S&W M&P AR 15 Sport Opinions?

[bmarsh]

Hi NE Shooters,

Longtime reader, first time poster. I'm in the market for my first AR. I'm a relatively NEW to shooting. I was at a local gunstore today (Massachusetts) and inquired about the price and availibility of the M&P AR 15 Sport. This store had one available for $600. The ORC could be had for $800ish.

As far as I can tell the only difference between the two models is:
ORC has a Dust Cover, Forward Assist, & 6R rifling & 1:9 barrel twist vs. 1:8 barrel twist w/ 5R rifling.

Oh, and the sport comes with iron sights & the Orc comes with no sights.

Honestly, I'd love to get an AR, and the $600 is much more affordable to me given my budget than the $750-800 ORC which would require me to buy either iron sights or an optic.

Do you think I should hold out and save more money for an ORC for those extra features? Maybe another brand other than S&W would be a better choice? How important is the dust cover & forward assist?

Love to hear your opinions. Especially anyone with a sport version. Open to suggestions for non S&W ARs as well.

Thanks!

 

[DavidC77]

I can help you with a few things.

It depends on what you want to do with the gun, but most guys have it set up with back up iron sights, so buying it with them on there allready will be cheaper. If you don't plan on ever useing iron sights buy it with out them.

$600 is a good price.

As far as the S&W M&P I have heard a lot of good things about them. I do not own a AR right now but I will be buying one. I am looking at the S&W and the STAG.

I am leaning to the STAG because I am left handed and I just want to buy a left handed gun. It will be easy for me to use and be set up for a left hander so everything is set up for a leftie. Plus STAG makes a 22 conversion that you can buy with the gun for only around $220 more and I like the idea of a 22 upper to go on the lower that is made by the same company.

Go to this link http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category4_750001_750051_772661_-1_772659_757784_image and click on the compare box and it will tell you the differences of the S&W guns compaired to the $600 one.

I'm not sure if S&W has a 22 upper that fits their 223 lowers or not, I would think they do but I'm not sure, take a look around their sight you may find one, that is if you are even intreated in a 22 upper to go along with your 223 that you want to buy.

Good Luck, hope this helped some.


PS: I'm kind of leaning to a piston gun also over a gas system.


PS 2: did a compare, not sure if it's the ones you are looking at: http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CompareProductsDisplay?storeId=750001&catalogId=750051&langId=-1&categoryId=772659&top=&catentryId=785513&catentryId=765628


PS 3: from what I have heard with the different twist on the barrel it can make a difference as far as what weight bullet you shoot, I've heard some bullets like one twist rate were they hate another twist rate, so concider that when buying.

 

[eclypse]

I'm on the fence as well. Go cheap and get the sport, or just save up the extra few hundred for the ORC? For me, the rifle will simply be used for fun, so I probably don't need the best of the best model. On the other hand, I wonder if the ORC model would hold a better resale value if you ever decided to build up another AR in the future? In that case, maybe it would be worth waiting to save the few extra hundred.

 

[meth0d]

Check out Spike's Tactical and BCM in that price range too, quality rifles with great reputations.

As far as the two S&W's, the Sport model is nice because it has irons already so you can go to the range and shoot, where as the ORC you'd have to (potentially) save up for optics and/or irons before you can get to the range if you haven't budgeted for that yet.

I don't think a dust cover and forward assist are too critical for a range gun, I don't use them on my rifles equipped with them, anyway.

The twist rates are pretty close, so I don't think you will see much of a difference in accuracy with the 1:8 vs. 1:9. The faster 1:8 may stabilize the longer bullets a little better than the 1:9, but again, I'm not sure that difference will be noticeable on your first AR.

 

[glide]

I would get the sport. I don't see how $200 more with a lack of sights is a better deal. I can't see how the rifling is a factor between these 2 models.

 

[mac1911]

try to become friends with AR owners, I have a few flat tops and wish I purchased a standard A2 style.
Now if your looking to go optics flat is OK.
Glide just a note the stag AR LH is not a true LH its just the upper, they may by now be installing a ambi safety though.
I install the ambi mag release and safety on all my ARs. The right hand ejection doesnt bother me one bit.
If you can see the shells comeing out, your not looking at your front sight.

