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 deadduck357
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Posted: 3/31/2012 7:30:44 PM
THE IMAGE ABOVE IS A PAID ADVERTISEMENT 
It was evident that this was not your everyday, ordinary, run of the mill AR. The carbine arrived in a padded, polymer hard case. Also included in the case was some Spike’s swag; a T-shirt, Operator’s manual, and a 30-round MagPul PMAG with Bio-Hazard logo. 
Rifle specs: Manufacturer: Spike’s Tactical LLC Model: ST-15 Mid-Length Caliber: 5.56x45mm Barrel: 16 in. Twist: 1:8 in. (mfr) Length – retracted: 32 15/16 in. Length – extended: 36 3/16 in. Weight: 7 lbs. 1.2 oz. Trigger pull: 5 lbs. 6.5 oz. 
Ambidextrous safety selector. 
KNS anti-rotation pins 
Spike’s billet trigger guard 
MagPul MOE grip with storage core capability. 
MagPul CTR stock - 1.149 in. dia. ”mil-spec” lower receiver extension(buffer tube). 
The Spike’s Tactical 9″ BAR Rail is a one piece free floating quad-rail with five built-in QD sockets. Included were three Ergo ladder rail covers and one QD sling swivel. 
The 16-inch ‘Optimum Profile’ Lothar Walther barrel has a mid-length gas system and is Melonite treated. 
The ST Dynacomp Extreme is also Melonite treated. 
BCM Gunfighter Mod 4 charging handle. 
The ST single stage Battle Trigger group is Nickel Boron plated. 
Extended M4 feedramps 
Zombie Killer dust cover(ejection door) 
Spike’s Nickel Boron coated M16 BCG 
Needless to say this rifle is loaded. What really has me drooling is, well, everything. The fit and finish is spot-on. While the MagPul CTR, rear MBUS and MOE grip are a welcome upgrade, it’s the 9-inch BAR quad-rail which separates it from the pack externally. Cuts and rips should be of no concern with scalloped rails and the included soft ladder rail covers. The barrel is what I think of as perfect. It is Melonite treated with a 1 in 8 inch twist; no more arguing about 1:9 and 1:7. It’s lighter than government profile but heavier than a lightweight profile. Lightweight barrels are nice but heat up quickly and heavy barrels are much to lug around for extended periods. The Nickel Boron BCG and Battle Trigger finish is superior in hardness, corrosion resistance and lubricity compared to phosphate parkerizing or black oxide. So far, I don’t know what else one could ask for in an AR-15 carbine, other than does it perform as good as it looks. |
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deadduck357
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Posted: 3/31/2012 7:42:09 PM
[Last Edit: 4/2/2012 11:33:29 AM by deadduck357]
Range report:
Temperature was 51° F. Wind: 5-10 mph SW. Elevation approx. 470 ft. Federal, Ultramax, BlackHills and Double Tap ammunition was allocated for the test. 
Velocity results: Federal AE .223 Rem. 55 gr. FMJ……………2894 fps Ultramax .223 Rem. 68 gr. HP…………………2573 fps BlackHills .223 Rem. 69 gr. MatchKing HP…..2591 fps Double Tap .223 Rem. 77 gr. HPBT Match….2572 fps After three rounds in the head to dial in the open sights, five-shot groups were fired from the 50 yard bench. 
Head: Fed. 55 gr. FMJ Left: Ultramax 68 gr. HP - Right: BlackHills 69 gr. MK HP Center: Double Tap 77 gr. HPBT Match For the hundred yard range test a Burris XTR-14 1-4x scope was paired with an ADM Recon mount. 5-round groups were fired from a bench. 
Fed. 55 gr. FMJ: 2.482″ 
Ultramax 68 gr. HP: 1.44" 
BlackHills 69 gr. MK BT: 1.486" 
Double Tap 77 gr. HPBT Match: 1.342" Spike’s Tactical has solved some of my complaints about the common AR-15. The barrel profile and rifling twist are what I have fantasized for years. It handles right and shoots well. Through approximately 210 rounds the ST-15 functioned without flaw. While the BAR quad-rail was a little larger in diameter than I like, I didn’t notice any barrel heat. The Dynacomp compensator effectively kept sights on target but was very loud. A LEO will either have to change out the comp. for a flash suppressor or keep earmuffs or a set earplugs readily available while on patrol. The Nickel Boron Battle Trigger pull was smooth without any grit and broke clean. Accuracy was commendable and probably could have been improved with a higher magnified scope. Overall I’m very impressed with the quality and enhancements of this carbine. |
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Posted: 3/31/2012 8:18:41 PM
Nice write up. We'll need an update after you get it out to the range.
