NamibianAmphibian
Well-known member
I remember when I was shopping for my M&P 15-22 that another gun on my short list was the GSG-5 (or the GSG-522 in it's current generation). I finally bought one to join the 15-22 in the gun cabinet. Having taken the GSG to the range for the first time today and shot both guns side by side, I figured I'd post some observations and opinions.
The major difference that leaped out at me was the quality of fit and finish. The GSG stock and fore-end are chinsy plastic and the buttplate is loose and rattles like a cheap toy. The GSG lower has a slick plastic feel and fits poorly enough to move while firing. And the trigger on the GSG felt vague and spongy. The M&P has a lot of polymer parts, but the quality is solid and I never really gave them much thought until now.
Having said all of that, there is nothing wrong with the GSG that money won't fix. At under $300, I thought the GSG was a real bargain. Looking at what needs to be done to bring it up to par with the M&P 15-22, it's looking a good deal more pricey. Putting a solid quality stock and forend (~$140) on the GSG puts the total price at right around that of a standard M&P 15-22 and still leaves the trigger issues. Going with rails (~$130) and a decent collapsible stock (~$80) for the GSG puts the GSG's total price in M&P 15-22 MOE territory, again without resolving the trigger issues.
My final thoughts, if you like the looks of the GSG-5 and you have $300 burning a hole in your pocket - go for it. It is a blast to shoot. But the M&P 15-22 is a much better value for the money in my opinion. And it is also a blast to shoot.
The major difference that leaped out at me was the quality of fit and finish. The GSG stock and fore-end are chinsy plastic and the buttplate is loose and rattles like a cheap toy. The GSG lower has a slick plastic feel and fits poorly enough to move while firing. And the trigger on the GSG felt vague and spongy. The M&P has a lot of polymer parts, but the quality is solid and I never really gave them much thought until now.
Having said all of that, there is nothing wrong with the GSG that money won't fix. At under $300, I thought the GSG was a real bargain. Looking at what needs to be done to bring it up to par with the M&P 15-22, it's looking a good deal more pricey. Putting a solid quality stock and forend (~$140) on the GSG puts the total price at right around that of a standard M&P 15-22 and still leaves the trigger issues. Going with rails (~$130) and a decent collapsible stock (~$80) for the GSG puts the GSG's total price in M&P 15-22 MOE territory, again without resolving the trigger issues.
My final thoughts, if you like the looks of the GSG-5 and you have $300 burning a hole in your pocket - go for it. It is a blast to shoot. But the M&P 15-22 is a much better value for the money in my opinion. And it is also a blast to shoot.
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