NGA X7 - The Gray Rifle

The new X7 AR-15 from Next Generation Arms is now available for sale over at the NGA website.

Check out this review by Mike Pannone over at Defense Review and drop by our corner of the Industry section (Next Generation Arms) here to look at some recent videos and photos.

Beautiful piece of equipment!

seems pretty cool

The store is open at www.nextgenerationarms.com and X7's are available for order!

Do you have more info on the muzzle brake/comp, is it available separately and if so at what price point?

Here are a couple of views of the compensator:





It's stainless steel and designed specifically for the X7. It's significantly quieter than the common brakes you're familiar with but is still on the loud side, which is always the tradeoff for a good recoil brake and muzzle comp. Primary gas flow is to the sides. No gas is vented directly up or down so it does well in the dust and at night.

We designed it for the sole purpose of being able to precisely "tune" the performance for each version of the X7. The geometry is different for the 14.5" barrel and the 16" barrel versions of the X7. It will not provide the same degree of muzzle control on a different gun as it does on the X7 due to differences in barrel length, barrel rifling, gas port diameter and buffer/spring design.

It is not sold separately.

Will you sell just the uppers? I like the carbine but I have a lower that needs a new home.

We are only selling the complete rifle. There's some discussion of this on the NGA website, but the point is that the entire system has been engineered, tweaked and tested and that's the only way we'd be comfortable guaranteeing it. You'd have to match the custom made action spring for example and we found that only the VLTOR buffer tube (or receiver extension if you prefer) has true enough interior bore control.

The other main reason we don't piece it up is we are only selling approximately 1200 this year. Production capacity is set for a matched number of uppers and lowers and there's just no spare capacity to siphon off uppers.

There are other reasons such as color matching, ceramic upper with ? lower and so forth...

Sorry.

can we get some actual pictures?

in other words you're buying a rifle that is not 100% compatible with every other ar you own and cannot accept standard off the shelf parts when it has to be repaired. . . if you want to keep your warranty.

There's a collection of videos and photos at the top of the NGA industry section over here.

And more photos on the NGA website over here.

I came back to make sure and hammer the point that the X7 is Mil-Spec compatible for spare parts.



The only part that is not replaceable by a Mil-Spec spare is the front pivot pin detent (we use a KNS Precision self-locking pin and there is no hole for the old detent). You can use a std front pivot pin temporariy though.

The forend assembly is of course not standard either but you knew that of course.

On the other hand, many components on the X7 have been redesigned to achieve various improvements and they are all ceramic coated. A good example is the mag catch. While you could replace it with a std one, it wouldn't be nearly as strong, it wouldn't look as good and it wouldn't function as smoothly as our precision machined one.

It is not intended as a mix-and-match generic AR-15. If you want a platform to mod and upgrade extensively, this isn't for you. If you are looking for an increase in performance and reliability while still retaining 100% operational familiarity, the X7 might be worth considering.

Beautiful rifle, but have you guys tested that muzzle device under sustained fire? I've burned through a Phantom and it's beefier than that thing, I just can't imagine those prongs not severely eroding under sustained, heavy, or full auto fire, especially b/c it's softer stainless steel.

Looks like a good looking rifle. I like the design of the MRP.

can you explain the ceramic coating? As much detail as possible without giving away trade secrets anyways..

Is it a patented process? What type of testing have you done with it as far as lifespan?

Is it a permanant thing? Or will it wear or flake over time?


I see you recommend running it with no lube... do you have any data on round counts without failure from independent testing facilities?


Is your process "better" than say Fail Zero's EXO coating? Or the Robar Np3? or any other aftermarket coating you would care to mention?

If your coating does provide a benefit to another coating, can you detail why? And do you have any comparison testing?


Also -

Why make the "safe, fire" markings so... big? And why not flare the magwell? ETA... now that i look closer i see it is flared.. just in a different manner... interesting.

Yes, we have verified that the comp holds up well both to sustained auto and semi-auto fire, as well as bashing against stuff. The "prongs" as you call them are much stronger than you think. Perhaps the photos are not easy to interpret. Ceramic is a big help to prevent erosion of metal from the heat blast. Also, the Phantom and our X7 comp are quite different in principle. You notice the expansion chamber with side ports in our design. The main supersonic blast is diverted considerably before reaching the front section. That greatly protects those pentahelical prongs you were concerned about. You might be amused that the early prototypes were made of aluminum and they held up remarkably well to a few hundred rounds of testing, but we were nervous about that for the long run. They sure were light though.

I came back and edited this post a bit. I was biting my tongue on the first response but the trollishness of the questions couldn't be ignored.



