With the possible coming of Hillary, I may not be able to buy an AR in the future. Thinking about S&W M&P 15 II. All opinions welcome.

when buying your 1st AR-15.

1. Determine your primary purpose of use. Are you looking to shoot 0 - 100 yards with minute of bad guy accuracy on the range and self defense? Are you primarily sitting at a bench having fun trying to achieve small groups?

2. Think of ideal AR-15 in your head. What does it look like? What stock, forend, sights, are on it? Does your ideal rifle have a trigger or optic on it (scope or dot)?

3. Assess your physical condition. Are there modifications or attachments that are absolutely necessary to make the rifle work for you?

3. Set a maximum budget. What money can you spend on this hobby after meeting all your financial obligations and funding your existing discretionary recreational activities that keep you sane from day to day.

4. Be mindful of the total cost of ownership. Factor in taxes and fees. Factor in the must have items: sling, a few extra magazines, ammo, cleaning kit and supplies, a case. If buying an "optics ready" model, iron sights.

5. If you require an optic, determine which type. Do you want a traditional turret adjustable scope? Do you want a quick acquisition red dot or holographic sight? Either factor that cost into your max budget so you can have it immediately OR factor that cost into a future purchase and save up.

6. With all of this in mind, choose a factory complete rifle from a well known, long established, big manufacturer that is factory equipped with as many of the features you desire that fits within your budget.

If the 15-Sport 2 fits your criteria, go for it. If not, there are bunches of good AR-15's on the market.

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-John

If you are looking for a good, high-quality, low-cost AR-15 then the Sport II is a great choice.

I have actually owned ARs in the past but sold them to fund other projects. Now it looking like it may soon be my last chance to buy one. The sport actually seems to have all the features I'm looking for. Maybe not the exact barrel twist but I think I'm going to be fine shooting 55gr ammo. Not sure I'll do optics again. I still have some ball ammo and some self defense ammo in 55 gr. I'm thinking I'll pick up a couple extra 30 mags and a sling. I guess I'm looking for the "its a great rifle" or "shouldn't have problems with the Sport" type affirmation. Looking for defense and dependability more than anything.

1:9 may not be the current milspec specified twist rate but I've found it works great with the 62 gr. I shoot. Seems to stabilize fine at what I'd consider real world AR shooting distances i.e., 50-250 yards. Plenty of good factory AR choices out there but I think S&W's warranty support is a big plus in their favor. (In the unlikely event you need it)

It's a great rifle. Shouldn't have problems with the Sport.

Seriously... good, dependable basic rifle.

Glad to hear it because my first AR and rifle, which is the M&P Sport II, is waiting at the FFL to be picked up tonight!

Thanks for all the positive responses!

I am 71 years old and also considering my first AR. Not because of future restrictions, but just because I can. I have a tendency to "overdue" my guns. I could easily;y fall into a major money AR and really have no place to use it. This gun may never get more than a couple of hundred rounds through it but the platform is so versatile that I hope one of my grand kids can someday put down his full auto, constant beam, laser weapon and pick up my antique AR and make some noise at a outdoor range.

Quick question. Out of the box, what can I expect accuracy wise with the M&P15 using ball ammo vs. better quality LE rounds?

For those who want to buy an AR15 today simply because they fear of not being able to tomorrow, the Sport is an excellent choice.

I agree. I own the Sport 1 and it has been a great rifle.
I just recently picked up an Ruger AR-556. It too is a great rifle.
There are A LOT of "entry level" AR's out there right now to choose from. Another great choice is the Colt Expanse!
Or, if you're wanting to build your own, PSA (Palmetto State Armory) has EVERY part and piece to build an AR.

With milspec or practice ammo I wouldn't expect anything better than 3 on a consistent basis. If I remember correctly accuracy specs for M855 (green tip) is 6 MOA (so 6 MOA is the worst it can be, not the average). There is plenty of good practice ammo, off the top of my head I know lots of people (myself included) have had good luck with PMC and Wolf Gold.

With quality ammo 2 MOA is probably not an unrealistic expectation. The only issue you will run into will be that the 75 and 77gr OTM loads will probably not stabilize properly out of the 1:9 twist barrel, but that type of match accuracy really isn't needed outside of a dedicated precision build. That said, as long as you don't want to use it for any precision-esque shooting it will be plenty accurate.

We bought a Sport a year or so ago. The trigger was super gritty so i replaced it. Other than that it's a good rifle. Bought a Sport II 2 months ago. Trigger is fine and it's a good rifle. Just buy it!!

anyone in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Cameron's Hardware in Oxford Pennsylvania has the Sport II on sale @$599 for the rest of this month! think I'm gonna pick one up this afternoon, had to speak to the "boss" errrr I mean wife first lol

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That is a decent price. In Texas if you can find them they are selling for 649-699. For that price it makes for a great truck rifle and adds diversity to my stable of Colt ARs. If you have not bought it yet just do it.

I'm heading up shortly! they are only 3 minutes up the road

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I wonder if they will ship. Haha.


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I thought about the same thing and went out and bought one. My intuition tells me that the intentions are to remove our rights to bear arms little by little. Glad I did. It's a great rifle. If you can find one around 600, I'd jump on it. Very reliable, you won't regret it.

Glad I read your post. I was going to ask a question about the best ammo to use with my Sport II. I bought 200 rounds of .223/77 and was told the same as you stated in your response above. But since the ammo I got is for self defense, I don't have to be concerned at all. If I ever do use it, it will be for in home and CQC use. So in your opinion what ammo is best for shooting accurately when plinking? Is .223 preferable over .556, and is 62 grain a general overall better grain for a Sport II with a 1/9 twist?

Glad I read your post. I was going to ask a question about the best ammo to use with my Sport II. I bought 200 rounds of .223/77 and was told the same as you stated in your response above. But since the ammo I got is for self defense, I don't have to be concerned at all. If I ever do use it, it will be for in home and CQC use. So in your opinion what ammo is best for shooting accurately when plinking? Is .223 preferable over .556, and is 62 grain a general overall better grain for a Sport II with a 1/9 twist?