My Spike's upper is super nice but it was a long wait. A long LONG wait. If they could just figure out a way to meet even a fraction of demand, they would have a real winner on their hands. Even when it's not tax return season in an election year, they have a real tough time keeping up. Great stuff though, I have their buffers and receiver extensions on all of my rifles now. I have two of their NiB battle triggers, two Dynacomps, and a BAR rail. Everything they put out is high quality. |
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balloo93
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Posted: 3/31/2012 8:29:00 PM
Good review. I do find it odd to run an extreme on a 16" barrel. Would have been nice to see a pinned 14.5" and extreme.
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Posted: 3/31/2012 8:42:18 PM
I got that same T shirt
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Rando375
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Posted: 3/31/2012 9:18:41 PM
Nice rifle. Just got my ST-22 together and its pretty sweet as well. |
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Raven4031
24/365 Minion
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Posted: 3/31/2012 10:38:35 PM
That's nice. Good coverage as well. I like.
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Posted: 3/31/2012 10:56:42 PM
They make good stuff but Spike's can go a little crazy with the bling. There are just a few too many zombies, spiders, and color fills on that rifle for my taste.
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Posted: 3/31/2012 10:56:56 PM
I consider myself lucky to have gotten a Spikes stripped lower last year and then a complete Spikes 14.5" upper with pinned Vortex a couple of weeks later from AIM. I had virtually zero wait time, so I know the stars were aligned at that time.
My only complaints might be that Spikes didn't send mine to me free, and I didn't get any goodies like t-shirts and cool mags. 
Nice report. . . |
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Posted: 3/31/2012 10:59:07 PM
[Last Edit: 3/31/2012 10:59:29 PM by MikefromTX]
Originally Posted By RyanH:
They make good stuff but Spike's can go a little crazy with the bling. There are just a few too many zombies, spiders, and color fills on that rifle for my taste. I don't disagree. I started to have my lower color-filled but decided not to and I'm glad I did. The engravings on the top of the upper and the bolt carrier are tasteful IMO, but the rest is a bit much. . . |
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deadduck357
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Posted: 3/31/2012 11:33:46 PM
Originally Posted By balloo93:
Good review. I do find it odd to run an extreme on a 16" barrel. Would have been nice to see a pinned 14.5" and extreme. I wondered why the didn't send it with the Short Dynacomp, but it was extremely effective controlling muzzle rise. |
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deadduck357
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Posted: 3/31/2012 11:35:19 PM
Thanks, the quality is astounding.
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deadduck357
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Posted: 3/31/2012 11:40:44 PM
Originally Posted By RyanH:
They make good stuff but Spike's can go a little crazy with the bling. There are just a few too many zombies, spiders, and color fills on that rifle for my taste. I think that was the purpose with this rifle. Which I really don't mind, it's different than my other ARs. They can be had all black. |
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badazzar15
Spike's Tactical
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Posted: 4/1/2012 4:47:56 AM
Originally Posted By RyanH:
They make good stuff but Spike's can go a little crazy with the bling. There are just a few too many zombies, spiders, and color fills on that rifle for my taste. We build what the customer wants. :-) |
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cmcflex
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Posted: 4/1/2012 9:03:25 AM
[Last Edit: 4/1/2012 9:06:34 AM by cmcflex]
Originally Posted By RyanH:
They make good stuff but Spike's can go a little crazy with the bling. There are just a few too many zombies, spiders, and color fills on that rifle for my taste. This. Zombie shit is teh ghey and really just makes firearm owners look silly. Not to be a hater, but that rifle looks pretty run of the mill to me. Also, that castle nut staking looks pretty weak. Kudos to the OP for doing a write up and range report, though. Originally Posted By badazzar15:
We build what the customer wants. :-) 
Gun owners are our own worst enemy.  |
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Posted: 4/1/2012 9:20:28 AM
I like... the accuracy.. and I like Spikes.. the rail does appear 'chunky' but I like the look of it..
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Posted: 4/1/2012 9:29:16 AM
Nice rifle with a good choice of componets IMHO.
