Spikes in no way could ever be a supplier to the US military and this is not because of numbers needed for production.
I don't think Spikes is out there trying to be a contracted Military supplier at all. Maybe you should specify and back it up with some evidence and data.
Their quality is not that of a Bushmaster, DPMS, DelTon, Colt, RRA, and a few others.
Riiight. As if those
top shelf Cerberus brands and Del-Ton kit guns are war machines!
Let's face it, the only exception in the brands in your list is Colt.
Their magazine sidewalls are thin and will not hold up in constant abuse or combat conditions.
Complete hogwash. Again, would love to see this drivel backed up by evidence, to include photos, micrometer measurements and data.
I doubt idf Spikes actually makes some of their own product. It is most likely outsourced and brought in and assembled.
With very few exceptions, most companies classified by the ATF as
manufacturers are "only" doing final machining, finishing and assembly of outsourced components.
Their building is not that big and they seem to know how to market their product to the Generation X'rs out there with stamping spiders, skulls, and other things to make people say, 'whoa dude, this is cool'. Even their M16 bolts have the spider stamped on them and when asked if any can be purchased without it, a young female voice on the other end politely says no.
Based on what I just mentioned, the size of their building doesn't matter much at all. Who cares what the logo is? Do you think the Del-Ton, Bushmaster, DPMS and RRA logos are artistic, creative reflections of America's might and military prowess? Hell, most of those logos are downright cheesy and played out. The reason for laser engraving logos on critical components is to ensure the traceability and pedigree of the product during sales and in the event of a problem. Otherwise they'd be having people mailing in mystery bolts from the gunshow that failed because "The man with the big table told me it was a Spikes!" Daniel Defense and BCM are doing the same thing, but I'm guessing this isn't about common sense, it's about disdain for the spider logo.
Bottom line is that yes, a Spikes will do the job and the price reflects it but thats not necessarily the case always. Spikes are not generally thought of as a high line rifle and have been lumped in with the likes of Century, Delaware Machinery, R Guns, and Noveske. Everyone is in the AR game now and all I can say is, just look at what the military uses and what passes the tests.
Every manufacturer has
some manufacturing and assembly errors that manage to make their way out to the end user. Every. Single. One. Like someone else mentioned, if you've lumped Noveske in with century, it calls into doubt the knowledge base that you're drawing from. As for using what the Military uses, well, as far as your concerned the only AR carbine worth owning is a Colt. They aren't using Bushmasters, DPMS, Del-Ton or RRA rifles in combat, that's for sure.
Outside of Florida, especially the central area, Spikes is just not around. My local dealer will not accept them in trade because of the slow re-sale. However, if the red spiders turn you on and you like to plink a few rounds here and there.................by all means. Spikes can be the answer. It is an OK rife but not a battle rifle. For a little homework and maybe the same money, one can find a better alternative that can be passed down to a son or nephew in years to come.
I've got a local dealer that recommends people pay $1k and wait 6 months for a basic RRA rifle rather than pay $950 for a Colt 6920; all because he prefers the "fit and finish" of the RRA. That doesn't make the RRA a better rifle than the Colt. Heck, a lot of FFLs are morons who know less about the guns they're selling than their customers do.
Again, I'd love to see some better reasoning or evidence that a Spikes can only be trusted as a plinker, but based on how they've gone out of their way to incorporate the finer points of the M4 TDP, I don't think we'll see much evidence of them sucking across the board.
