Spikes or S&W 5.45 upper?

W

wnycollector

New member
I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a new 5.45 upper but I'm having some trouble deciding between Spikes and S&W.

A few things I'm considering:

-I have been shooting corrosive ammo in my SKS' and AK's for 20+ years w/o incident...so scrupulous cleaning after shooting corrosive ammo is not a big deal for me. The high corrosion resistance of the spikes upper is nice, but not 100% necessary.

-The S&W seems to be a proven reliable platform since it has been on the market longer than the Spikes (2007 vs 2011).

The price difference between is only $120 the Spikes ($620) vs S&W ($500).

Any input would be helpful?
 
I would go with the Spikes. I don't have their 5.45 upper, but I have their M4 LE upper in 5.56. It has been fantastic for over 2500 rounds and the quality is top notch. It definitely compares with the best brands of AR's IMHO.
 
I'd be willing to say Spikes is better quality than S&W truthfully. I have only seen 2 M&P15's in person tho. But one had blotchy finishing, and the other had metal shavings and bad machining marks all over the inside of the receiver and along the bolt carrier.
 
I have a 5.45x39 S&W upper on a Spikes Lower (T2 buffer).

It can easily shoot 1" at 50 yards with a 1-4x scope benched at 50 yards without trying hard. So, approximately 2" at 100 yards. The silver bear non corrosive shoots the same as the bulk corrosive ammo.

No experience with the Spikes upper.

The bolt is starting to corrode --- When it is time to replace, I will get chromed or plated of something bolt. Carrier still looks new.

I like my S&W Carbine but I would like it more if it is a mid-length.


Check out aim surplus (Spike's mid length look very good but do not know about melonite vs chromed barrel).

When I got my S&W, Spikes did not make 5.45x39, yet.
 
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I just purchased a Spikes upper back in July with a CMMG lower and purchased a Spikes Upper and Lower last Saturday.

The Spikes and CMMG fit together perfectly. The accuracy is better than what I can shoot with it. It has fed everything I have fed it including steel cased ammo.
 
I returned my S&W because the Silver Bear 55 HP was sticking in the throat and pulling bullets when I cleared a loaded round. If it was that tight, I kind of wondered what was going on when it fired. S&W didn't say what they did to remedy the problem but it's OK now. Seems to shoot the new Hornady V-max pretty good and RWS fmj just as well.
 
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