Looking to pick up first AR and was leaning towards the S&W Sport. Seems there are a few variations sold at the different stores in the area…some have the iron sights while another has the Crimson Trace red dot. Another has the MLOK hand guard and another has the standard solid hand guard. If purchasing out of the box what would you look at as key to be included (or not included and add later)?

TIA.

If you want to mount a optics, I'd get the optics ready version with MLOK furniture. I believe those come with the Magpul handguard and grip.

For my first/only AR I went with the standard Sport 2 with regular sights. I wanted to get used to the platform first before considering changes. Since then I have changed the handguard and added a Holosun sight. This works for me and what I wanted the rifle for and allowed time to get comfortable with the rifle as is.

id say get the optics ready version without the iron sights. otherwise you have the iron sights in the way of the optics view and no way to move them without modifying the gas system on the gun. You can just get flip up iron sights as backups to whatever optic you end up deciding on.

My boy and his Marine Gunnery Sergeant/machinist buddy bought iron sighted ARs in 5.56.
In a few years shooting together the Marine only missed a few times at 300 yds and got my boy rock solid at 200 yds.
The Marine is closing in on 20.
Unless you need optics, vision issues, irons might be good to get started.

I might add that our firearms were almost White Glove ready when brought home thanks to a Marine as well as my boy's Air Force MP buddy... the General's boy.
He got banged up a bit somewhere, is a civilian now and keeps on rockin.
Friends since grade school and great fishermen as well.

Have fun OP.

They bought Colt 6920s.

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Have Fun/Stay Safe

The version we sell the most is the original Sport 2 with the fixed front site. GARY

They all look the same to me.

I'm not familiar with the S&W M&P ARs but after my abandonment of my fiberglass stocked M1A (damaged in a fire, stock replaced with GI wood; I hated it) so I switched to ARs. I had my first built to my specifications - a Bushmaster M4 type which looked like this:



It's upside down for some unknown reason. Long since sold, too, but it makes my point.

My point is, besides the olive drab "furniture", I insisted on the removal of the carrying handle (if it had one, I can't recall) and the mil-spec front sight thing. I wasn't interested in any electronics but, instead, I wanted a perfectly aligned pop-up (or flip up - by whatever name) sight system. This made the rifle trim and slim and the sights were out of the way for storage or carrying in a case but were ready immediately for use when I needed them. A very excellent system when it's put together correctly. If the S&W Sport can handle that I recommend it.

BUT! Then I needed a replacement MSR (didn't I??!! ) so I sprung for another Bushmaster package at a good price but this one came with a red dot sighting system.

Bushmaster X15 ES2



Now I found myself on the other side of the aisle, so to speak, with basically the same rifle but without iron sights. Personally, I think it's a mistake to not have BUIS but this red dot optic is zeroed and is spot on so I don't complain about it.

So, that's just some perspective for you, both sides of the discussion, I guess.

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Come and take it!!

My first AR, I went with the iron ( A2 front sight & magpul rear) sights. Added a scope latter, and the front site above about a 2x is not even a issue. It was good to lean the AR with iron sights first. If scope breraks, I still have backup iron sights. If your sure you want optics to start with, then get a 'optics ready' version.

I got a good deal on an Optic Ready model and couldn't be happier. Only open sight shooting I do anymore is on handguns.

Make sure it has a full auto bolt carrier (most do, some don't) in case you wanna add a binary trigger down the road.

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

Does anyone know if the OP bought an AR?

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How many guns are too many?

I did purchase the M&P Sport II with the iron sights. Got a deal on one that I felt I shouldn’t pass up….so I didn’t 😁. Sorry for not responding to the previous links, for some reason, I was notified of the initial replies, but none of the follow-up posts, so hadn’t checked in on it.

I just posted a new thread regarding the iron sights and adjusting/zeroing and came back to this thread.

Thanks to all for the replies - appreciate the feedback!