All posts tagged AR15 upper receivers

Spikes Tactical parts dealer

Spikes tactical uppers We have been a Spike’s tactical parts dealer for several years and in all honesty, when we first started selling them it was through a drop shipping company and never actually held them in our hands.   One of the crazy things about being in the tactical or Law Enforcement business and running and e-commerce business, you can be dealing with products and items that you never actually hold in your hand, but you sell them everyday.   I remember the days when it seemed like Bushmaster, Colt, Armalite and Olympic Arms were the only ones making the AR15, but it seems like that industry exploded about 8yrs ago and every gun making is making a direct impingement or piston driven AR15.   There are still some big feature differences, but the quality of so many of these rifles has improved so much.

After seeing that our distributor could hardly keep these in stock, and a quick search around the internet proved that these were a hot item we contacted Spikes Tactical to become a direct dealer.   Our first shipment of Spikes Tactical Uppers came in nearly 10 months after we ordered them but we are getting more from them than any of our distributors especially since the crazy rush on firearms and even gun parts.  It’s always a good idea to stock up on extra gun accessories like lower parts kits ect. because a broken gun is as bad as not having ammunition.  The cold hammer forged FN barrels are as Mil-Spec as you can get, and the quad rails are probable the lightest metal rails I’ve held in my hands.

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The Versatility of the AR15, the shooters and the firearm

Adams UppersThere are a great many advancements the AR15 has gone through since it’s original inception in the 1950’s.  The gun is probable in about a Generation 5 if you want to look at it the way Glock handguns are updated, actually, it’s probable been more so.   It was always a very easy platform to shoot from but now that competition shooting has asked those that engineer and design these guns to do more with it.   There are so many rail systems, trigger systems, barrel lengths and weights, that there is so much to choose from, that I really think that the majority of operators over think there applications.   The quad rail was a cool thing when it was being sold on AR15’s 10yrs ago, but many found out real fast that all it did was add weight to the rifle and most people didn’t put more than a grip, optic, co-witness iron sights, and usually a flashlight.

Now that the Magpul MOE stocks have taken a strong hold in the industry, people are not wasting space and energy with the M4 Carbines.   There seems to be a new trend towards gas piston designs  like the Adams Uppers due to the improved designs of piston guns.  There were a few companies that test them out like the AR18, but it was always kind of considered to be an odd choose and it didn’t look like an AR15.  Now that things have changed, I have to stop and stare at a gun for a few seconds to see if it’s a piston gun or a direct impingement.  The Ruger 556 is a rock solid design, but Adams would be my next choose and then finally the LWRC guns.

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Does LWRC still make the best piston upper receiver?

LWRC upper receiversThe answer to that is yes, and a big yes, but there are a lot of nice less expensive gas piston guns out there, but LWRC is still the most proven design and there SBR’s a hands down the best.   We have dealt with several security and special forces groups that are using the 6.8SPC and now we hear LWRC is actually making a 6.8SPC gun because there were too  many issue with magazines and mag wells when people made their 5.56 guns into 6.8.   There are also some very big improvements to the 6.8SPC cartridge and it the ballistics of the cartridge.  I won’t get onboard with this yet, but I do think that if the military changed from the 7.62 Nato round to the 5.56 NATO they should seriously think about the advantages of the 6.8 SPC  now that bad guys have more body armor and bullet range and penetration can be increased.

There were many issues with POF guns when they first came out and there were issues with bolt carriers tilting and causing reliablity issues that I was the first amongst my group to try out the LWRC M6A1.   There have been some changes with the LWRC upper receivers over the years but they really do have a fantastic design that is at the pinnacle of what a gas piston gun is suppose to do.  The short barrel 8inch, 10.5 inch and 12 inch upper receivers are well known for being outstanding suppressed and their LWRC M6A2 is available in several variations and finishes.   There are a few other models that are available but due to the high demand  in production they have been very restriction on how many models they are producing.

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What’s the big deal about gas piston upper receivers?

