M&P 15-SPORT - Good Starter Rifle?

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OverweightNinja

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Hello all!

This is my 2nd day in the forums and this is my 2nd thread. This is a great community and I have learned a great deal already.

I've been wanting to get an AR style rifle in the 5.56 caliber for some time now but the prices have been out of my budget.

This week Turners Outdoorsman (by the way I'm in CALIFORNIA) listed the M&P Sport for $699. This is the lowest I've seen around and I've shopped alot. The other is a DELTON but I haven't heard much about them.

So, I placed my deposit on the Sport without even seeing it (they don't ship til the end of April).

Have any of you had some hands on with this rifle? Any feedback? Also, did I get a good deal? I am afraid I may have jumped the gun on this and maybe should have waited around for a while. Should I go in another direction?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!! THANKS!
 
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Just my opinion but the Sport model lacks a dust cover at the ejection port and a bolt assist. While the bbl. change is not , IMHO, a big deal and the 1/8 twist rate might be preferred by some, hard to say what other corners may have been cut.

IF you shop around , you might come pretty close to that price on an Optics Ready regular M&P with the known, high quality the S&W ARs have proven to have.

Servicable optics or iron sights can be had pretty cheap and you haven't compromised the basic platform for price.

JMHO, enjoy whatever you decide to go with.
 
It would be a very good starter AR, if not for one thing.

1. If you have patience; you can get a BETTER S&W M&P15 (Like the OR-model) on sale for the same price. Then; you'd have a BETTER rifle for the same price. That would be a BETTER first AR.

I was patient, and I got an M&P15OR at christmas; for $749 with a $100 S&W rebate. Final price: $649. I would take the OR over the Sport, without even blinking an eye.

The sport is a fine rifle if all prices were the same. But they aren't. There are sales. You just need to look for them and to be patient. if you don't want to look; or you can't be patient; well....... You now know that there are other options. You can now choose which way to go.
 
I've had a 15 sport on order for over 2 months. It arrived today and I'm picking it up tomorrow! This is my first AR and I'm stoked! Less than $600.
 
Thanks guys.

@ ChristCorp - I definitely want the OR, but it is also on sale right NOW for $929. I have waiting about a year and a half and this is the lowest price I've seen for the OR. Again, I'm in California. I've noticed the prices much higher than outta state. I figure at $699, I still have a few hundred to buy spare mags and ammo. If you know a place to get a better deal on the OR please let me know.

@ JRIP - where did you get that price for??? ARe you in Cali?
 
I picked it up today and put a few rounds through it. Works like a dream. You know what, I never missed the lack of forward assist or dust door. I just plink and target shoot, It is going to be a great gun for me. I know the full floating barrel is suposed to be so great, but I realy like the feel of the plastic stock. I like the lower weight and it feels better balanced. This summer I'll find out if it can hang with my friends high dollar AR's.
Overweightninja, I'm in IL and got it from a local supplier, out the door for less than $600.
 
Thanks Jrip. Your enthusiasm is very encouraging. I kinda felt down, thinking I should of waited. I actually told my buddies with the the Daniel Defense rifles and Bushmaster the price I paid and they were like WHAT? So I feel a little better. The rifle is on layaway, so I am hoping there is a rebate program in the next couple of months. That will make me feel even better.
 
I don't think anyone wanted to knock the concept of the Sport version. Just that economically, the more traditional M4 type of M&P15 with the dust cover (considered necessary by many who use the rifle for anything but range practice) and assist being missing make you wonder if other components were substituted with lesser/cheaper parts?

IF you could buy an OR for nearly the same price, why wouldn't you? If you can't and really need to watch your dollars that closely, why choose the 5.56/.223 round over the economical .22LR available in the excellent M&P15-22? It is less expensive than the Sport, offers full size training value and is much more economical to shoot alot on a budget.

Just my thought process, yours is certainly AS valid and MORE valid as far as YOUR choices are concerned.:)
 
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OverweightNinja said:
Thanks guys.

@ ChristCorp - I definitely want the OR, but it is also on sale right NOW for $929. I have waiting about a year and a half and this is the lowest price I've seen for the OR. Again, I'm in California. I've noticed the prices much higher than outta state. I figure at $699, I still have a few hundred to buy spare mags and ammo. If you know a place to get a better deal on the OR please let me know.

@ JRIP - where did you get that price for??? ARe you in Cali?
Click to expand...

