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Old 02-19-2012, 12:42 PM
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I posting this for the newbes to the AR world and who are considering buying the M&P sport. The author below probably has more knowledge than us to do a review on this "buget buy AR" I would hate to see folks get mislead by too many personal opinions(mine included) by "non" experts.I think this was a fair accessment of the Sport model.

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/201...on-mp15-sport/

Gun Review: Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport
Posted on June 13, 2011 by Benjamin T. Shotzberger


There’s innovation, and then there’s beating a dead horse. A few firearms have fallen into this latter category, like John Moses Browning’s 1911 design. At over 100 years old, the 1911 has been done, redone, re-redone, and retro-redone with anniversary editions released that hearken straight back to the original weapon. I say that lovingly as an admitted “1911 guy.” More recently, the “Modern Sporting Rifle” has begun to fit the same bill. When it comes to accessories, my Prada and Gucci-loving cube-dwelling co-worker has less choices than your average AR owner. Some observers have gone so far as to call the AR “Barbie for men.” I couldn’t possibly comment. But I can tell you this: Smith & Wesson have introduced another AR variant called the M&P15 Sport . . .


The Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport rifle is not your mall-ninja AR dripping with rails and oozing tacti-cool. It’s not meant to be. Smith’s aimed its rifle at AR newbies looking for a quality firearm at a bargain price..

Unboxing the M&P15 Sport isn’t much of an event. You open the cardboard box and strip back a layer of foam. Laying in front of you: a black rifle and Magpul 30 round magazine. Taking a closer look, you can see that Smith & Wesson shaved costs where they could. But they didn’t skimp on the important stuff.


Smith & Wesson have done away with the dust cover and forward assist. Smith Marketing Maven Paul Pluff told TTAG that sacrificing the dust cover in the name of cost-savings was a no-brainer. The target market is less likely to need an AR to fight terrorists in sandstorms and extreme weather than use that funny shell holder thingie to eat snails [paraphrasing]. The M&P15 Sport will likely live out its days in a case or safe, with semi-regular forays to the range or the woods.

To check out the rifle’s reliability, I ran the rifle for a week out at Gunsite Academy in Paulden, Arizona.

I spent the week putting rounds down range in arid, sandy, dusty conditions – begging the Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport to show me that it needed a dust cover. I fired standing, kneeling, and from several variations of the prone position, including rollover-prone where the bolt of the rifle was less than two inches from the dust, rock, dirt, and grime the ejection process was kicking back up into the rifles action.

Did nastiness get in to the action? Ohh yeah it did. I made sure of that by peppering the rifle with a few small handfuls of Arizona high desert when the Smith and Wesson folks weren’t watching. By the end of the week I had one gritty feeling charging handle, one rough trigger, and one dirty as all-heck action. I was also holding a rifle that continued to function without a single hiccup.

The forward assist (err . . . forward “scallop”) on the M&P15 Sport is a throwback to the rifle’s original design. The cylindrical slap-assist found on most other black rifles is no-where to be seen on the M&P15 Sport.

For a beginning AR shooter, the manual assist has the same likelihood of turning a minor and easily correctable malfunction – such as a double-feed – into one that could require gunsmithy assistance. Newer users tend to follow the Hollywood example of hitting the forward assist with the force of Thor’s hammer rather than giving it the gentle smack that’s needed to bring a round into battery if it hasn’t seated properly.

So what’s an M&P15 Sport owner to do if their rifle doesn’t charge properly without a forward assist? Simple – use the scalloped section of the bolt itself and a finger on the support hand to gently nudge the action closed (demonstrated in the above video). This isn’t a new idea; it’s an homage to pre-forward assist designs. Even with dirty rifle with a gritty action, I could easily seat rounds after a manually-induced malfunction.

The M&P15 Sport’s barrel isn’t an M4 cut; if you’re looking to mount your M203, look elsewhere. The Smith sports a full-profile barrel of American 4140 Steel. The bolt carrier and gas key are chromed, and the barrel sports their Melonite coating. Smith claims that the bare bones approach has no effect on durability. They’ve fed two M&P15 Sport test rifles a combined ~170,000 rounds of various brands of ammunition without any [visible] damage to the Melonite finishing process.

The M&P15 Sport’s barrel also incorporates 5R rifling, an innovation Smith added after they acquired Thompson Center Arms. The M&P15′s 5R rifling is a 1/8” “gain twist.” The twist starts longer and tightens to 1/8” towards the end of the barrel.