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Posted: 4/1/2012 9:42:53 AM
Originally Posted By cmcflex:
Originally Posted By RyanH:
They make good stuff but Spike's can go a little crazy with the bling. There are just a few too many zombies, spiders, and color fills on that rifle for my taste. This. Zombie shit is teh ghey and really just makes firearm owners look silly. Not to be a hater, but that rifle looks pretty run of the mill to me. Also, that castle nut staking looks pretty weak. Kudos to the OP for doing a write up and range report, though. Originally Posted By badazzar15:
We build what the customer wants. :-)
Gun owners are our own worst enemy. but that rifle looks pretty run of the mill to me. Spiders and Zombies may not be to your taste but there's no question to the quality of parts to this rifle.... Run of the mill? For a quality build this is what most of us consider to be pretty high on the list. If you want a Geisselle Trigger to go one step further, so be it. But a 1st class offering totally from one company is what Spikes has produced. What parts don't you like? The Lothar Barrel ? NiB bcg ? NiB fcg ? Dynacomp ? KNS Pins ? CTR Stock ? M4 feedramps ? BAR Rail ? BCM Charging Handle ? MOA shooter ? etc,etc,etc....... ??? I believe we're all getting accustomed to building high quality AR's that even a "high quality" AR now looks run of the mill. |
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cmcflex
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Posted: 4/1/2012 10:54:32 AM
Originally Posted By wagonwheel1:
but that rifle looks pretty run of the mill to me. Spiders and Zombies may not be to your taste but there's no question to the quality of parts to this rifle.... Run of the mill? For a quality build this is what most of us consider to be pretty high on the list. If you want a Geisselle Trigger to go one step further, so be it. But a 1st class offering totally from one company is what Spikes has produced. What parts don't you like? The Lothar Barrel ? NiB bcg ? NiB fcg ? Dynacomp ? KNS Pins ? CTR Stock ? M4 feedramps ? BAR Rail ? BCM Charging Handle ? MOA shooter ? etc,etc,etc....... ??? I believe we're all getting accustomed to building high quality AR's that even a "high quality" AR now looks run of the mil. There's some truth to this. Okay, maybe I was a bit harsh. The LW barrel is nice. The NiB coatings are not necessary, in my opinion, and isn't something I would personally pay for. Perhaps I'm missing something. Not a fan of the BAR rail, but that's a personal preference issue. KNS pins shouldn't be necessary. CTR, BCM Mod 4, and M4 ramps are run of the mill. Then there's that abortion of a KAC trigger-guard rip-off. In any event, I'm glad Spike's is making products and people are buying them. I'm being a hater because I don't see anything innovative (i.e., they aren't the first to do it) and I think the bling shit is ghetto. But that's a personal preference. But their rifles strike me as a pimped-out Honda Civic. It is because of this that I sold all my Spike's stuff. That said, I didn't mean to derail the thread. If you chaps like it, then go for it. Just not for me. |
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JeffCsr
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Posted: 4/1/2012 11:29:32 AM
I like the Zombie lower personally but think the red & white are too loud.
mine...  |
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Posted: 4/1/2012 11:35:30 AM
Great writeup- Spikes makes a top notch product as basic or as fancy as the customer wants.
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Posted: 4/1/2012 12:42:32 PM
Originally Posted By crag_dt:
Great writeup- Spikes makes a top notch product as basic or as fancy as the customer wants. But does Spikes actually make ANY of those parts or are they made by someone else and spikes put there logo on it and assembles them? Pretty sure Spikes does not make these parts on house, but someone please correct me if I am wrong. NIce rifle OP. and good shooting. |
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Dredd308
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Posted: 4/1/2012 12:53:06 PM
Thanks for the write up.
Looks good. |
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Posted: 4/1/2012 1:03:32 PM
Originally Posted By srob7001:
Originally Posted By crag_dt:
Great writeup- Spikes makes a top notch product as basic or as fancy as the customer wants. But does Spikes actually make ANY of those parts or are they made by someone else and spikes put there logo on it and assembles them? Pretty sure Spikes does not make these parts on house, but someone please correct me if I am wrong. NIce rifle OP. and good shooting. that's how most manufacturing works. Company still holds the specifications which a vendor has to abide by, otherwise said company's QC rejects the part. It is not cost effective for any company to make every single part, which is why they don't. |
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shadowcop
Independent Field Tester /R & D
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Posted: 4/1/2012 1:28:34 PM
[Last Edit: 4/1/2012 1:28:47 PM by shadowcop]
Deaduck357. Out of curiosity, what is your age group? Not slamming, just curious to see what age group something like that would appeal to.
Dave N |
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deadduck357
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Posted: 4/1/2012 1:46:54 PM
[Last Edit: 4/1/2012 2:08:13 PM by deadduck357]
Originally Posted By cmcflex:
This. Zombie shit is teh ghey and really just makes firearm owners look silly. Not to be a hater, but that rifle looks pretty run of the mill to me. Also, that castle nut staking looks pretty weak. Kudos to the OP for doing a write up and range report, though. Originally Posted By badazzar15:
We build what the customer wants. :-)
Gun owners are our own worst enemy. Well it's nice to have options and Spike's offers them. Your joking, right. It is far from a basic AR. I personally don't like castle nut staking. This is my first ST-15 and the quality exceeds many many other ARs on the market. Americans are our own worst enemy. |
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