light Recce VIS Basic Upper is a good option to go with if the low profile is not available? Is there a major difference in the two?
I like the Middy’s as well, but I’d get a Colt or LMT ASAP. The future prices will only get worse. You will be here a year from now regretting your decision to purchase today when they were “cheap”.:rolleyes:
Or get an LMT lower first, like I did (Actually my girl got it for me for Christmas) or where ever available, and worry about the type of upper you want on it later.
Per some conversations with the folks in Oregon, they hope to be taking orders again some time in Feb. They are just waiting for their part suppliers to ship them product.
If you are looking for an all purpose rifle, get the Recce.
for your purposes, both will meet your needs, without seriously compromising certain items. There won’t be a noticeable loss in velocity between the two; the slightly shorter 14.5" will make it easier to manuver in tight quarters. The gas tube buffer issue won’t be noticeable between the two, but the shorter gas tube on the 14.5 can be more finicky (nice firearm term eh?) at times. If you plan to do alot of range shooting, consider the balance and feel of the platform, and unfortunately at this point it gets difficult to compare “apples and apples” unless you have the actual HDR’s in front of you. As others pointed out, going with the pinned setup on the 14.5" does make it more difficult for future modifications, but as you said this will likely be your only HDR of this style, it doesn’t sound like you will be tinkering with it much, after the purchase.
I was able to compare between several different HDR’s, ranging from the full lengths, down to the 11". Similiar parameters as you for applications. I opted for 16" midlength and added freefloat handguards. For myself and others who have shot my HDR, the balance is very nice and it gives us a very fast and comfortable sight picture.
on an added note, i was also at the same point in considering the Noveske setup, but when i had a chance to get a BCM 16" middy, it was an easy decision.