In theory, the bullet stabilizes before fully engaging the rifling. Shooting Remington’s Disintegrator 45gr frangible ammunition in shoot-house drills and testing on steel, the rifle didn’t have a single failure-to-feed or fire. Given that mag failures account to many of the issues shooters encounter with their AR, Smith & Wesson “got it right” by spending a few extra dollars on the factory-standard 30-round P-mag. Gunsite instructor Dave Starin (20 years LE, 12 years SWAT) also reported—and I can confirm—that accuracy wasn’t an issue, either.


The rifle ships with a flat-top Picatinny style rail with an adjustable / removable dual aperture rear, and adjustable A2 post front sights. Removing the factory options to mount the EOTech EXPS2 (review to follow) was a breeze. The muzzle brake is standard A2 style. The M&P15 Sport’s threading is also standard; shooters can swap out for common muzzle accessories should they desire.

The rifle’s lower and upper receivers are fashioned from 7075 T6 Aluminum, fully-forged in-house by Smith & Wesson. Included with the lower: the single piece, solid-forged, non-removable, over-sized (for gloves) trigger guard. A typical six-position telescoping stock is standard, along with sling mounts allowing for single or double-point sling attachment. A bayonet lug is under slung – just in case. All of the M&P15 Sport’s parts are interchangeable with the rest of their AR product line.

For those of you living in the People’s Republic of Kalifornia – fear not. Smith’s making a California-compliant version to satisfy your political overlords. For their Cali-compliant “bullet button,” Smith & Wesson’s mag-release can be engaged with a round of .223/5.56 ammunition.

The M&P15 Sport is a perfect entry-level AR. With stock sights, the rifle is amazingly accurate. Equipped with an expensive optic like the EOTech EXPS2, gratuitous mag-dumping onto targets from 50 – 110 yards was child’s play. I engaged various targets on Gunsite’s Scrambler course while the OFWG’s decided who was going to shoot next. Point of Aim quickly became Point of Impact. I was eventually instructed to stop wasting ammo for the sake of the sweet-satisfying PING! of steel. Sad, I know.


Testing at Gunsite was less about ranged engagement or precision shooting and more about carbine drill and functionality. Maximum distance shot during the evaluation in Arizona: 50 yards (not including the Scrambler targets, which extend upwards of 100 yards). The gun’s back on the East Coast with me; I’ll be firing out to 100 yards from a rested position and beyond, and report back.

With night vision and thermal gear (hey, why not?), I was able to use the M&P15 Sport to hit pie-plate steel at 50 yards. More importantly, in head shot and non-standard failure drills extending from three and out to 25 yards, I consistently placed rounds in the T-zone within seconds of being instructed to fire.

The Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport is all yours for $709 msrp. That’s $600 – $650 in real world dollars. If the gun is as reliable as our initial impressions indicate, that’s tremendous value-for-money. It’s taken Smith a while to get here, but it looks like they’ve finally brought the same no-nonsense quality and functionality to the AR world that made their revolvers so justifiably famous.

SPECIFICATIONS

Caliber: .223 / 5.56 NATO
Barrel: 16″ Melonite coated – 1/7″ twist according to S&W rep. Thompson Center 5R rifling.
Overall Length: 32 inches collapsed, 35 inches extended.
Weight: 6.45 pounds unloaded.
Action: Semi-automatic.
Finish: Melonite barrel, hard coat anodized 7075 T6 Aluminum receivers.
Capacity: 30+1 using standard AR magazines (ships with a Magpul 30 rnd).
Price: MSRP $709 – readily had between $640 – $690.

RATINGS (out of five)

Accuracy: * * * * – Final star TBD
Excellent accuracy in carbine drills. Rounds consistently placed in a 3″ T-zone from 25 yards while standing. Minute of bad guy observed during all firing events. Further accuracy testing pending.

Ergonomics: * * * * *
It’s an AR carbine with all the controls in all the standard places, and adjusts to fit the user in all the standard fashions. Easy to manipulate, easy to bring on target.

Reliability: * * * * *
One feeding issue—traced to the cheap aluminum magazine I was using as a back-up. Not a single failure with the factory-issue Magpul. I shot well over 1000 rounds through the rifle without cleaning (with additional lubrication).

