At that price I would buy a Colt 6920 over either, no questions asked, it's not even a debate. That said... ive handled quite a few S&W ARs now.. and always thought, man... they seem overpriced for what you get. But this is in stores, not online... etc so obviously a high price. I have only had the chance to shoot 1, and that particular S&W AR was very accurate, one of the most accurate ARs I've ever shot. And my Colt 6940 and MT6601 are both stupid accurate references to judge it by. So... I realized then that S&W is making great ARs, but I stick by my assessment most vendors have the price jacked up a little high. It seems their target market is AR newbies, who don't know the platform real well but are drawn in by the famous S&W name...

Its $1100 with a rail magpul gear tax tag and title out the door..why would he want a plane jane colt?

I would go with the S&W, but pick the one that wont gouge your wallet!

If this is an honest question, Ill give an honest answer. I like the magpul kit, but it's not an improvement over the stock equipment. Its on par and looks different... that's it. And the rail on said S&W was loose on the one I handled that still shot well, as in you could move it with your hand, which is a big no-no. Besides.. how many people need a rail? A lot less than most think. I take my A2 carbine to the range and the peeps are like.. man it's light. Why yes.. it is... for a good reason. It's not loaded down with BS. And we see people start with an AR, load it down, and come back to stripping it back down on this web site all the time. And if you truly are dissing the 6920, well I don't want to be around to see it.. cause it's gonna get real ugly, real quick. That's like punching the American flag in the face...

What?

How many members are on this sight vs gun enthusiasts in this country?

You'd have to explain to 80% of gun owners who Spike's is.  My grandma knows the name Smith and Wesson.

I have an M&P 15T that was my first AR and I overpaid for it:


It's an awesome rifle and has never failed me after $2K rounds.  It's more accurate with steel cased ammo than any gun I've ever shot.

Here's my Spike's SPR, that I built.

I love it, and the fit/finish is just as good.  I love this one, too, and it cost me about the same to build.  
If I tried to sell it anywhere but here, I'd have a tough go.  

I have been shooting the shit out of my Spikes. Great rifle.

My buddy shoots the shit out of his Smith and Wesson. Also a great rifle.

There is nothing to diss besides its price.Colt makes a top notch AR the standard most others are judged But the op didnt say he was interested in a colt he said 2 specific brands and configs. You may like a plane rifle and carry handle doesn't mean the op does. Maybe he wants a free float rail optics and a bi pod maybe he wants to hang every single possible accessory on it. And if he does who is anyone to judge.  

So how about we put the colt kool aid away and keep the info relevant to what the op is asking

This will make the carbine run better and more accurate.

LOL what difference does that make? Most all of us are going to resell on HERE. Where Spikes is known as a top notch value and great all around carbine. Irrelevant point.

I would say Spikes,mine shoots great.Nothing wrong with S&W, just prefer the milspec features of the Spikes and their quality is top notch.As far as PSA,They seem to be having problems getting their orders straight.I know from personal experience and the troubleshooting section has a lot of PSA reading material!

My personal opinion would be the Smith & Wesson. I've seen Spikes make some business decisions that I didn't like so therefore, I would never buy one of their rifles. But I really like PSA and think you can get a better deal on an equal quality rifle to the Spikes for less money.

i would say buy the spikes,if history repeats itself(2008) next year at this time it will retail for 45% more

.

If you go to the Iowa hometown thread you will get craps on about spikes o well never owned either one but woud love to have both

I really appreciate everyone chiming in on this matter.

How many rifles have you sold on here?  Do you have both an M&P and a Spike's rifle?

I've sold 5.  

It's a valid point.  Most people don't have a clue who the hell Spike's is.

If we could get the full specs on each rifle a better comparison could be made

Model M&P15T - 5.56 mm, Tactical
$1,159.00 *
*Suggested Retail, Dealer Sets Actual Pricing
SKU:811041
Model: M&P15T
Caliber: 5.56 mm NATO
Capacity: 30 Round Detachable Magazine
Action: Semi-Auto
Barrel Length: 16" / 40.6 cm
Barrel Twist: 1 in 8" 5R Rifling
Front Sight: Folding Magpul® (MBUS)
Rear Sight: Folding Magpul® (MBUS)
Overall Length: 35" Extended / 32" Collapsed
Stock: 6-Position Telescopic
Weight: 6.85 lbs. / 3,107.1 g
Barrel Material: 4140 Steel
Barrel Finish: Melonite®
Receiver Material: 7075 T6 Aluminum
Receiver Finish: Hard Coat Black Anodized
Chromed Components: Bolt Carrier
Gas Key