About ceramic - NGA does not discuss the coatings or methods of application and curing. There are 2 reasons. We've worked too hard over nearly 8 years to just give it away. Also, there are unfortunately too many poor implementations of ceramic coating out there and we prefer to not get mixed up with their miserable stories. There are also some good implementations emerging, which is wonderful. We have tested the lifetime many times into the 10,000 - 15,000 round range and a few over 20,000. It is permanent and will never lose adhesion. Like any coating, it is subject to wear. No magic there. You will see shiny aluminum under the charging handle, on the charge handle latch ramp and latch and anywhere else that receives regular sharp wear. You will also see ceramic worn off spots on the bolt carrier, buffer and locking lugs, oh and the sear. We'd prefer that not happen but it doesn't seem to lead to corrosion or extra wear. It is easy to touch up the exterior dings and scratches with Krylon and we've even seen people repaint the exterior and then do it over and over in different color schemes.



We no longer recommend running with zero lube. We do a lot of T&E without lube and without cleaning, but we don't recommend you run that way yourself unless you need to for special reasons, which I'll avoid discussing until another day. 4 or 5 drops of CLP on the action just like you'd treat a Glock is the best recommendation we have for smoothest running and longest life. You don't want to load up with lube to the point that it's running out of the seams and spraying out of the ejection port. For a ceramic coated action, more is not better.

The independent testing data comes from volunteer experts such as those listed in the Shooter Profiles on our website. We are too small to afford the independent testing labs at this point.

Readers should note that nowhere on the NGA website do we recommend running without lube. Mike Pannone's recent article in Defense Review was based on testing without lubrication or cleaning but he clearly states in the very beginning that it isn't recommended. In the past, we recommended running without lube, but have come to realize this isn't all that important and just isn't very bright.



I really shouldn't comment about the other coatings. That's what independent reviewers are for.



We have noticed that many AR shooters don't read very well and so we made them as big as possible. Seriously, when your wife is defending her life and seconds count, do you really want her squinting at the safety? Also, consider the job of the training instructor... You don't want Pat Rogers looking across the range and mistaking the position of your safety and that's a fact.

I'll be posting specific, detailed info and pictures on the mag well and other areas of improvement over the next few days. Meanwhile, did you read the article on Defense Review? Did you watch the video on fast mag changes?

Thanks. Your comment almost went past me, but I want to make sure people realize this is not a monolithic upper. The upper and forend are separate. The upper is a modified hammer forged Mil-Spec 7075 T6 unit that we obtain partially completed from Nordic and finish to match the X7 forend. The forend is machined from 7075 T6 billet in 2 pieces, top and bottom. Both pieces are ceramic coated and then joined nearly permanently. The forend mounts to a very high precision 7075 T6 billet barrel nut and it indexes to machined shoulders on the upper receiver. In addition, there are a couple of set screws that ensure the forend will not slip on the barrel nut. The whole unit is very rigid and strong, and has most of the benefit of monolithic, but is more cost-effective.

I like the large Fire and Safe markings, the extra large Fire means it'll work with both the 45 degree and 90 degree selectors

Good looking AR. Good luck with sales.

At that price, I'll stick with my LWRCI M6A2 and just buy their new SBR when it comes out later this month.

But good luck none the less.

MP

––-NGA does not discuss the coatings or methods of application and curing. There are 2 reasons.––

I am more than a little skeptical. If you expect someone to drop $3k on a rifle they might want to know what
they are purchasing.

If you look at the NGA website and take the trouble to read about the X7 and look at the photos carefully and watch some of the videos, you can't help but realize that we are being extremely open about what's in this rifle and we are adding content all the time that explains more about it. A casual look at how much care and design has gone into it would erase most of your doubts about one or two items that we keep mum about.

$3k? What's up with that? The base price is $2445 and that includes a Noveske 416R barrel, a Geissele SSA trigger, a BCM BCG, a BCM Gunfighter charging handle, a VLTOR buttstock and buffer tube and a lot of new design and machine work.

Readers should note that this poster has just joined the forum and at least 3 of his first 4 posts were directed at NGA here and in our industry section. Useful posts or troll? You decide.

This poster joined the forum over a year ago (been a member longer than rfscheer) after several years of lurking and chooses to remain silent the majority of the time.

The NGA website just flips my hyperbole switch.


You make claims about the performance of you rifle based on things like how concentric the ID of the receiver extension is, about how the gas port diameter is tuned, about how the compensator "matches the forces", and you have some fancy coating...



Show us the science. Gives us some hard quantitative data.