Customize This: * * * * *
It’s an AR. Kit it up! Check out The Barbie for Men.

Overall Rating: * * * * *
The price is right, the product performs, and America’s second largest arms manufacturer stands behind it. What’s not to like?

Last edited by 45Wheelgun; 02-21-2012 at 12:23 PM.
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Old 02-19-2012, 12:53 PM
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I read this the day I ordered mine!
If your in AZ, and are unsure of whos weapon system you want.
Send me a pm, can shoot mine, you won't be disappointed.

IMO
The only thing entry level about this weapon is the entry price!
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Old 02-19-2012, 12:55 PM
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Absolutely!
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Old 02-21-2012, 01:43 AM
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Thanks for posting this excellent review of the M&P15 Sport. The writer really seems to know his stuff. It was a good read as well.

While I am sure you didn't mean this in an insulting way, I do have to take exception to this:

Quote:
Originally Posted by TangoFoxtrot View Post
No one on this site is an expert...
The world's most renown S&W experts are here on this forum. Starting with Roy Jinks the S&W Factory Historian. Paul Pluff mentioned in the article has visited this forum.

Authors of gun books and gun magazines are here as well. Massad Ayoob has an account and posts here. We have producers/writers of some of the cable TV gun programs. The curator of the National Firearms Museum (AKA The NRA Museum) Jim Supica is a member of this forum.

Open up the "Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson" (written by Supica/Nahas - both members) and see not only the forum thanked for it's contributions, but a rather long list of people from this forum who directly contributed to book.

Many of the members of the Smith & Wesson Collectors Association are experts in various areas of S&W Firearms and known world wide for that expertise.

Don't sell the forum and our members short, the knowledge base is very wide and very deep. (Not helped by me by the way, I am just a hack)

Again thanks for posting the great review.
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Old 02-21-2012, 08:33 AM
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To cover this thread, here's a direct reference source link to the original published review:

Gun Review: Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport | The Truth About Guns

(Just in case.)

Last edited by JaPes; 02-21-2012 at 08:47 AM.
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Old 02-21-2012, 09:10 AM
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thanx Tango and thanx 45Wheelgun...
new to the ar platform and have been looking hard at the sport.
currently have a 15/22 that the wife loves and i wanted to step up to the sport. we live with-in 20 miles of about 4 firearm manufacturers and opinions run high and hot around here. so crossing over to s&w, it will need to be a solid unit to shut the boys up...
we now feel we have good info to make the jump. and knowing by being here, we are in great company sure helps
thanx again don
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Old 02-21-2012, 11:17 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 45Wheelgun View Post
Thanks for posting this excellent review of the M&P15 Sport. The writer really seems to know his stuff. It was a good read as well.

While I am sure you didn't mean this in an insulting way, but I do have to take exception to this:



The world's most renown S&W experts are here on this forum. Starting with Roy Jinks the S&W Factory Historian. Paul Pluff mentioned in the article has visited this forum.

Authors of gun books and gun magazines are here as well. Massad Ayoob has an account and posts here. We have producers/writers of some of the cable TV gun programs. The curator of the National Firearms Museum (AKA The NRA Museum) Jim Supica is a member of this forum.

Open up the "Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson" (written by Supica/Nahas - both members) and see not only the forum thanked for it's contributions, but a rather long list of people from this forum who directly contributed to book.

Many of the members of the Smith & Wesson Collectors Association are experts in various areas of S&W Firearms and known world wide for that expertise.

Don't sell the forum and our members short, the knowledge base is very wide and very deep. (Not helped by me by the way, I am just a hack)

Again thanks for posting the great review.

I stand corrected and apologize my intent was not to insult anyone. Its just that some here are price miopic(spl) and mislead others at times. Edit has been made.
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Old 02-21-2012, 12:34 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tork'd View Post
thanx Tango and thanx 45Wheelgun...
new to the ar platform and have been looking hard at the sport.
currently have a 15/22 that the wife loves and i wanted to step up to the sport. we live with-in 20 miles of about 4 firearm manufacturers and opinions run high and hot around here. so crossing over to s&w, it will need to be a solid unit to shut the boys up...
we now feel we have good info to make the jump. and knowing by being here, we are in great company sure helps
thanx again don
Unfortunately, it will not "shut the boys up". In the eyes of the high end AR crowd, the Sport is not acceptable. Doesn't matter that you got a solid rifle and that you will only shoot 1000 rounds a year at a range, so the Sport is a good value and will meet your needs. If it is not a Colt, Noveske, Daniel Defense, Bravo Company, etc., it is not acceptable to some folks. You will hear that it doesn't have forward assist, it doesn't have the dust cover, it isn't mil-spec, it is cheap, it isn't built to standards the way it should be, and you can't depend on it to protect your life, blah blah blah.

