Canada's National Firearms Association - NFA, National Firearms ...

Review –
Having wasted too much money on
some of the plastic junk that was on
the market for my CZ-858, I had high
expectations as I unpacked my NEA
order this past fall.
I generally take a KISS (Keep It Simple
Stupid) approach when running any
firearm. If I add a new part or accessory,
there is a practical reason for it. For
this project my primary aim was to add
additional versatility to the CZ platform
that would enhance its adaptability and
allow it to better compete against more
modern designs such as the AR-15.
With that in mind I ordered one of
NEA’s latest generation Modular
Picatinny Hand Guard sets, along with
an extra 2” and 4” section of picatinny
rail, one of their fantastic AR-15 stock
adapters with integral sling plate, and a
new old-school Soviet “Krinkov” style
flash suppressor.
The hand guard set, picatinny rails and
stock adapter displayed a flawless hardcoat
anodizing and were gray in colour.
All parts were beautifully machined
from 6061T aluminum and I couldn’t
find a single flaw, even after a detailed
examination.
Installation was a snap and even the
most mechanically handicapped out
there should have no trouble completing
the project without help. Detailed
Instructions for installation were
included, along with clear photos that
really aided in simplifying the process.
Tolerances are tight, so it is helpful to
have a bench block, punch set and brass
hammer on hand to give various pins
and parts a light tap or two if needed.
According to NEA this is a result of the
metal finish. However, after stripping
the rifle a few times this issue will
correct itself.
Installing the NEA “Krink” flash
suppressor was even easier, taking just
a few seconds and requiring no tools.
Shooting the full-length rifle with the
new suppressor installed was fun,
although it had no effect upon felt recoil.
It did produce a neat flash pattern that
can only be appreciated under low-light
conditions. Overall, I was impressed
by how well the NEA product stood
up to use, and abuse; after running
close to 1000 rounds of mixed surplus
Czech corrosive and Chinese silver box
7.62X39mm ammo through the rifle
over the course of a single weekend.
While covered in soot and carbon
residue, a simple wipe with an oily rag
was all that was necessary to clean up
the surface of the machined stainless
steel of the suppressor. Amazingly it still
looked almost new!
Since the range I used for accuracy
testing was limited to 200 meters, a
high magnification optic wasn’t needed.
For testing purposed I set up a mix of
paper targets and reactive steel, ranging
from distances of 50-200M. I found
that mounting my favourite Aimpoint
CompM2 red dot optic, using a laRue
cantilever mount, was a breeze with the
installation of the NEA picatinny hand
guard.
The rifle handled and balanced well,
even with the new additions. The new
optic helped, and I noticed an immediate
reduction in group sizes. The modular
hand guards were rock-solid, and I used
the quick detach function of the laRue
mount to remove and replace the optic
several times without any significant
loss of zero.
I had also opted to install the 2” NEA
picatinny rail on the bottom hand guard
to permit mounting a Tango Down
vertical battle grip. The longer 4” rail
was bolted to the near-side of the bottom
half of the hand guard for potential use
with a weapon light. The latter rail also
has a quick-detach sling mount hole that
worked perfectly with several pushbutton
quick detach swivels I tried.
Unlike a number of other rails I’ve
purchased over the years, every NEA
picatinny slot was cut to true “1913
Picatinny” specs and I experienced zero
problems while test fitting a broad range
of different picatinny accessories.
The final task I faced was getting the
NEA stock adapter installed. After using
this for a while, it is one upgrade that
I highly recommend, as it permits the
shooter to easily mount their choice of
adjustable AR style stock. This wasn’t
simply a ‘tacticool’ affectation of mine,
but a practical decision. As with so many
“Combloc” rifle designs, the CZ was not
built for larger-framed Western soldiers/
shooters that generally were taller and
had longer arms than their Warsaw Pact
counterparts.
