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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*Aim small, miss small...