If you are looking for a rifle that meets the same specs as those rifles and want to be able to tout it as the same, this isn't the rifle for you.

If you are looking for a solid rifle, built for the range shooter and not the war fighter, from a reputable company at a fair price that represents a tremendous value, then this is a good rifle for you. I have given up on arguing my points that it meets my needs and offers more value than a Colt or other higher cost rifles for me. I do not think this rifle is equal to those rifles, but the "mil-spec" and "features" will not benefit me for my intended uses, so no reason to pay for them.
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Old 02-21-2012, 12:45 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tork'd View Post
thanx Tango and thanx 45Wheelgun...
new to the ar platform and have been looking hard at the sport.
currently have a 15/22 that the wife loves and i wanted to step up to the sport. we live with-in 20 miles of about 4 firearm manufacturers and opinions run high and hot around here. so crossing over to s&w, it will need to be a solid unit to shut the boys up...
we now feel we have good info to make the jump. and knowing by being here, we are in great company sure helps
thanx again don

Your welcome! Like Cypher said you "won't shut the boys up" But you can't out shoot them with the Sport and make them think twice! Shoot what you can afford and go from there. Good luck with your purchase
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Old 02-21-2012, 01:13 PM
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Can the magazine that comes with the gun be used for both the 223 and 5.56 ammo or does it require different mags? Also do you have to change anything on the gun itself to shoot the differant calibers?
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Old 02-21-2012, 01:21 PM
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Quote:
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Can the magazine that comes with the gun be used for both the 223 and 5.56 ammo or does it require different mags? Also do you have to change anything on the gun itself to shoot the differant calibers?
The Sport has a 5.56 chamber, which means you can shoot both 5.56 and .223. Same magazine, no changes required.

Do not try to shoot the 5.56 in a gun that is marked as a .223 chamber.
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Old 02-21-2012, 02:19 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cyphertext View Post
Unfortunately, it will not "shut the boys up".

The only time I see those blowhards shut up is when I ask for a volunteer to stand downrange and let me shoot at them with the Smith I kid I kid .

Remember MOST and I repeat MOST of these keyboard warrior guys* probably own a Sport to go shoot with because they wouldnt dare get a scratch on their " insert high end rifle here" as they remove it from the climate controlled safe. They'd never say it online though cause their buddies on M4carbine.net would exclude them from the "its on the list" club.

The real warriors normally have the best because they NEED it..... and dont have time to get into flame wars on the internet. They are too busy putting thier lives on the line to impress all of us with their $2000 AR.

I for one am very happy with my "******" AR. I'll own a " its on the list" one later on down the road when things are financially better. That and everyother freakin gun under the sun 99.9% chance the smith will still be going strong.
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Old 02-21-2012, 02:33 PM
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Quote:
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Can the magazine that comes with the gun be used for both the 223 and 5.56 ammo or does it require different mags? Also do you have to change anything on the gun itself to shoot the differant calibers?
No. You need a special magazine with a dust door. (J/k)
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Old 02-21-2012, 02:51 PM
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I don't recall anyone (on this forum) saying that the Sport was a "****** AR", and even though I don't own that specific model, I *do* own a MOE and a 15-22, as well as a AR-15 I built myself.

People that claim it's a lesser rifle can't cite a specific reason why it's "inferior", other than the fact that it doesn't say "My Super Bitchin' Custom Rifle" on the lower. If that's the standard by which they appraise a given rifle's quality, I think it's just a matter of them forgetting that they too were once a first-time AR owner.

I suspect that a number of current Sport owners will eventually get the bug to build their own rifles, and when they do, they'll probably get a non-sporterized upper, along with all the other doo-dads that make an AR-15 a more personalized weapon. If they're like me, they'll keep their S&W rifle and modify it as well. At present, the only thing left on mine that was original is the barrel and handguard, and those will soon be on the chopping block. In fact, I was considering just building a whole new upper for it so I can keeping shooting the rifle until the new upper is finished.

