Just ordered a Noveske Stainless Steel Upper: I would have preferred CHF - regrets?

AR/M4 AR General Discussion
1

I got a fair price on a SS upper.
$200 above MSRP shipped.
It’s a 16" but I don’t need extreme accuracy.
Would prefer CHF for durability and mag dumps instead of SS for accuracy.

Should I regret my purchase?
It’ll probably never be fired anyway as I am a collector.
I hear the SS are good up to 15,000 rounds.

Would Noveske replace and install a new barrel after degradation?
(I’ll pay for the barrel)

I’m just wondering how depressed I should be as I am an anal retentive perfectionist.

Any constructive input or even flaming is ok.

EDIT:

It was actually only $75 more than Noveske MSRP and that included shipping and tax. I was thinking they cost less than what I thought.
16″ Gen III Recon Upper is $1,425. So, I actually got a better deal than I thought.

2

You might consider deleting your post. It’s pretty embarrassing.

3

How is more than MSRP ‘a fair price’?

4

Cancel the order.

5

Because there is a 9 month back order.

6

For an upper you don’t even want.

7

I want it anyway - under these circumstances.

I could always sell it in a few years if I don’t want it in my collection.

It just wont be one of my favorites.

The dealer is a stand up guy who I like and he already sent it.
I would never reneg as he did not misrepresent.

8

Are you the same guy that posted a similar thread about Noveske Gen 3 vs Gen 4, and subsequently got roasted for it? Not judging in the slightest; ok, maybe a little. Buying something you didn’t even want and then asking other people if you should regret it is weird. Then asking about potential barrel life when you’re not going to shoot it is also weird.

All that aside I shot out a Noveske 12.5" stainless 5.56 barrel in about 7,000 rounds (I think, it’s been a hot minute.) I bought it in 2009 before I knew better and shot the piss out of it. It was severely overgassed and took a lot of tuning to get it running right with normal 5.56 pressure loads. With that said it was very accurate until it wasn’t, and at that point I replaced it with an Centurion 14.5" mid length CHF.

9

There you have your answer. Make the best of it. Instead of a bullet hose, it can be your recce rifle.

10

I can live with that and it will be nice to diversify from my CHF barrels.

However, can somebody answer this?

Will Noveske do “gunsmithing”.

Sooner or later this barrel will wear out.

I would only trust Noveske to put in a new barrel.
Would this be entertained?
I’m not looking for a free barrel - I’ll pay for the new one - BUT can I get Noveske to do the install?

11

On the bright side - If inflation keeps going the way it is…

In 9 months the cost of that same barrel could be 500 more than what you paid today.

:dirol:

12

This is why you should have ordered multiples at the same time. That way you would already have your spare (or a few spares) on hand for when the one went south. No waiting for a replacement and no hoping they still have that particular barrel in stock…

(Only half way kidding)

13

I take you advice seriously.

SO…

If I order a few CHF barrels (long wait) - can I send the whole kit and kaboodle to Noveske for installation?

That would really make me happy.

No rush of course!

14

It’s an AR not an Aston Martin.

Your great grand kids probably won’t wear out any of your AR’s. Do you know how much ammo it really takes to wear out a gun?

I’d full pass on a noveske. G, Triarc or radian would get my money.

15

I really be concerned about Stainless vs CHF. Noveske barrels are really, really good. Unlike CHF, their stainless steel barrels have proprietary chamber and some special rifling (can’t recall the details now) which should make it both extremely durable and accurate.

I would much rather get barrel from a known reputable manufacturer than focus on the marketing lingo of process (CHF or whatever) or specific coatings and have it sway my decision towards a so-so brand.

I’ve never seen any real-life comparison that indicates that stainless steel barrels are somehow inferior to CHF in terms of durability. On the other hand, there are a few posts comparing accuracy, and typically stainless Noveske barrels are more accurate than their CHF barrels and a lot more accurate than many typical AR brands.

Don’t regret or worry about it. If you like your Noveske upper, buy another one when CHF become available. If you don’t - sell it at a slight loss and move on with your life. Without trying it yourself you won’t really know it.

Noveske are not the cheapest rifles, but they have a good support and will help you if you have an issue with their product.

16

Great advice!

I should probably let you all know that I already bought his other CHF upper.

So, now I’ll have 2 uppers, anyway.

All these uppers are going into deep cold storage for Armageddon.

At this point, I just want to know if Noveske would be so kind to install a new barrel when the day comes.
I’ll pay for the barrel and wait for months but I just want to know if they will do it.

17

If you have access to a workbench, just get a MI URR and a barrel nut wrench. And a torque wrench. It takes like 15-20 minutes to swap barrels with pre-pinned gas blocks, such as Noveske.

To answer your barrel profile thread question, Noveske profiles are good, despite being named with useless alphabet soup crypto. The CHF ones are just right; just pick a length. The stainless ones have a nice balance, but are much thicker and heavier, as is fitting for a barrel chosen for precision. Again, just pick a length. There is a weight chart at the link you provided that you can compare to more familiar brands. Had you not already bought this stuff, I’d have suggested trying a different brand that is more budget friendly with a similar profile.

Yes, stainless wears out faster than chrome lined. In my opinion, the Noveske ones are better than some, and equal to others in that metric. You need to be honest with yourself about how much you actually shoot this thing. It sounds like a stainless barrel will last you a lifetime.

Also, quit buying up all the shit at the PX.

18

I have a Reaction Rod and torque wrench and barrel nut wrench.

It’s the precision head spacing that wigs me out.

I guess if I buy some head spacing gauges, I’ll be in good shape.

I’d rather pay $100 to ship both ways to Noveske though.

My guns are not just tools.

If I wanted a “tool” I’d buy a Colt and be done with it.

They are my prized possessions and trophies.

I would never take my car to anyone but a dealer, either.

I do in fact have a friend who is a highly skilled gunsmith and former manufacturer.

He is 75 though and may not be as capable in 10 years from now when I imagine this replacement to be done.

It it were not the whole head space issue, I do this job.

I consider myself to be a precision lower builder and have all the tools for lowers.
It takes me many hours to do one because I make it perfect.
I also go very slow to enjoy the engineering and appreciate the beauty of these machines.

It also takes me hours to refurbish an old Glock too, but I love it.

Working on guns for me is an art, not a job.

19

Noveske used to sell headspaced bolts with their barrels for an additional fee, IIRC. Maybe they still would. Have you tried calling them?

20

Nobody is headspacing anything on an AR. If it doesn’t pass, the bolt or the barrel is bad and it gets swapped out.

A receiver block, a dab of grease, and three pulls on a torque wrench and you did everything that anyone at Noveske could have done to put that barrel on.

Noveske barrels are very expensive and very overgassed IME.

I’d rather a 6920 16” carbine than anything Noveske makes.