Sold my Colt pencil barrel and bought the Saint Edge 16”. Added an EO Tech holographic sight. Wow, I’m impressed. First day out with it, I took an Urban Defensive Rifle class. Shot a perfect 45 hits out of 45 rounds running and gunning with it at the end of an 8-hour day. I’m a believer.
While I’m a great S&W fan, I don’t consider the M&P15 equivalent to the Saint Edge. Maybe the Performance Center versions come closer but, not the regular production rifle, IMO. If there is a better value in an upper-mid level modern sporting rifle, I have not found it. I think a pistol version is in my future.