Ignore the nay-sayers, buy what you can afford, and if you find the money to upgrade it, have at it.
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Old 02-21-2012, 03:16 PM
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Ignore the nay-sayers, buy what you can afford, and if you find the money to upgrade it, have at it.

Quoted for truth. I'm putting a rocket launcher on mine. And a coffee pot.
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Old 02-21-2012, 03:38 PM
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I am adding a drink holder to mine and an 8 inch tv,
I wanna be a mall ninja

lol lol
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Old 02-21-2012, 03:51 PM
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cyphertext "If you are looking for a solid rifle, built for the range shooter and not the war fighter, from a reputable company at a fair price that represents a tremendous value, then this is a good rifle for you. I have given up on arguing my points that it meets my needs and offers more value than a Colt or other higher cost rifles for me. I do not think this rifle is equal to those rifles, but the "mil-spec" and "features" will not benefit me for my intended uses, so no reason to pay for them."

well said.. this is what i was talking about..
we love to shoot and shoot alot.
just looking to fill a need, not a gun safe..
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Old 02-21-2012, 04:40 PM
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It was this review that nailed it for me, I was going back and forth between the sport and a Bushmaster and after reading this or decided on the Smith. Especially the part where he tried getting it dirty and it still didn't jam, now how needs that dust cover?
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Old 02-21-2012, 07:33 PM
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There are those who discredit that review because S&W was on site with them. Anything to trash the rifle!!!!


Again this just convinces me more that we are all going to die in the acronym time because of that lack of a dust cover and F/A
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Old 02-21-2012, 08:17 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jsimmons View Post
I don't recall anyone (on this forum) saying that the Sport was a "****** AR", and even though I don't own that specific model, I *do* own a MOE and a 15-22, as well as a AR-15 I built myself.

People that claim it's a lesser rifle can't cite a specific reason why it's "inferior", other than the fact that it doesn't say "My Super Bitchin' Custom Rifle" on the lower. If that's the standard by which they appraise a given rifle's quality, I think it's just a matter of them forgetting that they too were once a first-time AR owner.

I suspect that a number of current Sport owners will eventually get the bug to build their own rifles, and when they do, they'll probably get a non-sporterized upper, along with all the other doo-dads that make an AR-15 a more personalized weapon. If they're like me, they'll keep their S&W rifle and modify it as well. At present, the only thing left on mine that was original is the barrel and handguard, and those will soon be on the chopping block. In fact, I was considering just building a whole new upper for it so I can keeping shooting the rifle until the new upper is finished.

Ignore the nay-sayers, buy what you can afford, and if you find the money to upgrade it, have at it.
So the only things left on your moe are the barrel and handguard and those soon will be on the chopping block...well can you send me the box of all the parts so I can put it back together and have an MOE to go with my Sport?? and the emoticon does make me right!!!
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Old 02-21-2012, 10:06 PM
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I just bought two of the sports this weekend,one I removed the front sight and added a gas block with rail on top and bottom.I installed a sling mount on the bottom and going to add a bipod and a flip up sight.I installed a bushnell scope with hi rise mounts this is going to be a hunting rifle.I hope to check long range accuracy this weekend.I was really impressed with one hundred yard accuracy.the other gun is more of a test gun too see how it holds up we put 400 rounds through it this weekend hopefully we will put another 1000 this coming up weekend.
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Old 06-17-2013, 05:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cyphertext View Post
The Sport has a 5.56 chamber, which means you can shoot both 5.56 and .223. Same magazine, no changes required.

