Kwelz Wrote
Spikes used to suck. I would not have touched their guns. In the last couple years however they seem to have gotten on the ball and are producing a good gun. I am still leery of them because of the past actions however if they continue I would not have a problem recommending them to people.
My problem with them however comes from 2 points.
1: When President Obama got elected they immediately jacked their prices up. A lot of companies did this. But when they were questioned on it they blamed their suppliers. The suppliers came back and refuted these claims with proof.
2: Frankly the owner can best be described by words I am not allowed to say on this board. His attitude is unbecoming of a businessman or someone who wants to be taken seriously. His products had a questionable rep because of past quality as I mentioned above. He was asked to provide proof that he was now doing things right. Instead of being a man about it and just providing the certs he got pissy and started badmouthing some well respected industry professionals. He then later provided the Cert to other people and tried to claim the high road.
I have no use for attitude like his. It is the same reason I don't buy Larue even though the product is good. There are other product just as good from companies run by much better individuals.
I trust you will not be purchasing anything from Grant @ G&RT then? I followed the entire "Spikes" saga on M4C, and Spikes is being given the raw end of the criticism unfairly, IMO. For those who are unfamiliar:
1. Spikes used to be more of a gimmick company than a real AR maker. They were as Kwelz claims at that time. That couldn't be farther from the truth these days. They are now the most transparent AR maker in the business and are making outstanding products to the TDP spec. Not only have they put all their certifications online, but they include full signed HPI/MPI signed inspection tags on all their rifles and include a full lifetime warranty.
2. They did raise prices after Obama, as did nearly EVERYONE else. They blamed suppliers. Others claimed to have "researched the issue" and "proven" that wasn't the case. Keep in mind the "researchers" were competitors of Spikes. The biggest mistake by Spikes was the owner opened his mouth when he shouldn't have. The rest, to me at least, is basic supply and demand. If someone doesn't buy a Spikes rifle because of this, that is up to them. How Spikes gets a bad rap for it when others don't is a bit of a mystery to me, but whatever floats your boat. This is at least an objection that I understand, if not totally agree with.
3. The owner of Spikes seems to have a bit of a temper and a lack of ability to use discretion. Most of what transpired would have been better left silent, but he seems unable to do so. Still, his company was being vilified for claims they never made. Furthermore, the criticism went waaaayyyy beyond what is justified. I honestly believe he should have remained silent and brought a libel suit against his detractors, which I believe would have been won by Spikes. Instead, he got dragged in and shot off his mouth. Not the best way to handle it, but I can understand why it was done.
4. FWIW, at the end of all the "criticism" on M4C, Grant ran his own tests on a Spikes rifle and refused to publish his results, claiming that he had seen what "he needed" and that publishing the results "wouldn't accomplish anything". After all the trash talking and bashing, he couldn't call Spikes frauds, because I believe his tests showed Spikes to be milspec. His final comments on the issue certainly appeared sheepish. From there, Rob S, the maker of the infamous "chart" tested a Spikes for a magazine article, in which he shed a lot of light on the company and found that the product really is quality. Imagine that.
In short, the company was trashed for a price hike during the Obama cycle, and bashed by competing gun dealers for things that have been disproven. Looking at a Spikes rifle objectively, you will find it is a quality piece made to spec at a lower rate than competitors can achieve. Add in the lifetime warranty, and I see no reason to go with anyone else. If you want the Colt name, buy a Colt. If you want milspec without being charged for a name, go with Spikes. It really is that simple.