So I have had my Spikes rifle for a few months now. I have gotten to take it out about 5 times, each time I run 6-10 mags through it. I have to say so far this is the best AR I have ever owned.
General purpose: I bought this rifle to be “the one” rifle. I wanted it to be good at a lot but not necessarily geared up for only one job. It had to be reliable first, light weight second.
Accessories: Sticking with the theme I only added an Eotech XPS sight, Raptor ambi charging handle, sling, Streamlight TLR-2 (which will be replaced but I had it) and a magpul handstop kit. That’s it. Everything that I need, nothing I don’t so I keep the weight down. And I run Magpul mags because duh.
Review: So like I said I wanted this to be my one rifle. The one that if the world was to end, this would be the one I would grab. I defiantly wanted quality and from past experiences I knew some money was going to be spent. Not saying anyone should take out a second on the house but you do get what you pay for.
Shooting: So as for shooting this thing its easily one of the smoothest recoiling AR’s I have ever shot. Not saying the 5.56 recoils a lot, but the features that have been added into this rifle defiantly make a difference, especially when moving and shooting, one less thing bouncing around. I had a buddy give it a run and his second shot of his double hit below the target. He was anticipating more recoil and accidently flinched a little and shot low. So defiantly a smooth gun.
Reliability: trying to do the math with how many rounds I have shot out of it but in the end its pointless. I have only had one bobble and that was when a friend used an old GI mag. He hit the bolt release and the bolt didn’t strip the first round off the mag and stopped the bolt. I’m assuming the mag either was overloaded or had bent lips because this is the only time this has happened. I’ve run mostly Pmags but I’ve also tried Lancers and Troys with no problems. And Spikes Light weight NIB BCG is super easy to clean and frankly looks cool AF I wont lie. Even people who are not “gun guys” appreciate the engineering.
Cons: the only con I see is the muzzle break. It comes with a 14.5” barrel with a pin and welded Dynacomp break. The break does its job for sure but you will irritate people next to you as usual with these things. And being its pin and welded, swapping it out is a bit more of a hassle. I would have preferred this come with something like and ASR break. I would still get the recoil reduction but be able to throw a can on it easily (I’ll probably do this in the end anyways). And for some the cost is a big draw back. In the world of $600 AR’s why pay more than twice that for this gun? Well that’s only a decision you can make for yourself, but if you can shoot one first.
Conclusion: Spikes has won my loyalty for sure. I’m not saying all other AR’s are junk by any means, there are A LOT of great companies out there making some great rifles, but these guys did their homework and I dig it. I already have a future build planed using a lot of Spikes parts. The Jack lower is awesome looking and would make a cool pistol build. So in the end while I had to sell 2 guns to make this one rifle happen, I don’t regret it in the least. If you are looking for a Bad A$$ AR, check out Spikes. You wont be disappointed.
Obligatory picture from the last time I took it out. If there are no pictures it didn't happen