Do not try to shoot the 5.56 in a gun that is marked as a .223 chamber.
I've always know/believed a 5.56 was good to go with 223, But when you look at the M&P 15's on S&W site almost everything thats good for 5.56 is marked "5.56 mm NATO/.223", but the Sports are only marked 5.56 mm NATO. Does anyone know why they omit 223 designation on the Sport but advertise 223 on all the other 5.56 chambered rifles?
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Old 06-17-2013, 06:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Damien View Post
I've always know/believed a 5.56 was good to go with 223, But when you look at the M&P 15's on S&W site almost everything thats good for 5.56 is marked "5.56 mm NATO/.223", but the Sports are only marked 5.56 mm NATO. Does anyone know why they omit 223 designation on the Sport but advertise 223 on all the other 5.56 chambered rifles?
Different product manager did the write up? Who knows...
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Old 06-17-2013, 06:25 PM
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I have a ORC model....... same as a Sport -sights +Dust cover and FA. I don't know about anyone else but bottom line for me is I'd shoot the same with my M&P as I would with a $3,500 AR. Unless its in a vice with a scope vs hand held at my shoulder, the M&P is more accurate than I am
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Old 06-17-2013, 10:33 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Damien View Post
I have a ORC model....... same as a Sport -sights +Dust cover and FA. I don't know about anyone else but bottom line for me is I'd shoot the same with my M&P as I would with a $3,500 AR. Unless its in a vice with a scope vs hand held at my shoulder, the M&P is more accurate than I am
The Sport and the OR are not alike as you described. Older Sports had a 1:8 twist vs. the 1:9 on the OR. Both old and newer Sports have a melonite treated barrel, vs. the chrome lined barrel of the OR. The two barrels are completely different on these models.
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Old 06-17-2013, 11:22 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Damien View Post
I've always know/believed a 5.56 was good to go with 223, But when you look at the M&P 15's on S&W site almost everything thats good for 5.56 is marked "5.56 mm NATO/.223", but the Sports are only marked 5.56 mm NATO. Does anyone know why they omit 223 designation on the Sport but advertise 223 on all the other 5.56 chambered rifles?
Because if its marked 5.56 you can shoot .223 with it, but shooting .223 through a 5.56 can be dangerous.
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Old 06-19-2013, 07:58 AM
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To Jlduke, after reading your post I think you meant to say, shooting 5.56 through a .223 could be dangerous. just sayn.
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Old 06-22-2013, 12:51 PM
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Reading my post again it look backward from what I ment too. What I ment was if you can shoot 223 thru a 5.56... why are some marked with both and some just marked 5.56 .... seems the way specs are presented by the same company on the same page would be a consistant text
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Old 06-22-2013, 04:36 PM
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Picked up a sport & the only disappointment was my panic buy price at 849. Other than that its pretty accurate out of the box. Love mine!
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Old 06-22-2013, 04:52 PM
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I agree that the Sport is well thought out in its design features. While it would, no doubt, be looked down upon by the armchair warriors that frequent certain rifle-oriented forums, it has everything needed for sport, home- or self-defense and law enforcement work. Yes, I included LE work. LE officers need a dust cover like they need a "third tit," if you will pardon the expression. The melonite treatment on the barrel is not a "coating" as some say or suggest in various postings, but a metal treatment that is the same as tenifer. Exactly the same. It makes metal parts very hard, and is as good as hard chrome. The process is explained at this site:

Melonite / QPQ

"MELONITE / QPQ

MELONITE, and its synonymous trade-name, Tufftride (or Tenifer), is a relatively straight-forward, flexible process to operate and maintain, and produces exceptionally uniform case hardening. The MELONITE process begins with the placement of parts in a re-circulating air preheat furnace, followed by immersion for 60-240 minutes in a molten nitrogen-rich salt solution contained in an aerated furnace. After nitriding, parts are treated in an oxidizing bath, water-cooled and rinsed.

An alternative series of post-nitriding steps involves a Quench-Polish-Quench (QPQ) sequence after liquid nitriding. For many applications, this finishing process provides a surface condition that protects against corrosion and wear better than hard chrome or nickel plating."

In any event, the Sport might just be the best buy of the AR industry for competition, plinking, self- or home-defense and LE work. Taxpayers take note the next time the local SWAT, SERT, HRT or other team, by whatever name, decides to buy $3,000.00 rifles by HK or some other maker.
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Old 08-07-2013, 03:32 PM
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I read this review after I had a chance to put 100 rounds through one. It was a lot of fun to shoot and even with my old eyes I could get a few in the center. The rifle is amazingly accurate. I finally got mine but have not had the chance to shoot it yet.
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Old 08-08-2013, 03:45 PM
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... and the written specs don't matter as much as how it shoots! I own other more expensive ARs and they don't do anything that my Sport doesn't do. Truth be told, I find the fit and finish of the Sport better than the new Colt sitting next to it.

The other thing I found is that cleaning the 5R barrel is easier too. Because of the "softer" angle (65 degrees vice 90 degrees I think it is) of the lands where they meet the grooves, there isn't as much crud in there to clean out.
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