Spikes AR-15 Review

Spike's has a great reputation for attention to detail and quality. I did a lot of research and perused many of the AR forums. Spike's Tactical has received high praise and glowing reviews by nearly all their customers. Over and over again I read of satisfied customers raving about the workmanship and attention to detail in the product that they had just received. With these high expectations, I took my buddy's Spike's AR-15 to the range.


The weapon was very light but felt well built. It had a beautiful finish and the Spike's brand all over it. Even a colored brand on the mag well. We had an Eotech holographic sight than scoped in really easily at about 50 yards. This rifle is very accurate!

Trigger pull is very smooth with a nice solid resting spot before the squeeze. We were firing both factory and reload .223's without any problems. The upper and lower fit together quite smoothly and the factory mag locks in tightly. I found this weapon to be a lot of fun and recommend it to anyone looking for a light sporting rifle. Spike's makes a version chambered in .22 LR that would be a fun little plinker for relatively cheap as far as militarized weapons of this quality go.

Glock 26 Review

The Glock 26 was introduced in the fall of 1995 as a response to two evolving patterns within the country and the shooting community. On one hand, a new round of right-to-carry reforms had passed in several states. This wave brought to 30 the number of states in which citizens could exercise their right to carry firearms for personal defense. This growing trend meant thousands of potential gun carriers were looking for concealable yet powerful pistols suited for this mission. On the other hand, 1994 saw the passage of Bill Clinton's "Crime Bill," which limited the capacity of all newly manufactured firearm magazines to 10 or fewer rounds. Suddenly, the massive "Wondernines" built around high-capacity magazines seemed less efficient as 10-round guns. Smaller pistols, designed around a 10-round magazine and ideal for concealed carry, became the dominant trend for many handgun manufacturers by the mid-1990s.


The fit and finish are pure Glock. "Strictly functional," I've heard it called, and I agree, even though some of the two-tone models look pretty spiffy. Parts fit clean and tight, and all controls worked as advertised.

Surprisingly enough, I like the trigger! Letting off just enough to let the striker reset leaves you with a sort of "mini-DA/SA" effect that allows for faster follow-ups, but full-stroking each shot is by no means uncomfortable. There was none of the trigger-finger soreness I remember from shooting my Kel-Tec P-11. The trigger feels a little stiff, but the pull is so short. A lot of folks criticize the Glock for "not having any safety." While the Glock in fact has three safeties, they are all passive - designed to prevent the gun from accidentally going off without the trigger being depressed. The Glock and similar guns do require extra care and training - if you pull the trigger and there's a round in the chamber, the gun will fire. Because the trigger pull is shorter and lighter than most, reasonable precautions (such as training, and a holster that covers the trigger guard) should be taken.

The G26 is an almost ideal carry gun. Light-kicking, reliable and easy to conceal, and it packs 10+1 or more of a respectable caliber and is very accurate! Try before you buy, if you can, but I would not hesitate to recommend the G26 to anyone looking for a compact carry piece. If you're not a 9mm fan, the Glock 27 is an identical gun chambered in .40S&W...

Saiga 12 Gauge Review

 The Saiga-12 is a Kalashnikov-pattern 12 gauge combat shotgun available in a wide range of configurations. Like the Kalashnikov rifle variants, it is a rotating bolt, gas-operated gun that feeds from a box magazine. All Saiga-12 configurations are recognizable as Kalashnikov-pattern guns by the large lever-safety on the right side of the receiver, the optic mounting rail on the left side of the receiver and the large top-mounted dust cover held in place by the rear of the recoil spring assembly.

The looser clearances offered in an AK style design result in high reliability—an enormous boon on a semi-automatic shotgun, as this class of weapon had previously tended towards unreliability.

The Saiga-12 is manufactured by the arms division of Izhmash, in Russia. It was previously imported into the US by European American Armories, although their agreement expired in 2005 and Izhmash is now exporting through the Russian-American Armory Company.

I have not been able to take the weapon out with my MD Arms 20x Round drum yet. I have however run about twenty rounds through the 5x and 12x round magazines.

The weapon had problems cycling and extracting low brass rounds, but a thorough cleaning, new gas puck and plug resolved the problem. This is the damage from 5x 00 buck rounds and 1x 2.75" slug. If I had been using my 20x round drum, I very likely could have felled the poor tree I was firing at.

As far as putting lead down range, this shotgun is only outpaced by the AA-12, which is reserved for FFL holders, police, and military. It, is, NASTY! The barrel can be replaced easily with a much shorter one for home defense. There is also plenty of room for rails and the stock can be converted without any change necessary to the trigger assembly or receiver.

This is my very favorite mid-life crisis/compensatory weapon ever.So much fun! I rate this weapon a 4/5.

Ruger GP100 Review

This a review of the Ruger GP100 single/double action .357 magnum revolver.

This weapon is fully responsible for my love of guns. It was my first weapon and as a result it is my favorite. The GP100 is a powerhouse of a revolver, with capacity to carry six devastating .357 magnum shells. It is also capable of firing .38's, which saves money at the range.