LWRC upper receiversI hear people scoff about piston AR15’s saying they are in no way more reliable than Direct Impingement firearms.  Well, here’s the answer, you can make a lower quality AR15 a better and more reliable weapon if you do a few minor things, like make sure you lubricate it properly and also stake parts that are suppose to be staked.   You can improve an AR15 by putting better springs in an extractor and by using Magpul Pmags.   It’s  not so much the firearm as it is the operator.   Piston guns run cleaner, but cleaner guns aren’t always more reliable, its really a balancing act between how much dirt and how much lubrication and heat your gun is being exposed to.

I watched a video where Larry Vickers points it out very well that if you are running a suppressed firearm, a piston AR15 is going to be more reliable when  you get down below a 14 inch barrel.  AR15 upper receivers like the LWRC Upper receivers with a 10.5inch or 12 inch barrel get used very often in protective agencies and we’ve had several guys being body guards for Iraqi Government Officials that have used them in 5.56 and in 6.8 SPC.  LWRC does some very unique at unbelievable quality, but you’re going to pay for it.  At some point I would love to get an LWRC REPR with an 18 inch barrel which is so much lighter than a Belgian FAL which I find to be the best balanced and ergonomical battle rifle before the REPR came out.

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Moving up the chain is a good thing with Spikes Tactical

Even though we do not sell firearms, we sell a considerable number of AR15 and firearm parts.   As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what you should call us at Rogue Elite, we’re parts dealers for various AR15 or firearm manufacturers.  We had a large quantity of AR15 upper receivers come in a few weeks ago and they were sold out in exactly 20 minutes.   It’s insane what has been going on with the firearms industry but for us we’re looking beyond the crazy panic buying that has been going on.  In a few months there are going to be a lot of guns sitting on consignment at the exact same places they were being hoarded.   There are some States that have passed laws, but they are never going to ban the AR15.

We haven’t seen a single AR15 upper receiver come in from some of our distributors but recently were have started dealing directly with some companies.   The number  one sought after AR15 upper receiver are the Spikes Tactical upper receiversspikes tactical upper receivers that we have been selling for several years.   We use to get in 1-3 of them a month, but since we’ve been going directly with Spikes, they have moved us up a ladder and are now going to start shipping to us month beginning in about 3 months.   This took a lot of organization skills to establish this type of relationship, but for all of your AR15 build party guys, make sure you put your email address in the “email me when back-in-stock” option on our website, they are coming in soons.

 

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All of those gas piston guns out there….

There are many guns popping up that are now piston driven, everything from Ruger, Adams, POF, and many more.  One of the best levels of advice I’ve given to people when they ask about a certain firearm is to not be the first  one to buy it because you’ll be the first one that has to send your gun back when they find out there is a design flaw or an upgrade.  This happened with the Beretta 92F and we ended up with the Beretta 92FS, and even the LWRC M6A1 had some major internal changes after the gun was first fielded and this is considered the Cadillac of AR15 piston driven guns.

We’ve sold a lot of the LWRC M6A2 guns in the last year or so because they still are the kings of the piston guns.   Recently we’ve also sold a  lot of the Adams gas piston upper receivers which are different in design but I can’t tell you which is better or if they are worth what they are selling for until they have been fielded and  used on the ranges  long enough.   I’ve seen many minor issues with guns from spring flaws, weak pistons, making the bolt carrier group a one piece and eliminating the screws that keep the gas key in place.  These were sheering off on the guns after a  few thousand rounds but anyone that purchased these about 2yrs after they came out got the better version.

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Gas piston uppers instead of a new gun?

Put me down as someone that didn’t have a clue as to what the differences were between my LWRC M6A2 upper I purchased in comparison to what else is out there, I basically just went by word of mouth and looked up a few sources online for reviews.   The notion of having a cleaning running rifle was appealing to me and for the number of times I’ve seen AR15 rifle jam and go down, I was always looking for something better than what is out there.   The truth of the matter is all machining, lubrication and quality control for AR15 guns has dramatically improved.  The DI guns that are being made now are not the DI guns from 15yrs ago.  Magpul Pmags have greatly improved the reliability of the gun and there just aren’t the problems that there use to be.

