Help me choose my first AR part II -- 2 M&Ps and 2 Colts

[Grjfer]

You might also consider putting together your own. I have 2 M&P sports and really like them. I want a no frills down and dirty AR to be able to throw on the ATV, or in the truck. I grabbed a blemished lower from PSA, then got a PSA mid length upper. All in for under $450,and that includes shipping and FFL. I have since added a B5 systems mid length hand guard, PSA enhanced trigger, magpul moe stock, and hogue grip. Still under $600. It has become the on I grab the most. Lightweight and fun to shoot.

 

[sgtsandman]

I'm trying to remember, one or more of these online retailers sell S&W complete uppers. It might be worth a look. It might not be cheaper but assembling a rifle, even one where you just snap together a complete upper with a complete lower, will get you most if not all the options you want. The retailers I'm thinking of is Sportsman's Guide, Cheaper Than Dirt!, and Natchez.

I generally steer clear of CTD since they priced gouged ammo when people were grabbing up everything they could but I don't completely rule them out as a last option.

PSA does have some really good deals on things too. The quality you get for the money you pay is pretty darn good.

 

[Biggfoot44]

6720 . Don't sweat the front sight assy.

 

[cyphertext]

The M&P 15T is not discontinued... the first gen that had a Troy quad rail is, but the second gen with the 1:8 twist melonited barrel, or corrosion protective whatever S&W calls it now, is still available to my knowledge.
Product: Model M&P15T - 5.56 mm, Tactical

Out of your list, the Sport is the best value, if you can live with the A2 front sight post. If not, then the Colt 6920 takes the same hit.

Personally, I would take the Colt LE6940 off the list as a first AR. Monolithic upper means you cant change out the rail if you do not like it. I do not care for quad rails... they are older technology and earned the nickname "cheese grater". I like the slimmer handguards, and with key lock or M lock, you can still attach stuff to the rifle if you are so inclined. If it is your first AR, you don't really know what you would like or wouldn't like.

Basically, between Colt and S&W, you will get more features on a S&W than you will a Colt, but you may not get all the "mil-spec" features like 4150 steel barrels, etc. You will have to decide what is more important to you.

I would also recommend looking at BCM. They have many configurations and you can probably get very close to exactly what you want from them.

 

[email4eric]

You might also consider putting together your own. I have 2 M&P sports and really like them. I want a no frills down and dirty AR to be able to throw on the ATV, or in the truck. I grabbed a blemished lower from PSA, then got a PSA mid length upper. All in for under $450,and that includes shipping and FFL. I have since added a B5 systems mid length hand guard, PSA enhanced trigger, magpul moe stock, and hogue grip. Still under $600. It has become the on I grab the most. Lightweight and fun to shoot.

Maybe in the future but I'm just way too busy to do all of that research! It took me a week of reading to get this far. HA!

Thanks!

 

[email4eric]

The M&P 15T is not discontinued... the first gen that had a Troy quad rail is, but the second gen with the 1:8 twist melonited barrel, or corrosion protective whatever S&W calls it now, is still available to my knowledge.
Product: Model M&P15T - 5.56 mm, Tactical

Out of your list, the Sport is the best value, if you can live with the A2 front sight post. If not, then the Colt 6920 takes the same hit.

Personally, I would take the Colt LE6940 off the list as a first AR. Monolithic upper means you cant change out the rail if you do not like it. I do not care for quad rails... they are older technology and earned the nickname "cheese grater". I like the slimmer handguards, and with key lock or M lock, you can still attach stuff to the rifle if you are so inclined. If it is your first AR, you don't really know what you would like or wouldn't like.

Basically, between Colt and S&W, you will get more features on a S&W than you will a Colt, but you may not get all the "mil-spec" features like 4150 steel barrels, etc. You will have to decide what is more important to you.

I would also recommend looking at BCM. They have many configurations and you can probably get very close to exactly what you want from them.

Would have liked to see that older Tactical model to which you refer as one of the reasons I chose against the Tactical is the quad rail on the current model as well as the slightly better barrel on the MOE Mid.

I also agree about the 6940 but may not have, if it had a non-quad rail like the one you mentioned on the old S&W Tactical.