I do not know NGA, but if Mike Pannone recommend's this rifle, I'm all over it. Truly one of those 'been there done that' types.

NGA, be prepared for the bitching whiners to come out in force. "I can get a X brand rifle for $799." You are using top notch parts that completely justify your price. It is a tight market, but I bet you guys will do just fine.

I noticed in Mr. Pannone's review that your mag well has been updated with some new features. Do you know if your lower is compatible with RediMags and MP Bad levers?

Thanks,

Jake

Mike is truly a gift to this nation. Thanks for the words of support.

Regarding the Redi-Mag, we have not tested it but I doubt it can be mounted on the X7 LR. We knew that going in and made the trade-off consciously. The operating philosophy of the X7 is minimal, low bulk and light (but military strong) for fast, active, cardio type conditions. Not everyone will want to go that way and that's fine.

Regarding the Magpul BAD lever, it hasn't been tested with the X7, but it should be compatible. We'll test it soon and get back on that.

I hear you on the light and mobile. I come from a patrol rifle perspective and find the redimag/mod setup to be the ideal for me with the ability to carry an extra mag with the gun. Of course, I need to keep to keep my manual of arms practice for more traditional setups...see how I snuck that justification for a new rifle in there? :-)

Jake

Here are a couple of new shots of the lower receiver and mag well. This will give you an idea of why the Redi-Mag won't mount and also start to illustrate many of the features.

That's pretty cool, any shots from the bottom of the magwell?

How about these?

A couple of shots detailing the rear lower receiver sling mount. You won't be pulling that out or bending your endplate or adding an awkward aftermarket piece clamped to your buffer tube and it won't be getting in the way of the buttstock. It's ideal for a single point sling. Note also how the new slingmount insert serves as a retainer for the endplate. With a staked castle nut and the retained endplate, you won't be twisting the buffer tube out of position.

The first shot shows an uncoated insert in place along with an endplate. Final product is all coated of course.



Here's a shot of the insert before screwing it into its permanent home.

Here's the left side sling mount insert at the rear of the forend. The uncoated, stainless steel insert is placed in this photo to show how it is retained in its pocket and to emphasize that you're not just plugging into a hole punched into aluminum.

This evening we get a look at the safety selector and why it operates smoother than a standard one. Notice the unique detent track and use your imagination for how the detent pin with its flat end rides very smoothly up and down the barrier between fire and safe. It holds firmly but moves smoothly. No big deal maybe but your thumb will greatly appreciate it after a few hundred movements:)



Notice the new hole with set screw threads that carries the detent pin, spring and set screw? No more detent spring falling out when you change pistol grips or service your trigger. Notice that the std hole is still there where it always was in case you want to use a Mil-Std safety or perhaps you can put a drop of oil in there when you feel like it.

And here's the new magazine catch assembly (along with a std one on the left). Notice the extra strength, the much better ramp portion of mag retention latch, the larger shaft diameter and the smooth mag release button. These changes are not revolutionary but this assembly will operate smoother than normal, retain more magazine weight, and you will notice less magazine insertion force needed.

I'd love to check one of these out in person!

There's a good chance there'll be one in the possession of a well-known trainer in N. CO in the next month. How close are you to the Fort Collins area?

By the way, there's a pretty good AAR thread going over at m4carbine on Mike Pannone's 2-day carbine class from this past weekend. He was training civilians for a change and it looked like they learned a thing or two. Andrew from vuurwapenblog.com took many photos and videos and you can see more of those over at his site. Anyway, other than a shameless plug for Mike and Andrew, you will notice Mike's X7 in many of the shots and there's a mention in the first report of a student who enjoyed testing it.

I had a chance to shoot the X7 recently. If I weren't swimming in ARs, I'd get one.

You guys did a great job on the recoil. You have to shoot it to believe it.

Nice looking AR. But for $2400 what is the justification for the price? I see when someone else questioned it, he just got flamed and told that he didn't have enough posts to question the price. I would think a company pushing this expensive a rifle would be very willing to justify why someone shouldn't go with a PWS, POF or LWRC and get a piston setup? Looking at your rifle the things I notice are a generic grip and no ambi mag release or ambi bolt release. I paid $2650 for my POF P308. You can get a PWS in 5.56 for $1500. What makes this rifle worth the price?

What does a piston setup have to do with anything? Who the hell cares about a piston setup in this discussion - irrelevant.

This is a more than fair question and is very important to answer. The previous poster stated the price was $3k and all comments were disrespectful. Didn't deserve a respectful answer.