You already made your choice, and probably don't want to shop online or other options; and you don't want to wait; so getting the Sport is a viable option. I have/had more guns than i needed, so I didn't NEED an AR at the time; I was willing to wait; was willing to look around for sales; and I live in a "FREE STATE". So, I waited and bought my M&P15-OR for $649. Only 3 months ago. But that's just me. FWIW: Carbon-15 bushmasters were/are also going for about $599.
 
Thank guys.

@ MPDC...I did get the M&P 15/22. I purchase the MOE model here in california for $479...I waited and shopped around for this one as well, and it was the lowest price I could find. I love it and I am still modifying it. Just last night I sealed the channel in the magazine, the area that exposes the spring, with plastic. We only get 10 rounds in the mag anyway here in california, so I felt the look of the spring made it look like a toy. Looks good sealed. I'll post pics soon
 
@OP, try CDNN. I got an M&P 15X from them last fall for $997 shipped. When it comes to guns you get what you pay for and cheaper is usually not better. IMO you should save up a little more money and buy a quality rifle.
 
I think the M&P Sport is an excellent first rifle. The dust cover and bolt assist are really not necessary, and yes, I've used an AR platform for real, both in LE and the military. Also, if you watch the way the "tactical" community is going, less is beginning to be better. Instead of hanging 10 pounds of accessories on the rifle and making the whole package as unwieldy as a M60, the shift is to a lighter, better handling rifle. A 6.5 pound rifle with iron sights is a great way to start. And for the price you paid, you can probably sell it for more than what you paid when, or if, you decide to change to something else.
 
Well, even for casual use a dust cover is nice. A weapon that runs a wet bolt can really collect ****, IMHO.

That said, it IS a good starting place, just that he might find a better one as cheap or nearly so. YMMV.

Agree on not hanging too much **** on it. Really starts looking like the rifle equivalent of a Harley with do dad lights all over it!:D
 
Cabela's has the Sport on sale for $599...but get another $100 off if using your club visa card (& coupon). Also saw 12mos same as cash on club visa. $499: That's pretty cheap & tempting for a 1st AR!
 
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I was wondering about this rifle too, as I just saw it in my local Cabela's ad today. The lack of a dust cover and forward assist doesn't bother me either as I'm no longer in dusty enviroments nor am I burning up a lot of ammunition in a fire fight.
Thanks for the info! Dale
 
not a bad deal you can allways get a new upper from alot of places its a good starter for the money
 
MPDC said:
Just my opinion but the Sport model lacks a dust cover at the ejection port and a bolt assist. While the bbl. change is not , IMHO, a big deal and the 1/8 twist rate might be preferred by some, hard to say what other corners may have been cut.
Click to expand...

I bought one a few weeks ago and have about 250 rounds through it with no issues. Shoots beautifully. I wondered what corners might be cut, but for the price ($599 plus tax) I figured it was worth a shot, particularly since it is manufactured by Smith and Wesson. After inspecting and shooting it, I can say that they did not cut corners on the following:

BCG - Carrier and gas key are chromelined, gas key is properly staked. BCG appears to be a standard LMT commercial BCG.

Stock - 6 position telescoping stock with S&W logo.

Trigger - Single stage with minimal takeup and clean, crisp break. Feels like a 6 - 7 lb. trigger, but I don't have a gauge.

Lower receiver - Forged aluminum. Integrated trigger guard, but Smith uses that on some of their higher end models, also.

Feed ramps - Fully cut M4 feedramps.

Upper receiver - Flat top receiver with T marked rails and a dual aperture detachable rear sight. Milspec F marked front sight base, just like Colt and the high end AR builders use.

Barrel - Melonite treated barrel, including bore and chamber. 5R 1:8 twist. This barrel is less expensive to manufacture, particularly for S&W because they got the 5R rifling through their acquisition of Thompson Center and already did melonite treatment on the M&P pistol slides. Melonite treating gives a surface hardness comparable to chrome lining, but does not change the dimensions, so it is inherently more accurate than a chrome lined barrel. 5R rifling gives a better gas seal, higher velocity and better accuracy. The barrel was a selling point for me because all of my research indicates that a melonite treated 5R rifled barrel is superior to a 6R chrome lined barrel. The 1:8 twist lets you shoot anything from 55 to 75 grain bullets.

Bottom line - I think that Smith has produced an inexpensive rifle that should last as long and shoot as accurately and reliably as AR's costing twice as much. Only time will tell, but my first impressions are encouraging.
 
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