LWRC is still the cream of the crop although they have evolved from their original designs for a short stroke piston gun.   The machining of the Noveske uppers and the Daniel Defense are also outstanding DI guns but the new competition for piston uppers isn’t POF pistons, it’s the Adams AR15 complete uppers that are for the most part under $800.   The Adams 556 upper receivers are a really nice gas piston upper and if you already have a lower, this is probable the best step up if you’ve been running a Bushmaster or a Olympic arms guns for the last 15yrs.  We recently have been testing the Slip 2000 product line with these guns so stay tuned.

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Novekse uppers in full form

Recently we attended the Contagion 2012 here in Pennsylvania at the new New Holland Rifle and Pistol club.  This was I believe the 5th year of the Contagion event and the 5th one we were sponsors at.  The beauty of events like this is its basically a please touch gun show.  You can ask shooters about the guns and gear they are towing around and and watch it in action.  So many times we watch people show up for the first time and have gear fail on them.  98% of the times we saw operator induced malfunctions but some times we saw optics fail.   There are guys with NCStar optics going up against Trijicon and Aimpoint optics and there has been a difference in performance.  There is a difference between plinking and hard use optics.

There has to be something said about mounting optics properly and using loctite on your optics so they don’t come loose.  The other thing we noticed is the guys that shot the most accurately at medium and longer ranges were using higher end AR15s or fitted with Noveske uppers who were also sponsors for the event.  The way that bolt carrier improvements have occurred so many firearms have become more reliable and have less use for high amounts of lubrication.  We’ve seen direct impingement AR15s perform as well as the LWRC M6A2 guns that were fielded that day basically because the guns, all guns have gotten better.

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Spikes and Bushmaster Uppers

We’ve blown through a ton of the Spikes Tactical uppers in recent months but they have been so hard to get that some people working on a timeline ended up getting other things.  We’ve sold more LWRC uppers in the last year because so many of the less expensive products were all gone and it was like, spend another $500 and you got yourself a piston driven gun. And if you don’t want that, you’re not going to get your $600 Spikes Tactical upper.   Many people started out with Bushmaster AR15 and Colt AR15s but there have been so  many changes that i’d have to paint a broad brush on these guns and say they are all better than they use to be.

Even things like gun oils, MPro7 makes a darn good cleaning and gun oil and Its non-toxic which really adds up.  I have several Bushmaster upper receivers on my guns that I built and they are great guns especially for the price I paid.   The Standard A2 carry handle upper receiver is the 2nd firearm that I teach new shooters to shoot on.   First  it’s the Marlin bolt action 22LR and then I move to the Bushmaster XM15E2.   If you can’t get a hold of a Spikes Tactical Upper, the Bushmaster Upper receivers are probable the next best thing.

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So many choices and so much good stuff!

Instead of getting a new AR15 upper receiver with a longer or shorter barrel, instead of buying a better quality bolt carrier group or doing some minor tweaking, just change the furniture.    Magpul industries is King of the AR15 accessorizing and the new MOE products really do give you something new to adjust to.   We have a blue rifle that we attach accessories to and let our customer hold them in their hands and try them out.   All gun grips should be customized by the shooter because just like footwear, our feet as well as our  hands come in different sizes, so why would we issue the same size rifle stocks or attachments to a Carbine.

A good operator knows that this is true and each of us has to be able to adjust our accessories to the job that we intend to do with our Carbine.  We have sold a lot of CMMG and Spikes Tactical uppers as well as many of the higher end AR15 uppers like LWRC and Noveske.   There isn’t really much of a difference between these guns as far as reliability, but there gas piston guns are much lower maintenance.  This year Spikes Tactical uppers have been so hard to acquire that many have actually chosen to save up their money and pick up piston driven uppers.  We’ve sold more LWRC M6 uppers this year than ever before.   Stay tuned for the new M6A5 coming out later this summer.

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