Im looking into doing a Larue Build this winter. While doing some research on how i want to go about it id like to get some feed back from people who have experience with them. Any info is greatly appriciated, range reports, what parts worked best for you, best ammo, etc… Thanks in advance
I bought a Larue Stealth 5.56 upper during the height of Obamamania. It was ok - shot about an inch at 100 yds with Black Hills 77 gr ammo. But two uppers that I put together with my own clumsy hands and White Oak barrels outshot that particular Larue, so I sent it on down the road (at a loss of course. 
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I am not saying Larue is not good stuff. I am simply giving you one data point. Others will have different data for you.
I am in love with Larue mounts though.
Im on my 2nd Stealth upper, and like them a lot. The barrel steel is good for SS.
You can build buy similar type uppers but if you want the LaRue lower you have to buy a complete upper from them or buy the lower from someone selling one.
As far as reliability goes I had around 7500 on the 1st one, and around half that one the 2nd. Only had one failure, and that was a failure to lock back to to a really weak mag spring in a USGI 20 rd’er. Ive shot everything from Wolf to 77 GR 556 ammo.
My 1st upper was a little more accurate than the 2nd but the one I have now will still shoot around an inch 10 shot groups if I do my part, and use the right ammo. Im sure hand loads, a better shooter, and in good conditions would bring that healthily to under an inch 10 rd groups. In this part of TX its almost always windy/gusty.
The one thing Im not fond of on the complete uppers is unless something has changed the bolts are not tested to mil-spec standards. On this upper I have now I put in a BCM BCG, and keep the LaRue as a spare. I do like the ion bond black finish though. My 1st one was plain stainless, and started changing colors, ect. The ion bond is nearly bomb proof, and I like the black look anyways.
I don’t think you could go wrong with either a Noveske, BCM or LaRue upper with a stainless barrel.
So im assuming that there are not very many people around the forums that own Larue rifles. Ive asked this question on 2 different forums and combined ive got 4 answers. Not really making me want to lean towards building a Larue rifle…
So here is a next question if you had a Larue and a Noveske upper side by side for sale which one would you buy and why?
I purchased one (18") in 2008 for my dad as a varmint rig on his farm. He shoots BHA 75’s from it and has decimated the groundhog population there.
Not much of a data point, but it keeps the woodchucks living in perpetual fear. 
I have been very pleased with my LT 18" Stealth. Black Hills 69gr and 77gr, and Hornaday TAP 75gr all shoot sub MOA, and with very little change in POI between the different ammo types.
Yep, don’t know many that own LaRue rifles. Know tons that own LaRue mounts, etc. and IMO that company is all good all the time. I would “assume” the rifle was top notch, but wouldn’t count on that. But I’d take it over a Oly or a Bushmaster or some others I am more suspect of.
Here is a twist- I’d take it over a FN SCAR 16s. Just personal opinion at this point.
Noveske vs. LaRue. You know, I hear good bout both, have never seen a LaRue and only have seen one Noveske upper in my life. People talk great about Noveske, but no one owns one. Between the two, based on LaRue’s other great stuff, I’d go with a LaRue.
That said, why not a Colt, S&W, LMT, etc.?
No, loads of people own and shoot Noveske weapons.
when I started researching the “big boys” LaRue had too many unknowns and inconsistencies.
here’s three Noveske.
Noveske’s are very nice but their complete weapons seem oddly expensive. Adding a complete lower to an upper is $1000 dollars. You can buy complete KAC IWS E3 lowers for $750. All the lower being sold is one of their with a standard trigger, and a Vltor stock…oh it comes with Noveske branded Troy’s, too so thats really closer to $800 just for the lower when added onto the upper to be a complete weapon.
If you do decide to go Noveske Id get either a stripped Noveske lower or another brand of your choice, and build it yourself.
For comparison the LaRue lower is $250, is unique, and it would cost you 70 for a LPK, and at the most $250 for a complete stock set like a SOPMOD. Cheaper for something like a CTR/MOE. With the savings you could then get a complete BCM BCG to replace the LaRue, and a Geisselle SSA, ect. If you want a black barrel Noveske charges extra for it, and the finish is not as good as ion bond which LaRue uses.
As far as accuracy goes they are both capable of sub MOA groups, and its really splitting hairs.
But like I said you can’t really go wrong as they both make nice stuff.
read below
Well thanks guys all the advice is appreciated and anyone else can keep adding. I guess when you get into the higher end manufactures your gonna find that they are not wide spread due to their price.
The reason why I’m not going with common brands like Colt, LMT etc… is I like to be different and travel the road less traveled and have things that everyone else does not but in that I want superior quality. I have read up on the Larues from their site but I wanted actual feed back to make sure they just wernt hyping themselves up and actually selling mediocre products. Its a lot of money so I’m just wanting to make sure I’m getting what I expect.
Heres what I had in mind
Larue 16" stealth upper
Custom Spikes Tac lower w/ SOPMOD stock
Eotech optic
other add ons not yet decided but thats my plan for a start. From what I was told by a guy on another forum that is a sales rep for the said company is that the spikes lowers and the noveske lowers come from the same machine shop. Not sure how true that is but Ive heard good things about spikes products also.
A lower is a lower. Not much difference except for the rollmark.
Why say you want to be different, and then slap a Spikes lower on it?
lol. Of course the guy who heard from the guy, that got a text from the guy, who dated the girl, that had the child of the guy thats trying to sell you something is gonna talk up his own stuff.
The reason why I chose spikes is the fact that I can get some custom cosmetic differences that I cant get anywhere else and I can to an extent choose from a list of options what parts go into the lower. And like you said a lower is pretty much a lower. So i didn’t see the need to go with some off the wall lower when I know I can get what I want from spikes.
And as for the person who told me about the machine shop the lowers came from worked for neither spike or noveske. He was supposedly a rep for the machine shop and was selling their line of custom lowers.
there’s not a $1k difference between an upper and a complete rifle.
its more like $700ish and keep in mind the 10-11% tax added to complete rifles.
Only one of my Noveske’s are factory, the other two are Noveske uppers and stripped lowers I built up to suit me.
personally, that will be my preference from now on.
you should get the spikes lower and LaRue upper. :haha:
$700 is still too much to pay for a basic complete lower.
My personal experience with the Stealth uppers is limited as I have only shot a few rounds through a 16" Stealth a couple of years back, but I know that Chief Jeff Chudwin used his to take 1st place at this years National Patrol Rifle Competition. He is a phenomenal shooter, but he has always spoken highly of the performance of his Stealth upper.
I do, and so do lots of other people. What you probably meant to say was that nobody you know owns one.
I have to disagree about being ‘oddly expensive’. There’s a lot of value in the Noveske that people tend to overlook.
Take the BFH BCM (which is considered best bang for the buck) mid length upper with MUR, rail and BCG and CH and compare it to the Noveske light recce lo pro (that’s about as close of an apples to apples as you can get). Now add your Troy front and rear BUIS to the BCM. That’s $1,350 right there compared to the $1,410 of the Noveske.
Then consider the Vortex of the Noveske; $60, and you’re at the exact same price. And if you qualify you get a very nice discount off the Noveske and a free lower right now.
Food for thought.
Then you aren’t looking for them. I’ve owned two Noveskes in the last 14 months.
Also, by Mark Larue’s own admission, his weapons aren’t mil-spec, they’re “Texas Spec” (whatever that means - I honestly don’t think anyone knows). Noveske’s N4 models are mil-spec and top-shelf as far as out-of-the-box in-spec guns go.