So, where to begin? Why would someone lay out $2445 for the X7?

Let's compare against 2 other great rifles, the Noveske Afghan 14.5 and Larue OBR 556 16". These are both awesome rifles that anyone would be proud to own. They employ direct impingement, mid-length gas systems. We'll save the comparison against piston setups for another post another time.

Now of course if you don't think the Noveske or Larue rifles are worth the money they're charging then I'm not going to convince you most likely that the X7 is worth it either. There's no question that you don't have to spend this much to get a good AR. But there are benefits to these premium rifles that some shooters can appreciate and also afford. While the market is much smaller, which means many people don't want to or can't afford them, they are worth their premium to many.

What differences does the X7 have against these 2 competitors? The Noveske Afghan is listed for $2295 on their site and the Larue OBR for $1995. Why pay $150 to $450 more for the X7?

Ceramic coatings. They look better, provide greater weather/corrosion resistance, reduce cleaning and greatly reduce the amount of lube necessary for reliable, long-life operation.

Muzzle control. The custom NGA compensator and refinements to the action and porting make the muzzle behave itself like you won't believe until you see enough people posting that it's true. You are already seeing that in the Defense Review article and one post in this thread.

Overall weight. The OBR lists 8.79lbs with 30rd mag. A full mag weighs one lb so maybe that's 7.79 lbs bare. The Afghan lists for 7.38 lbs bare but with iron sights. The X7 weighs 6.6lbs bare, no BUIS.

Forend. The new NGA unit is light, yet strong, made of billet carved 7075 T6. I'd say the Larue and NGA forends are a wash as to which is better, but both are a step up from the Afghan.

BCG. All 3 are high quality but the X7 is using the BCM Mil-Spec unit that receives 100% high pressure proof testing, as well as gas key screw torquing, redundant staking and upgraded extractor spring by NGA. The OBR BCG is fully chromed and the gas key has extra attention to minimize gas leakage, both being good features imo.

Lower receiver. Both the Larue and NGA units have better mag change performance than the Noveske, but the X7 distinguishes itself with an enlarged mag well, heavy, precision stainless mag catch and smooth functioning ss shaft and 7075 T6 button. I think the photos in this thread will probably convince you that the lower has other features that distinguish it, so let's keep the words down here.

Trigger. The Geissele SSA trigger in the X7 and OBR is great. Noveske doesn't describe the trigger in the Afghan. The X7 provides an upgrade to the Geissele S3G, which is the best high-speed trigger anywhere.

Quick detach sling mounts. Both NGA and Noveske provide one in the rear of the lower receiver but the NGA version employs a stainless threaded insert that is screwed and glued into the receiver body so it will never bend the endplate. Further the endplate indexes on the insert which adds a redundant feature to prevent buffer tube rotation, along with the staked castle nut. The Afghan includes 2 QD inserts up front on the forend in addition to the 2 in the rear of the forend. The X7 only has 2 in the rear. The OBR has none anywhere.

Dust cover pin. Doesn't seem like a big deal maybe but the X7 uses a pin with a large diameter head that is trapped by the forend. This will never lose a c-clip and drop out of place, which can be somewhat of a nuisance. The OBR appears to do something unique there also but I can't quite tell what.

All USA parts. The X7 is 100%. I believe the Larue barrel comes from Germany, although I could be corrected on that. Not a big deal to many, but to some it matters.

Gas block. The OBR comes with a switchable gas port, which is definitely a plus for suppressor use. Noveske offers a better switchable gas port than that but that brings the price of the Afghan to $2455. The X7 has a fixed micro block.

I'm shying away from a direct comparison of the upper receivers because it's a little controversial. The fit and tightness of the lower to upper mate is likely beyond reproach on all 3 of these. Certainly the X7 has a no-wiggle, super-tight fit, without warping.

I hope that helps build part of the "why should I spend so much" story. I've got to run off to show the gun right now, but I'll be back.

A couple of other points about the components and cost of the X7:

The VLTOR IMOD buttstock can be deleted at the time of purchase and $80 will be deducted. This is for those of you who want a different buttstock. We simply can't stock them all.

The pistol grip is generic and way out of place on the X7, no question about it. It costs $2 in the bill of materials as is intended as a throw-away. We're too small to stock all the various grips that people want. Meanwhile the generic one is perfectly usable and actually has advantages over some of the higher priced grips when it comes to shooting with gloves, operating the mag release without moving the hand out of position and even shooting in odd orientations with the gun rotated.