Other Features


16" Barrel with 1 in 8" Twist
Folding Magpul® MBUS Front and Rear Sights
Magpul® PMAG Magazine
10" Patent Pending, Anti-Twist, Free-Floating Rail
Melonite® Barrel



Spider (Bullet) Lower w/ Enhanced Kit - Black CTR Stock & MOE Grip
Lower Specs

Spike's Tactical Lower Receiver

* CNC Machined from a 7075 T6 MIL-H-6088 Forging

* Low Shelf for RDIAS

* Milled Manufacturer Engravings

* Accepts .154" Diameter Trigger & Hammer Pins

* MIL-A-8625F Type III Class 2 Hardcoat Anodized Finish inside and out


Lower Parts Kit Group

* Semi-Auto Lower Parts Kit with Rounded Hammer

* All Components are Manufactured to Applicable Mil-Spec Requirements

* Trigger and Hammer Engagement Surfaces have been Jeweled/Polished during the Manufacturing Process

* .154" Diameter Stainless Steel Trigger & Hammer Pins with Black Oxide Finish


Receiver Extension Group

* 7075 Mil-Spec Receiver Extension (Buffer Tube)

* Receiver Extension is 1.14" in Diameter, 6 Position

* Receiver Extension is MIL-A-8625F Type III Class 2 Hardcoat Anodized and MIL-L-46010 Dryfilm Lubed inside and out

* Mil-Spec Castle Nut with 5.3.1.2 MIL-STD-171 Phosphate Coating

* Castle Nut is Torqued to 38ft-lb.

* Mil-Spec Latch Plate with 5.3.1.2 MIL-STD-171 Phosphate Coating

* Latch Plate is Properly Staked per Mil-Spec Requirement

* ST-T2 Tungsten Heavy Buffer

* Mil-Spec 17-7 Stainless Steel Buffer Spring

* Sling Loop & Hardware has been properly Heat Treated and 5.3.1.2 MIL-STD-171 Phosphate Coated




Spike's Tactical M4 Flat Top Upper Receiver

* CNC Machined from a 7075 T6 MIL-H-6088 Forging

* Extended M4 Feed Ramps Machined before Plating

* Mil-Spec 1913 Picatinny Rail

* MIL-A-8625F Type III Class 2 Hardcoat Anodized Finish

* Laser Engraved T-markings

* Laser Engraved ST Spider logo

* Interior MIL-L-46010 Dryfilm Lube

* Mil-Spec Ejection Port Door Assembly with 5.3.1.2 MIL-STD-171 Phosphate Finish

* Mil-Spec Forward Assist Assembly with Tool Steel Pawl and 5.3.1.2 MIL- STD-171 Phosphate Coating

* Forged Mil-Spec Charging Handle with MIL-A-8625F Type III Class 2 Hardcoat Anodized Finish


Barrel Group

* Barrel Steel is Certified MIL-B-11595E Chromoly Vanadium Alloy

* Raw Barrel Steel is Magnetic Particle Inspected

* Barrels are Stress Relieved

* Mil-Spec M4 Barrel Extension with 5.3.1.2 MIL-STD-171 Phosphate Finish

* 1.2.2.2 MIL-STD-171 Hard Chrome Chamber

* 1.2.2.2 MIL-STD-171 Hard Chrome Bore

* 5.56mm Nato chamber

* All Chambers are Individually Checked for Head Spacing Before and After Plating

* All Barrels are Individually High Pressure Tested (HPT) and then Individually Magnetic Particle Inspected (MPI)

* 5.3.1.2 MIL-STD-171 Phosphate Finish on the Barrel Exterior, Including under the Front Sight Base

* 1/2x28 Thread Pitch

* Threads are Cut Concentric to the Bore

* Gas Block or FSB is Pinned to the Barrel and Vertically Aligned

* Rubber Coated Front Sling Loop

* Mil-Spec 303 Stainless Steel Gas Tube enhanced with Melonite Finish

* Muzzle Devices are Properly Timed and installed with Crush Washer


Fore End Group

* Spike's Tactical BAR Rail System

* CNC Machined from 6061 Extrusion with MIL-A-8625F Type III Class 2 Hardcoat Anodized Finish

* Steel ST BAR Barrel Nut with 5.3.1.2 MIL-STD-171 Phosphate Coating

* Featuring 5 QD Swivel Sockets for multi-fuction sling attachment

* Wide Body design accommodates counter sunk suppressor bodies up to 1.6" in diameter


Bolt Carrier Group

* Mil-Spec 8620 Tool Steel M16 Bolt Carrier with Shrouded Firing Pin

* Carrier is 5.3.1.2 MIL-STD-171 Phosphate Coated inside and out with 1.2.2.2 MIL-STD-171 Hard Chrome Bore

