Is the 2011 M&P15T worth it?

[yosMMR]

Hello everyone! Long time stalker, first time poster.

I have an opportunity to buy new the 2011 M&P15T for $1100 shipped, or the 2012 M&P15T for $810 shipped.

My question, is the older model worth the extra $290?

The 2011 features:

Troy foldable sights
Troy modular free float barrel
Chrome 1:9 4140 steel

The 2012 features:

Magpul foldable sights
Smith & Wesson free float quad rail
1:8 5R melonite treated barrel 4140 steel

Is the melonite at 1:8 better than the chromed at 1:9?

Are the Magpul sites just as good as the Troy ones?

To be honest, I really like the 2012 MOE with the 4150 CMV barrel, but I really want a free floating barrel.

Trying to decide? Everyone on here seems to have a lot more knowledge and experience than I do.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[cyphertext]

In my opinion, the 1:8 barrel would be a better choice between the two barrels, however the Troy sights would be preferable over the Magpul. Also, the Troy rail is much more expensive than the rail on the 2012 model.

Both are good rifles though, so it comes down to which do you like more, and at which price point.

 

[Shinny]

^^^What he said^^^. They are both very nice, I agree it's what you're going to be happy with. Just my $0.02

 

[Buffalohunter60]

Of coarse you have to get what you really want. I would go for the melonite barrel and save the $290....iron sights do not work for these old eyes so that would have no bearing on it in my case. I am not sure what they have for triggers....but if they have a standard AR triggers, I would put the money saved toward the best trigger I could put in it. Just my thoughts....so many here have had such good accuracy out of the melonite barrel, very impressive. Take a look at some of the groups by oneyeopn and Rebs they were using melonite barrels and Rebs is not even free floated. For myself...accuracy is everything (and I need all I can get LOL)

 

[TheMaineEvent]

As mentioned, you have to ask yourself some questions to decide which rifle would be better for you.

For what it's worth, most shooters don't rely on iron sights as their primary means of aiming. If that's going to be the case with you then I wouldn't let who makes what be the deciding factor as both sights work just fine.

For me, I'd care more about the bore lining and twist as that has a direct impact on the quality of the rifle and what rounds it'll handle better. Not that one has a huge advantage over the other, but for me, the melonite barrel with its 1:8 twist is preferable to a chrome lined one with a 1:9 twist, but that's just me.

Ultimately, you can't go wrong with either rifle, but I'd be all over the 2012 at that price. With the money you'd save you can buy a good red dot or put it towards a Eotech/Aimpoint or a bunch of ammo.

 

[oneyeopn]

I would much rather have the 1:8 5R barrel, not all but most of us use the Iron Sights as back up. The magpul although not as nice as the Troy will cowitness real well and do what you need them to do. The $290 to use elsewhere is a great selling point, it would buy ammo, optics, better trigger the options are almost endless. Thats my $.02 but its your money!!

 

[BillyJack2012]

$810 SHIPPED???????????? Get it now or someone else will. That's an outstanding price.

I like the 2011 as much as the next guy for the Troy rail and sights. But like the others have said, I would rather have the new barrel. The Magpul sights are fine. The new rail is a UTG Pro which you can take for what it is. But again, $810 shipped? I'd be refreshing my tracking number by now just to see where it was in the shipping process.

 

[Maddmax]

I agree. $810. shipped... POUNCE on that puppy. Around here "T"s are running $1100.-$1200. walking out the door IF you can find one. That ($810.) is a "high" price on a Sport (IF you can also find one) around here. ...GO FOR IT!!

 

[danno1]

Agreed. I paid 999.00 plus tax for my FT. That was the best around here.

 

[glen_farmer]

Within the period of one year and shooting 300 rounds of .223 per month, the money spent on ammo will be more than the price of either 15T. How is that for one way to justify the more expensive rifle?

It's extra stuff needed to make the rifle just the way you want it that can really count up. On my wife's early model 15T there is the smallest Magpul pistol grip available, angled fore grip, Troy ambi mag release, single point sling mount bracket, A.R.M.s quick release that attaches her inexpensive Bushnell red dot and a grip pod that hasn't seen the light of day in a long time. And then there is the dual heavy duty rifle transportation case.

So, in the big picture, the purchase price of the rifle gets lost among all the other stuff.

 

[yosMMR]

Sorry for the late response guys. I'm locked up in SCIF most of my days, and don't get to reach out to the electronic world.


Thank you for all those of you that responded. Everyone made perfect sense. $290 more, just for the Troy sights, that I wont use past their initial sighting, is kind of foolish. I have a Burris AR-332 that I had mounted on my Mossberg MMR.

Another person also mentioned that I could probably sell the Magpuls, and buy Troy with the money from the sale, and still be sub-$950 for the 2012 model with Troys.

The only thing that was really left to compare was the barrels. And I was really impressed with the 1:8 Melonite. I guess my opinion was skewed by all this mil-spec chrome barrel talk all over the web. But my Mossberg has a 1:9 now, and it didn't make any sense to me to buy another 1:9 just because it's chromed.

So I ordered the 2012 model. It will be here by February or sooner. I know it's a wait, but I can't beat the price.

 

[yosMMR]

Here it is. OD'ed out.

 

[glen_farmer]

That was quick. And your carbine looks very good.

If you didn't eat G.I. chow and learn all about the M16, you should now look into taking same carbine classes and try some 3-gun/multi gun competition. Doing that will make you appreciate your new carbine even more.

Congratulations.

 

[cyphertext]

That was quick. And your carbine looks very good.

If you didn't eat G.I. chow and learn all about the M16...

Hey Glen, I was USAF too, so I ate G.I. chow and learned all about the M16....as much as they could teach me that one afternoon anyway!

 

[yosMMR]

That was quick. And your carbine looks very good.

If you didn't eat G.I. chow and learn all about the M16, you should now look into taking same carbine classes and try some 3-gun/multi gun competition. Doing that will make you appreciate your new carbine even more.

Congratulations.

I'm going to check over at Quantico to see they offer any classes.

Thanks Glen.

 

[zip777]

From everything I've read you made the right decision. The barrel is the heart of the rifle. Most of the rest can be swapped out to meet your needs. Well done.

 

[yosMMR]

Does anyone if the if my 15T's buttstock is commercial or mil-spec?

Looking to replace the stock with an OD one. Didn't realize there was two sizes.

 

[cyphertext]

Does anyone if the if my 15T's buttstock is commercial or mil-spec?

Looking to replace the stock with an OD one. Didn't realize there was two sizes.

It should be mil-spec, but I have seen posts where folks measured and found commercial dimensions on their extension. Best bet would be to measure so that you will know for sure what your rifle has.

 

[yosMMR]

Added a Magpul CTR stock.

 

[zip777]

Nice. I installed the magpul moe but must say the ctr looks better visually with the smaller size. What scope is that?