There are no std iron sights on this gun because of the various preferences out there. Some people want only a primary optic. Maybe they're varmint shooting for example. Some people want a fixed front sight. Some want $500 flip ups and some want $50. We do offer a set of polymer flip ups for an added charge. We chose the lightest, decent quality, reasonably priced ones possible and you are not forced to opt for these.

Just giving examples of guns I am more familiar with. No need to get all twisted up over the piston. Anything that costs as much as we spend on these rifles is relevant. Pistons are relevant to some, fancy sights are relevant to some. A $2400 rifle not coming with a custom grip are relevant to some. I think he answered the question I was asking. And very well also. I just wanted a good opinion from the company as to why the rifle is worth it at any price. I have a $1000 AR that I put together for my wife and it is awesome, but I wouldn't compare it to any high dollar, high quality gun. It doesn't hurt to ask "why?".

Anyways, thanks for the amnswer. That was a start to what I was looking for.

I had the privilege this last weeked to spend 3hrs at NGA factory with Nathan and Robert. I don't really need another AR15 type rifle. I have 13 different AR15's BCM's,Colt's,DD,Noveske,LMT,Sabre,Mega...carbine length,middies,rifle lengths etc. The NX-7 is going to be my next. I saw one of Mike Pannone's BCG's that 12,000+ rnds with ceramic coating and the gas key,bolt showed very little wear. Their rail design is very rigid and the ergonomics of the NX-7 rail are sweet.

A couple of media-related items today...

Check out this new video from our friends at Personal Protective Systems. You can see an X7 prototype and our previous model, the MP168, all over this video, along with some pretty nice gear from PPS.

And did you see the Mojo Outdoors program yesterday on TV - "Payday in the Panhandle" ? This was a show about coyote hunting on the 250,000 acre LS Hunting ranch in TX and our friends Scott and Nikki Cantu serve as guides for Byron South and Terry Denmon. In this photo you can see Scott in the center with his prototype X7 varmint rifle. It's a 16" barreled middie with a linear comp. Yes, we're coming out with a final production version of that (in gray) and a .204 Ruger version sometime around April.

Some of you guys are having a hard time with the price but this type of prototyping and R&D adds up to considerable numbers that a small outfit needs to recoup. I applaud these guys for bringing something new and fresh to market. Will it kill any better than a Colt LE6920? No, but a Kia will get you to work the same as a Ferrari. It all depends on the mission, your budget, and desire to own something unique. If you want a typical off the shelf AR, go get a DPMS or a Stag. You like BCM's gunfighter marketing, buy one. If you want a rifle from the military M4 contractor, buy a Colt. If you want something interesting, and full of new unusual features, spend your saved up lunch money on the X7.

I wish NGA great success.

wish yall sold individual lowers lol i love the way you flared the magwell, probably the best looking and most efficient way ive seen

So just out of curiosity, does a standard magazine catch work in this rifle? Would it be compatible with the magazine locks(such as the Raddlock) that us Californio's are required to have?

We ship to CA with such a lock already equipped. Yes, you can substitute a std mag catch assembly but there's really no need to.

Is it the raddlock that is used, or is it a proprietary design. If it is proprietary, do you have any pictures of the lock installed?

I believe we're using the Bullet Button but I'm not at work atm and am not 100% sure. If compatibility with the Raddlock is all that stops you from ordering, I'll be happy to test the Raddlock to make sure it works. No we're definitely not using a proprietary device.

I transferred that X7 for Scotty Cantu. What a beautiful gun. I own a MP168 SPC that I shoot with a Gemtech Halo. I lubed it when I broke it in and haven't lubed it since. I've put over 500 rounds through it with a can on it. I just wipe the bolt off and go. I can attest to the ceramic system. I'm hard on rifles, and there are some wear spots on mine (I don't own any safe queens), but nothing that I can't live with. It shoots great. Now, for the X7...as stated, Scott's rifle is a little different from the production model, but most of the features are the same. I am happy to see it coming out in a .204 Ruger for all of the varmint guys. The rifle is beautiful, light, and a shooter. With permission from NGA, I will post some close up pics of Scott's gun, as it is a prototype. The tolerances on that gun are super super tight. I'll tell you this...as a gun dealer, Scott sold me on the MP168 the first time I shot his. I have had a lot of ARs through my hands, but nothing like these two.

To be completely honest, I had a problem with my first MP168 out of the box. Next Gen had me ship it back and they sent me a brand new one the next day. These guys stand behind their work. Lastly, other than owning one of their rifles, I have 0 affiliation with NGA. They are just good hard working people that I want to see do well in this market. The gun, although a little expensive, is worth the $$$. good luck Nathan and NGA,

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