Ordered my Sport II today. Just wondering if anyone had any suggestions on mags and ammo selection. Are the Magpul P mags the way to go, and if so, should I purchase the dust covers to go with the gen 2 mags I was thinking about. How about suggestions on ammo, target and defensive. I hope this is posted in the right forum? Any info or tips will be appreciated. I read that the AR platform guns like to be run well oiled, actually wet. Is that true. I have always cleaned then oiled up my guns for the next range visit, never had to oil again at the range. I ordered online as the supply is non existent locally, so I couldn't get these questioned asked at time of purchase.

1. Magpul P-Mags and D&H Aluminum Mags with Magpul Followers.

2. Ammo

a.) If your range allows it, TulAmmo Russian Manufacture steel case bi-metal jacket.

b.) If you are wary of Russian manufacture steel case bi-metal jacket ammo, the best value is Wolf Gold. Brass case, boxer primed, 55gr FMJ .223 Rem loaded to 5.56 spec, Taiwanese manufactured ammo.

c.) If you are looking to shoot precise and accurate teeny tiny groups for internet bragging rights, then some flavor of premium ammo like Black Hills or Hornady Superperformance Match.

__________________
-John

Almost forgot...

Welcome aboard! Congrats on your rifle.

__________________
-John

Thanks. I have been wanting the carbine for a long time now. Does the Tula steel case put extra wear and tear on the barrel and extractors? I did read Wolf Gold was good. What is a good self defense round. I read a lot of ammo like Federal Hi Shock only penetrate 6 inches. Do the P mags need the dust covers to protect the feed lips? Will XM193 serve well in a defensive SHTF role?

Congratulations on the purchase of the S&W Sport II as they are great weapons. JaPes gave you great advice on the ammo selections. Sometimes there are good deals on PMC Bronze 55 Grain FMJ ammo too and it is great range ammo.

Yes. Mild Steel is harder than Brass.

1. Extractors are cheap and easy to replace.

2. Barrel life using brass is around 10K rounds. With Steel anywhere between 5K - 6K rounds. The money saved over time shooting steel equals the cost of a new barrel.

3. Regarding self defense round, I use whatever I have on hand. If I have Federal XM193, Wolf Gold, TulAmmo, Federal, etc... I don't care. A .223 diameter 55gr projectile moving at about 2,500 feet per second is going to put a hurting on any predator that walks on two legs. It's not just going to be one shot, it's going to be a mag dump.

4. In a SHTF? Again, whatever is available is what works.

5. Yes. The latch on covers aid in keeping the feed lips of a P-mag minty fresh. Keep in mind that you're probably not going to leave a mag loaded for 30+ years.

Everything you wanted to know about brass v.s. steel case ammo.

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/bras...el-cased-ammo/

One more thing...

The AR-15 is designed to have parts replaced. Think of the entire rifle as a wear item. Some people excessively worry about this that and the other. Maintain your rifle. Take care of it. You don't need to baby it as if it were fragile. It's a battle rifle.

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-John

Thank you for the info. I have a lot of Smith handguns but no experience with the AR platform. You taught me a lot. Glad you took the time to help. Guess the others are too busy for what seems like stupid questions , but you really helped me. Thanks....Ed.... P.S. Talked to customer service today, I couldn't believe what they told me. He said no steel ammo or any non American ammo, even brass cased. I questioned him specifically about Wolf Gold and PMC. He said the imported ammo is not to SAMMI specs and over pressure. He said I could end up with a catastrophic failure with my gun blowing up. I think they are nuts. There would be a lot of people with gun problems if what he said was true. Don't know where he thought that up. You mentioned a mag loaded for 30 years, how about 2 loaded for 45 years. One was a .30 cal carbine mag, the other a Ruger 10/22 that I inherited from my Uncle. Both mags work fine and the ammo all went bang.

Hi Ed. Welcome aboard! Once I saw that Japes answered your questions, I knew you received good input!