36 January - February www.nfa.ca
The addition of the AR stock permitted
me to increase the length of pull, making
the rifle much more comfortable to use.
I also appreciated the convenience of
the integral sling plate that was actually
machined as part of the adapter. The
latter worked quite well, and I had no
trouble mounting a Blue Force Gear
“Vickers” sling. However, I did notice
that the relatively sharp corners of the
Magic... Continued From Page 21
subjecting the law-abiding to elaborate regulatory paperwork
is counter intuitive, but it can still be justified with an appeal
to magic.
As the Registration System controls inanimate objects, the
licensing System controls people, in this case gun owners.
Homeopathic and Symbolic Magic can be relied on to project
their mystic influence from the paper license in a government
office out onto real people. The bureaucrat can then tell the
police who has guns, where they are and what is being done
with them. This control, imposed on the law-abiding, is then
assumed by the influence of magical processes to also apply
to criminals. The legal and regulatory restrictions that fall
on target shooters in Halifax will symbolically extend to the
armed car thieves of Winnipeg.
Keeping the Police Safe
Another justification of our registration and licensing system
is the Canadian Firearms Registry Online (CFRO is part of the
Canadian Firearms Information System). This system allows
the police to query the licensing and registration database for
information on where guns are located. Officials claim the
system is key to officer safety because it warns them about
gun threats 10,000 times a day. What is left unsaid is that
most of these queries are automated responses to name and
licence plate queries and are not gun related.
protruding sling plate
occasionally hung up
on gear. I also somehow
managed to scratch my
inner forearm while
doing an off-shoulder
transition.
I’d like to see the corners
rounded or some sort of
‘melt’ treatment done to
eliminate this possibility.
At the same time I also
would’ve liked to have
seen a little more metal
left to form the outer part
of the sling plate. I have no fears that
it will ever fail, break or even bend; I
just prefer a ‘beefier’ look. Otherwise
performance was outstanding.
Conclusion -
As a company, NEA brings to the table
over 50 years of combined experience
in aerospace manufacturing. That
experience and technological expertise
is clearly evident in the quality of their
products. Just as attractive for me is their
commitment to their customers and their
obvious desire to ensure our satisfaction,
-- not only before purchase, but long
afterwards as well. That attitude is far
too rare in business today. Yet, their
gamble is paying off. NEA continues
to expand exponentially and along
with their VZ product line, they now
offer everything from complete AR-15
barrels to M-14 bolt releases. NEA is a
company on the move and last year they
successfully partnered with American
firearms accessory manufacturer TROY
Industries to distribute their Vz. line
in the United States under the TROY
name. That is impressive for a company
barely two years old.
You can check out NEA products on
their website: www.northeasternarms.
com or drop them an E-mail:
info@northeasternarms.com
However, the number of queries is critically important
because it allows the authorities to invoke Ritual Magic.
The sheer volume of enquires, like the repetitive chanting of
Buddhist Monks or the endless revolving of Tibetan Prayer
Wheels will magically waft to heaven and keep officers safe.
Numbers from statistics Canada show the Firearms Registry
database can only be used in 2.2% of homicides so one might
reasonably assume that it would have a 97.8% failure rate as
a homicide warning system. (Despite some technical issues,
this statistic gives a good ballpark idea of just how dangerous
reliance in the CFRO is.) This dismal rate of effectiveness is
not surprising when you realise the database consists solely
of the guns of the law-abiding and completely excludes
illegal guns and criminals.
Nonetheless, rest assured Canada, the Government is doing
“something” about crime – it’s controlling guns. Magical
processes are at work supporting the contention that
regulating the guns of the law-abiding is an effective way to
regulated criminals. In Canada, major police organizations
and political parties support these polices. After all, they
have magic on their side.
Bruce Gold is a freelance researcher and writer interested
in a number of public policy issues. He has a website at
http://www.FactFallacyFirearms.org and can be reached for
comment at goldb@shaw.ca
www.nfa.ca January - February 37