Yeah, the M&P15 MOE Mid had the most on the wish list and I was especially interested in the 1/8 4150 semi-pencil barrel which folks talked glowingly about. Already outfitted with Magpul furniture so I won't have to endure that experiment.

Likely the only mods I'll (possibly) feel compelled to engage are a free floating (non quad) rail and folding front sights in place of the A2 -- but we'll see. Maybe it will be perfect right out of the box! I'm willing for that to occur.

 

[email4eric]

Thanks much to everyone who took the time to share their knowledge. I appreciate that and it was helpful to me.

I ended up ordering the M&P 15 MOE Mid edition (specs here):

Product: Model M&P15 MOE Mid MAGPUL® SPEC SERIES

I think that it will require the fewest changes (and perhaps none) of anything else I may have considered. I still want a 6920 if for nothing more than to put it away for a rainy day and almost bought one of those as well but refrained despite the excellent prices over the weekend.

I think prices are crazy good right now and I may "collect" two or three more ARs or even AKs in the next year. I don't think it's possible these rifles can get any lower in price but history tells us how high they can go!

Cheers and thanks again -- hopefully this all is helpful to others as well.

 

[jkasch]

Thanks much to everyone who took the time to share their knowledge. I appreciate that and it was helpful to me.

I ended up ordering the M&P 15 MOE Mid edition (specs here):

Product: Model M&P15 MOE Mid MAGPUL® SPEC SERIES

I think that it will require the fewest changes (and perhaps none) of anything else I may have considered. I still want a 6920 if for nothing more than to put it away for a rainy day and almost bought one of those as well but refrained despite the excellent prices over the weekend.

I think prices are crazy good right now and I may "collect" two or three more ARs or even AKs in the next year. I don't think it's possible these rifles can get any lower in price but history tells us how high they can go!

Cheers and thanks again -- hopefully this all is helpful to others as well.

Sounds like you went through the same mental gymnastics and reached the same conclusion I did one year ago. I love mine and the only change I made was to put on an SL hand guard. The m-lok makes moving accessories around so much easier.

 

[email4eric]

Sounds like you went through the same mental gymnastics and reached the same conclusion I did one year ago. I love mine and the only change I made was to put on an SL hand guard. The m-lok makes moving accessories around so much easier.

Yeah, I'm a serial researcher. It's a genetic flaw. I'm into guitars, photography, birding, metal art, and a few other too expensive hobbies. But nothing has equaled the morass of thousands of confusing options with regard to AR variants.

Mental gymnastics....yeah...I need a vacation!

 

[S&WForty]

Thank you email4eric! When I was a kid, we had to add security doors due to a break-in. Our next door neighbor could have been called a serial researcher, too. My mom just called up the same door company he had used trusting his judgment. I brought home the same model M&P15 today after finding your thread last night. Smith & Wesson owes you a commission! It seemed like a reasonable upgrade over the plain Sport model for roughly $300 more.

I emailed photos to my friend and told him, "All I know is it is two colors, shoots 5.56 and 223, and the price. Don't ask me anything else about it, because I don't know!"

I've never been attracted to rifles, but I decided it was time to get one while prices were still reasonable.

 

[email4eric]

Thank you email4eric! When I was a kid, we had to add security doors due to a break-in. Our next door neighbor could have been called a serial researcher, too. My mom just called up the same door company he had used trusting his judgment. I brought home the same model M&P15 today after finding your thread last night. Smith & Wesson owes you a commission! It seemed like a reasonable upgrade over the plain Sport model for roughly $300 more.

I emailed photos to my friend and told him, "All I know is it is two colors, shoots 5.56 and 223, and the price. Don't ask me anything else about it, because I don't know!"

I've never been attracted to rifles, but I decided it was time to get one while prices were still reasonable.

Excellent! That's funny because I have a couple of friends that also just call me when they want to know what to get in terms of some item...tires, computers, etc., etc. They've learned to piggy-back onto that character flaw of mine! HA!

Congratulations!

 

[S&WForty]

I racked my brain when I bought a 1911 a couple of years ago. The easy way out this time was too hard to pass up!