The Spike’s Tactical Compressor is a factory-produced SBR with sound suppressor—the first whose suppressor requires no maintenance. Weighing just seven pounds and six ounces (suppressor attached), this second-generation Compressor is the most overbuilt AR-type rifle we’ve seen. If NASA ever came together to build an AR, we’re certain this is what it would look like. Let’s go over the details from one end to the other.

A tough, octagonal-shaped upper not only insulates the lightened bolt carrier group from the environment, but also offers a level of protection to the external controls on each side of the receiver. You see, this rifle is the most ambi-friendly SBR we’ve tested and the raised surfaces have an inherent protective quality (besides enhancing its already aggressive appearance). Take the bolt catch, for example. It’s almost set back into the shape of the upper, and certainly less likely to snag or become activated/deactivated because of what it bumps into. View it not as a preventative measure, but more of a safeguard if you will.

This safety theme extends to the ambidextrous selector, trigger pins, and mag release. A rifle of this quality doesn’t just give you a Mil-Spec safety switch. Spike’s installs a BAD-ASS 90-degree flipper that dovetails its locking side levers and attaches them with Torx hardware. (It’s an acronym for Battle Arms Development-Ambidextrous Safety Selector.)

The buffer rides within a micro-polished carbine buffer spring and aluminum buffer tube that’s been treated with Dryfilm lube inside and out. This is a rifle that doesn’t sound like its buffer is scratching against the walls of the tube under your face while you fire. Keeping it all together is a properly torqued castle nut that joins with the receiver and a Magpul ASAP sling plate that’s staked in two locations.

Controlling the Compressor is quite simple for all body types. A stippled Magpul MOE pistol grip and AFG 2 angled foregrip feel like they bite back into your hands. No sweaty palm excuses here. The six-position Magpul CTR stock is the high-end variant of the MOE. It grips the shoulder with its enhanced rubber butt pad, and offers the user two additional QD sling sockets for the supplied Magpul MSD sling. What remains for small parts used in the lower is Mil-Spec hardware like the various pins and springs.

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The Can
The Compressor arrives with Spike’s own MRS suppressor. Machined from 416 billet stainless steel bar stock, it’s ball dimpled to dissipate heat, reduce weight, and to increase structural rigidity. Inside, baffles are machined from billet H13 tool steel, and the entire suppressor is finished in Melonite. Unscrew the dimpled protective cap, and an aggressive striking device is revealed. This feature is machined integrally as part of the suppressor body. It’s threaded to accept multiple end caps and attachments.

With the end cap removed, the supplied Spike’s suppressor combination tool is used to engage wrench flats for torquing the suppressor to the barrel or for removing the suppressor. The two-point mounting system presents minimal point of impact shifts. The suppressor is designed to handle sustained automatic fire from the Compressor’s short barrel.

Our Take
Spike’s has gone above and beyond. Not only do they kick in a set of Troy’s folding battle sights, Magpul PMAGs and a 36-inch soft rifle case with morale patch, our spirits couldn’t be higher after recording sub-MOA accuracy at 100 yards and excellent reliability with all loads. For most of us, the Compressor’s ability to offer sub-MOA five-shot accuracy was unexpected for such a short-barreled carbine with pistol-length gas system.

“But I’ve been telling you all along,” said Tom Beckstrand, Book of the AR-15 contributor. “Barrel length has nothing to do with accuracy at 100 yards. It’s usually things like short sight radius and magnified movement in such a short platform that screws people all up. This just goes to prove I’m right!”

When the rifle is firing subsonic loads, this rifle sounds as though it’s spitting whispers. Supersonic loads are louder (even when suppressed), so we have to recommend hearing protection, particularly in confined spaces.

Though Spike’s Tactical clearly indicates that the Compressor should be operated with its suppressor attached, because a user can remove it we agreed to test velocities, reliability and accuracy without it attached. When unsuppressed, we observed only one failure-to-feed malfunction with Hornady’s 208-grain subsonic load fed through a non-standard aluminum magazine. It was cleared and, after further analysis, we felt as though it would not have occurred if we had used the supplied PMAGs. Only a half downward shift in point of impact without the suppressor was observed, but no change in accuracy. We all wanted to keep this one.

Getting your hands on a Spike’s Tactical Compressor is not a next-day occurrence. Though they can build between 250 and 500 rifles per day, the Compressor is a Class 3 factory SBR with a Class 3 sound suppressor meaning that this rifle requires the filing of two Form 4s in order to take delivery from an FFL (albeit where civilian ownership of suppressors and SBRs are locally permitted). The cost of the necessary tax stamps is not included in the $2,600 price tag.

If you once saved nearly $3K for a SCAR, there’s no reason you can’t do it again. In fact, this is one of those circumstances where you might want to consider *choke* selling a gun or two in order to afford this one. If money and the legal speed bumps to owning both an SBR and a suppressor are not your concern, then this is truly the only Blackout rifle you’ll ever need.