Weighing in at 40oz unloaded, it is rather heavy, and extended firing will tire even the strongest arms. The shortest barrel option, 4", also prevents effective concealed carry.

For a vehicle weapon, home defense, or a trail gun, the GP100 is an excellent choice. It packs enough power to put down some of the largest wild critters and the most persistent of attackers. The front ramp sight is fixed but easily replaceable. I replaced both my front and rear sights with Tritium night sights. The rear sight is fully adjustable by turning one of two small screws.

This weapon is as solidly constructed as it is beautiful. The GP100 is available with a 3", 4", or 6" barrel and a blued or satin stainless finish. The black rubber hogue that comes stock is very comfortable but can be easily replaced.

Trigger pull in double action is extremely smooth with a small catch that can be felt before the hammer falls. Single action firing is hair trigger. Although it has no capacity to employ other hardware without gunsmithing, there is plenty of frame to work with in that regard and the weapon can be set up with a scope or light. There is also a laser hogue grip available. The weapon is extremely simple and fast to clean and has been a joy to own and fire.

I rate this gun a 4/5 and highly recommend it.

Kel-Tec P-11 Review

Today I'll be reviewing the Kel-Tec P-11 9mm pistol.

The P-11 is a decent concealed carry weapon. Chambered in 9mm, it is very thin, at only 1". It is also very light, with an unloaded weight of 14oz. A loaded magazine is a further 6oz, bringing the grand total to 20oz (1.25 pounds).

A double stacked magazine gives the weapon a 10+1 capacity. Fixed front and rear sights leave something to be desired, but when used in extreme close quarters combat, aiming won't be necessary.

I have never had any mechanical problem with this weapon whatsoever. The problems I had with this weapon after I purchased it were mostly a matter of taste.With a nine pound pull and a very slim trigger, I found the firearm to be painful to operate. The trigger grouping is also very far forward and the trigger pull is quite long. I remedied the pain problem by installing a quality, inexpensive trigger shoe offered on the Kel-Tec website, but there's nothing to be done about the location and trigger travel. It was simple and very quick to install. The trigger pull is also very long as the trigger is located quite a good distance forward in the trigger guard. Fat fingers will not fit and apart from a trigger job, there is not a remedy for this.

My other problem with the weapon is it's short grip. I was able to get a grip extension to solve this problem, and twelve round magazines are also available. The gun, unfortunately, also lacks a front rail. While not necessary on a belly gun, I still appreciate the option to choose, even if I choose not to exercise the option.

All in all I would rate this weapon at a 3/5. It has served me quite well and I have no major complaints. I would strongly recommend this weapon for first time owners or for concealed carry. It is inexpensive, relatively accurate, light, and easy to operate.

Kel-Tec PF-9 Review

Today I'll be reviewing the double action only Kel-Tec PF-9 9mm pistol.

The model I got has a green OD polymer frame with a blue finished slide. You can also get it stock with a black frame and/or a stainless slide. The weapon comes with 1x single stack magazine and holds 7+1. The reduction in mag size allows for the mag well to be smaller and the overall width of the weapon to be slimmer than the P-11.

At 12.7oz unloaded and just  0.88" in width, the PF-9 is the lightest and most compact commercially available weapon ever chambered for 9mm Luger. A loaded magazine weighs in at 5.5oz, bringing the total ready weight of the weapon up just over one pound at 18.2oz.

The P9 boasts the ability to drift the sights using a small turn of an alan wrench and has an accessory rail. If you shoot low, like I do, you can even shim the sights. The P-11 has none of these boons.

The cons of this weapon system are few, and if you don't have large hands they might be non-existent for you. The magazine will not enter the mag well without a fair degree of force being applied to it unless the mag release button is depressed during insertion of the magazine. If you send your magazines to Kel-Tec they will bevel them for you, eliminating the insertion problem.

Below you can see a factory mag next to a modified magazine. (I wonder if that bare metal can be treated to avoid rust)

The second problem I experienced with this weapon is due to its size. My hands are simply too large for the frame and even with a magazine extension (only grip extenders are available, not anything that offers extra capacity). Kel-Tec also uses a proprietary magazine, so no other magazines can be used. So, it appears I will never comfortably get all three of my control fingers on this weapon at once.

The weapon has a five pound trigger pull vs the P-11's massive nine pound pull. With the P-11 I had no worries carrying the firearm with a round chambered but the PF-9 gives me pause. The loss of capacity on the PF-9 from the P-11, however,  reinforces the need to carry it with a round chambered. A pocket or inside the waistband holster will easily alleviate this problem.

Overall, I am pleased with my switch from the P-11 to the PF-9. Although I can't get my gorilla paws completely on the weapon, the PF-9 simply has the highest concealment factor of any 9mm on the market as of this writing. The loss of 3 rounds from the P-11 to the PF-9 is negligible and the weapon is comfortable and easy to carry. I give the weapon a personal rating of 4/5.

As said by Kel-Tec,"The PF-9 retains the best features from our P-11 and P-3AT pistols combined into the flattest and lightest single stack 9mm configuration ever made."