 

[meth0d]

try to become friends with AR owners, I have a few flat tops and wish I purchased a standard A2 style.
Now if your looking to go optics flat is OK.
Glide just a note the stag AR LH is not a true LH its just the upper, they may by now be installing a ambi safety though.
I install the ambi mag release and safety on all my ARs. The right hand ejection doesnt bother me one bit.
If you can see the shells comeing out, your not looking at your front sight.

You can always attach a carry handle to a flat top.

 

[TomInProv]

I have one

You can always attach a carry handle to a flat top.

I have the M&P 15 Sport, I love it. It is a great shooter, and I am also left handed.
It has a shell deflector, and I haven't been hit by a shell in the face, so no problems being a lefty.
I think it is right up there with any of them. You can't beat it for the price.
Buy it, and with the money you save, you can customize it the way you want it.
I have put a 22 upper on my S&W lower to answer someone elses question and it worked fine.
Also for the hell of it, I was swapping around uppers and lowers, and put the S&W upper on my PCF lower and it worked great.
So you don't have to worry about any issues with that either.

Here are some pics.

 

[mac1911]

A detachable handle doesnt really cut it, all but the most expensive which can run 1/3 the price of the 600.00 gun hes looking at.

 

[meth0d]

A detachable handle doesnt really cut it, all but the most expensive which can run 1/3 the price of the 600.00 gun hes looking at.

Then he can get flip up irons instead.

The point is the flat top gives you more flexibility with your sight choices than a fixed carry handle, unless you want to be way the hell up there looking through an Aimpoint on top of the carry handle.

 

[mac1911]

just dont let price dictate your purchase. I went the full route with the ARs Pratical to completete way more stuff on the gun than I needed. Thank the stars I was able to unload most of my "tactical" add ons at very little loss. Really think about what you want out of it. 3 years later and thinking about service rifle matches, well I need a upper for that now.......As far as flip up sights, when I purchased my first flat top with back up sights Idid not realize there where no elavation adjustments?

 

[bmarsh]

This is all great info, I appreciate everyone's feedback.

 

[ChargingCharlie]

Somebody literally called into GunTalk last week and asked Tom Gresham this exact question. His answer was that it is still a great gun and that the missing forward assist is really a non issue. I don't know the validity to this other info, but he said the forward assist was added later in into the Vietnam war because the contract ammo burned dirty as hell and they sometimes needed to help it in. He said that if you can't assist the bolt with the finger grove cut into it that the forward assist would most likely force it un and cause a jam or damage to the cartridge. Like I said, though...This is just what I heard on the show and I thought I'd pass it along. I think that conversation is in the first hour of the show (part A) so try this link if you want to here the discussion http://traffic.libsyn.com/guntalk/110717guntalkA.mp3

 

[Coyote33]

I'm surprised Remsport hasn't chimed in here yet. I was trying to get him to put together a package deal, but don't think he can get to $600.

 

[Spike it!]

it looks like remsport has an custom ar assembled summer special for 750

 

[DavidC77]

I'm surprised Remsport hasn't chimed in here yet. I was trying to get him to put together a package deal, but don't think he can get to $600.

Ya he must be busy, I haven't seen him posting much.

 

[Remsport Mfg]

I was chastised by the mods. So now I am careful how I post. I have been sending privet messages.
However in reply we have a special on our basic custom AR check the classifieds.

 

[LUVG274LIFE]

two tone is SICK!

I have the M&P 15 Sport, I love it. It is a great shooter, and I am also left handed.
It has a shell deflector, and I haven't been hit by a shell in the face, so no problems being a lefty.
I think it is right up there with any of them. You can't beat it for the price.
Buy it, and with the money you save, you can customize it the way you want it.
I have put a 22 upper on my S&W lower to answer someone elses question and it worked fine.
Also for the hell of it, I was swapping around uppers and lowers, and put the S&W upper on my PCF lower and it worked great.
So you don't have to worry about any issues with that either.

Here are some pics.