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Stickman
17 June 2009, 20:47
Spike's Tactical 16" Melonite Hammer Forged upper.


This review will start as an overview of the Spike's Tactical 16" M4 profile Melonite treated barrel and upper. We will start with an overview, then go over each of the parts a little deeper, and then get into a firing schedule.

Below are the vitals for this upper receiver group. The unit is available as a basic upper, as well as the Tactical/ Railed variant that we will be working with here.



-M4 Flat top upper with T-markings, our logo and M4 feed ramps.

-Barrel is Cold Hammer Forged, M4 barrel extention, 5.56mm Nato chamber, 1:7 Twist, Magnetic particle testing on every barrel, Melonite finish inside and out for excellent corrision resistance and durability without sacrificing accuracy.

-M4 profile with Carbine-length gas system.

-Barrel is Melonite finished under the F marked, A2 front site base.

-M16 Bolt carrier group with properly staked gas key.

-Bolts are all MP tested by the lot so they are not Marked MP on the bolt itself.

-Viton O-ring on the extractor

-Forged Mil-Spec charging handle.

-M4 hand guards.

-A2 Flash Hider.

-Each upper also comes with an ST-T2 Heavy buffer.

Stickman
17 June 2009, 20:57
Shown below is the ejection port side of the weapon.

On first view when it was unpacked, I immediately noticed that everything was a deep black color. The upper receiver group was oiled without dripping, and was in a sealed heavy plastic package.

Starting from the front, the barrel is wearing an A2 flash suppressor. The barrel itself is 16", M4 profiled, cold hammer forged, and Melonite treated. The barrel is a rich deep black color, and is smooth in appearance, there are no external markings or engravings.

The gas block is a Daniel Defense low profile gas block, and uses two screws in a clamping method to secure itself to the barrel. I have used these in builds of my own, and have found them to be a practical, and durable gas block. The gas block is set in the carbine position, and is protected/ shrouded by the extended length rail

The rail is the Daniel Defense 9.0 Lite rail, and as previously stated, covers the gas block. The Lite rail has previously been discussed, and is well known for its durability by way of its bolt up system. This is a variant of the DD RIS II rail which was awarded the military SOCOM rail contract. Examination of the rail shows it to be blemish free, and even with the flat top upper receiver. The allen head screws were checked, and are properly tightened down. The rail is laser engraved and "T" numbered, it also bears "SPIKE'S TACTICAL" in small letters, showing that this was a factory build.



http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/AR15%20Carbines%20II/0O2P6519-1024-Stick-WEVO.jpg

Stickman
17 June 2009, 20:58
On top of the rail are the folding Back Up Iron Sights (BUIS). The sights are of the Troy design, and engraved with the Spikes logo. These sights are well respected, and considered to be a heavy duty highly reliable sight, even by those persons who don't usually prefer a folding sight.

The front sight moves freely into the up and down position, and the release button operates without interference. The front sight post is of the standard A2 design, and adjustment will be familiar to those who have previously worked with a standard AR15/ M16/ M4 front sight. The front sight was very tightly secured to the rail, though some form of thread locker would still be recommended for duty use.

The rear sight also rotated into its up and down position without any grit, undue resistance, or extra pressure needed. The rear sight has no external adjustment knobs to get knocked out of place, the adjustments are done through a shielded knob by way of a punch, or slotted screwdriver. This method is one I strongly prefer as I have had to use my BUIS on a duty weapon when my Eotech failed. The BUIS that require using the windage knob to raise the sight also increase the probability of moving your adjustment when adrenaline kicks in and you are under the stress of engagement. Thankfully, this style sight negates this problem, and is well suited for duty use.

http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/AR15%20Carbines%20II/0O2P6521-1024-Stick-WEVO.jpg

Stickman
17 June 2009, 21:18
The upper receiver itself is smooth and free of dents or burrs. The top of the receiver shows clean laser engraved "T" marks. The forward assist operates smooth, and without interruption. The ejection port cover locks into place without undue pressure, and is properly installed. The M4 feedramps match up nicely with the barrel extension.

I test fit this upper with three different known good lowers, and found that the pins press into place firmly using only moderate finger pressure, and release with finger pressure as well. There was no wobble or play with any of the lowers. While I do not personally have great issue with loose receiver fit, I found there was no slop or play, and unless someone enjoys driving pins out with a hammer and punch, this is about ideal in my opinion.


http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/AR15%20Carbines%20II/0O2P6520-1024-Stick-WEVO.jpg

Stickman
17 June 2009, 21:27
This is going to complete the rough overview of the Spike's Tactical 16" Melonite Hammer Forged Upper, in the next update we will go over the internals of the upper.

A military instructor has already expressed an interest in taking this upper out for training. If there is a need, or an opportunity for him to take it out, it will start a firing schedule there. If possible, I'll try to get out and get the upper test fired first, and get in a rough test for accuracy. Eventually this will move into full auto testing with LE and MIL, as well as standard shooting with various people.

I plan to update this in the next few days if at all possible, and this upper receiver will be held for long term testing.



For now, here is a complete weapon picture.


http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%204/0O2P6530-1024-Stick.jpg

Stickman
17 June 2009, 21:42
Questions or comments regarding this thread can be posted in the below link.




http://www.weaponevolution.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10752#post10752





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