As far as the CS rep and no steel cased ammo... he's full of it. First of all, not all steel cased ammo is equal. Hornady makes steel cased practice ammo. Works very well. Tula ammo is underpowered, if anything. Shoot what ya want and don't worry about it. Like Japes said, just maintain the rifle and you will be fine.

Thanks guys.

You're welcome. You caught me in a good mood. LOL.

Don't blame the customer service rep. You just asked the CS representative in their official capacity whether or not to use imported ammunition. You asked them to make a definitive verbal statement of use which the lawyers most likely forbid. It's safe for any U.S. based firearms manufacturer/importer to advocate the use of U.S. domestic produced ammunition. I'm not a lawyer, but I bet legal recourse is easier.

I am sure the customer service rep has no personal issue using imported ammunition, steel case or brass case.

If you are concerned about catastrophic failure of your gun:

1. Keep ammunition in it's original box. It might be easier to unbox all the ammo and dump it loose into an ammo can, but those boxes have lot production numbers. God forbid you have an ammo related catastrophic failure, you'll need those lot numbers.

2. Field strip and clean your rifle after each range session. Be deliberate when you inspect the parts as you clean them. You're programming your mind so that you can spot trends in wear and condition. If you're paying attention, it increases the probability you'll notice a problem before sending rounds downrange the next time.

3. Shoot your rifle in it's OEM stock configuration. Put a few hundred rounds downrange. Give it a good go. If something breaks, you haven't changed out anything that will have voided the warranty.

4. Pay attention to the recoil impulse. Get a feel for the recoil impulse when everything is good. If you feel a recoil impulse too soft or too strong, stop shooting. Clear and safe your rifle. Hinge that sucker open and inspect it.

5. As you load mags, give the rounds a quick eyeball. On my desk I have one round of Remington .223 on my desk. Why? It made it past the factory QC process with a defect. The primer is installed backwards. I caught it as I was loading my mag.

6. Unless some acronym worthy calamity occurs, you're most likely shooting on a one-way range. You have the luxury of not being on a two-way range. If anything feels odd or sets of your sixth sense, stop shooting. Safe & clear your rifle. Inspect your rifle. Take the time to figure out why your gut told you something is wrong. Save the tap-rack-bang for the two-way range.

7. The forward assist requires thumb pressure, not a hard hit. If a cartridge does not chamber, it's a sign of an issue. If thumb pressure on the forward assist doesn't work, it's a sign of a bigger issue. What you do not want to do is smack the forward assist to force a round into battery. The only exception is if you find yourself on a two-way range.

The video below is an oldie, but a goodie. Don't be this guy.

__________________
-John

I have had very good use from PMC .223 and 5.56. Good enough that a month ago I bought several cases as a hedge against the wrong election result. I keep maybe 6 Magpuls loaded and ready. i use the covers on them. They actually push the top round down just a bit into the mag so there is no pressure on the feed lips. Empty mags, it doesn't matter unless they will be in an extremely dirty environment.

My advice is to upgrade the extractor spring if you're going to shoot steel case ammo. I speak from experience.

BCM SOPMOD Bolt Upgrade/Rebuild Kit

Actually, he changed the subject to ammo and started bashing all imported ammo. I never asked him anything pertaining to ammo. Great pointers, I really appreciate your help.

I just picked up my Sport II today but haven't shot it yet. I've learned more in the last 5 minutes of reading than in an hour on YouTube. Thank you all. This is awesome.

Hi,

And welcome to the forum. Shot my Sport 2 for the first time today. Rifle is amazingly accurate with my reloads. I am shooting a Hornady 52 gr hollow point, pushed by 21 gr of RE-7. Actually, I was quite blow away by how accurate this rifle is. I normally shoot bolt actions, and single shot Contenders. Never experienced an AR platform. I hope you enjoy your rifle as much as I'm enjoying mine.
Regards,
Alan