* Laser Engraved with ST Spider Logo

* Mil-Spec Tool Steel Carrier Key

* Carrier Key is 5.3.1.2 MIL-STD-171 Phosphate Coated inside and out with 1.2.2.2 MIL-STD-171 Hard Chrome Bore

* Carrier Key is installed with Grade 8 Hardware and Properly Staked

* Bolt is CNC Machined from Carpenter-158 Steel

* Bolt is 5.3.1.2 MIL-STD-171 Phosphate Coated inside and out

* All Bolts are Shot Peened per current Mil-Spec Requirements

* All Bolts are Individually High Pressure Tested (HPT) and then Individually Magnetic Particle Inspected (MPI)

* Tool steel Extractor is Shot Peened, 5.3.1.2 MIL-STD-171 Phosphate Coated, Fitted with a Mil-Spec Black Extractor Spring Insert and Mil-Spec Viton O-Ring

* Mil-Spec Firing Pin with 1.2.2.2 MIL-STD-171 Hard Chrome Finish

* Mil-Spec Cam Pin with 5.3.1.2 MIL-STD-171 Phosphate Coating

* Mil-Spec Firing Pin Retaining Pin with 5.3.1.2 MIL-STD-171 Phosphate Coating


Model: STU5025-R2S

spikes

Either rifle is good to go.  Personally I'd go with the Smith only for the $100 saved that would buy ammo from AIM or PSA.

If you only plan on punching paper then the barrel steel is not as big a deal at all.  Hell, as long as you're not shooting thousands of rounds a year it's not as big a deal.  M16 bolt carrier isn't a deal breaker either.  If the gas system is not over gassed then the recoil difference between the two carriers wouldn't be enough to bother with.  I do like the M16 carriers though, I run them in all but one of my rifles.

No one really buys for resell, at least it seems that way to me.  If that was the case, as mentioned the Smith would probably sell better.  Even here, paying $100 less would make for a cheaper resell price and would get snatched up quicker.  I would not sell a rifle on here unless it was local.  I can get more for a local sale anyway and as mentioned, outside of ARFcom the spikes is not as well known.

On a persona level, I don't care for the BAR rail, also not a fan of the spider logo.  If it was the SAR rail and a Calico Jack lower........ then I'd say hell yeah!   At this point if both are in stock, then flip a coin because either way you can't go wrong.

+1

On top of that most are NOT going to resell here.  He needs to speak for himself.  Selling here is fine and dandy, but I would much rather sell a firearm face-to-face if at all.

2nd of all I like the M&P.  I haven't owned or handled a Spikes so I won't say the M&P is better.  I will say every M&P I've handled or shot were very nice guns.  On top of that I am a Smith fan.

Not looking to sell anything.

It really comes down to do you want a mil spec rifle or not

Yeah, regardless all that stuff about Spikes not having good resale value is nonsense. I've sold two Spikes rifles before on Vaguntrader.com (a small-ish website). I listed them for as much as I paid for them and sold both within 2 days.

In any case, I'd say that while the differences in quality are fairly insignificant, they are there. Spikes uses a higher quality barrel steel. I would also choose a middy over a carbine any day; less internal wear on the parts and softer recoil. I own two Spikes AR's and have never experienced a malfunction with either (or the two before them that I sold).

Also, the Spikes uses an M16 bolt carrier group, whereas I'm pretty sure the Smith uses an AR15 bolt carrier group (unless they updated their design since I last checked). In general, the M16 bolt carrier group is preferrable to the AR15.

But in general, they are both nice rifles from good companies. Let us know what you decide to go with, and be sure to post pics

ETA: just saw that the Spikes was Magpul'd out and had a 12" BAR rail. If you don't get the Spikes, well, I think you would regret it. That is a fantastic value. As for all the Colt suggestions, yeah that's great, but there's no objective qualitative difference between the Colt and the Spikes whatsoever, so considering that the Spikes has all those add-ons and is only 50$ more than the Colt, I think the Spikes is absolutely the best decision here. OP, keep in mind that the furniture + the BAR rail representa about 320$ worth of goodies.

Don't forget to look into the M&P 15X.  It's like the 15T only slightly lower price.  Still has the quad rail and sights on it.

I think I have made up my mind and going with the Spikes. Just seems like a better put together gun...

You will not regret your purchase. I own multiple Spikes rifles and absolutely love them. Their customer service and quality is top notch.

never owned a spikes but did have a m&p has my first AR and it ran good and everything seemed to be well put together. id say m&p

Spike all the way for me; own midlength it is great. quality is much better.

Cool- I really appreciate everyone's thoughts on each rifle. I will be going with the Spikes upper and lower separate and marrying them together to make what I want..

Thanks again...

Out of all the S&W tatical Rifles/Carbines

I would get the VTAC!

Or any M&P model that uses the 4150 steel for the long fire fights you are going to have.

Lol. On AR15.com?

What has "specs" really proved on this and TOS? One camp insists on "milspec or nothing" and the other insists on "good enough." To this day, I don't believe either side has proven that "milspec" parts are as important or irrelevant as they swear.

Personally, I would recommend a "hobby grade" AR in midlength with a semi auto bolt carrier, 4140 CL 1/9 barrel and standard buffer and the knowledge to PMCS it themselves rather than force feed people Colt/Spikes/DD/BCM "milspec" clone carbine is the hammer for every nail. Del-ton, RRA, Bushmaster, etc. are more than most people here will everneed.

This is dependent on price of course. If you can get the milspec clone cheaper than the commercial spec then go for it. Just realize the milspec clone doesn't offer much more than piece of mind and a boost to some peoples ego.

Unless specs = accessories (furniture, sights, muzzle device) then yes, a better comparison can be made.

I got a Spikes upper and lower through AIM on separate occasions and was impressed with how well they fit together.  Very tight fit.

When I was looking for my first AR, it was actually quite by accident.  Was at a gun show and a gun of my choice was no where to be found.  Always wanted something to shoot 223 from and also wanted an AR.  The first rifle that caught my eye just so happened to be a Spikes tactical.  I'd never heard of them before that day.  As usual, I got on my driod and searched the web for any sort of info on that brand.  Amazingly, no info was to be found.  I knew little about AR's, but it seemed like a nice rifle, but still, with absolutely no price reference to go by, I passed for fear of over paying.

While still browsing I happened upon a table with a M&P 15A and M&P15X.  My curiousity was peaked when I recalled a friend having said he had bought the M&P15 OR when it frist came out.  The 15A was priced at 870, the 15X was priced around 1100.  A quick internet search showed the 15A was a great value at that price, the X an OK value.  I really liked the X, it had the carbine length troy industies rail, it just spoke to me.  But for the price difference I realized I could be the A and buy that Troy rail and still have money left over.  Both came with Troy rear folding battle sights, both with fixed front post sights.  I ended up buying the A, then buying some magpul furniture and have been extremely satisfied with this rifle. Not a single malfunction, although I've only put around 1500 rounds through it, most of which has been steel cased Tulammo, the rest being Federal American Eagle.

I got on here to do some research and have learned a lot.  I see all the time all the hype about the Colt AR-15.  Well, I ended up buying a LE6920.  I don't know how long they've been shipping them with the Rogers Super Stoc, but it is a nice stock.  Looks a lot like the MOE or CTR, but it is more solid, the stock, not the rifle.

I really don't see a nickels worth of difference in the two rifles.  I know my M&P has the 4140 steel barrel and the Colt has the 4150, but other than the manufacturer saying so, you can't tell by just looking at them, and just shooting them the way I do, no difference what so ever.

The hand gaurd on the Colt is not rock solid, it can twist side to side and fore and aft if you try.  This cannot be done on my M&P, even after installing the MOE handgaurd.  Both have a nice fit and finish, but between the two I have, the fit is better on my M&P.  Of the two, the M&P has less play between the upper and lower.  Smith has a good reputation for their life time warranty, although I've never had to use it on any of their products I own.  The Colt has a one year warranty.  Actually I've never had to use any firearms manufacturers warranty or repair service, but sometimes people just like that peace of mind.

In the end, I'd say, buy what you like, I don't think you'll notice any difference other than the roll marks.  I saw on this forum all the rave reviews about Spikes and kinda sorta wished I had bought the Spikes. But not long after all the rave reviews, then came the 'when is this stuff going to be available???' posts.  I still wouldn't mind having a Spikes someday, maybe when they change their Zombie roll mark to something that actually reminds me of a Zombie though....

+ a very emphatic 1!!!
You are the man!!!  Very well put sir....

My first and only AR at least to this point is a S&W MP15 VTAC and it has been a great rifle,never a problem except for a loose nut behind the trigger occasionally.

My son got his Spikes ST15 back in Jan.and we been shootin the shit outa it and never a problem.

Either one I don't see how you could go wrong.

for 1,000.00  I would buy a stripped spikes lower then get a dd lpk some magpul goodies and a dd or bcm upper and build one hell of a rifle.  just my .02

this is what I personally did because spikes never has uppers instock

Well put!  Guys on here always make it sound like you have to have milspec because if you dont you can't rely on it.  Come on really  I have one mil spec rifle and one thats half milspec.  Both go bang everytime.

Thanks