M&P 15 New Owner

[KenSV1985]

Greetings all! I finally jumped at the opportunity to own a Smith M&P 15 after years of being on the fence about it. What a beautiful rifle I must say! I can't take my hands off the thing!

I would like to ask a few questions here that i hope are not too "noob" for everyone.

I want to upgrade my front handguard to a quad rail. What is the difference between a "floating" rail and a regular (I guess) rail?

I've seen much written about heat shields in these rails. I'd like to get a quad that had a heat protective shield within. Does anyone have a recommendation for a quality (but inexpensive) quad rail, made in the US, for this rifle?

Finally, I have not had the chance to shoot the rifle as of yet. I did purchase some of the Tula .223 ammo as I've read that the M&P has absolutely no feed problems with any type of ammo. I also have a few boxes of the ARMCORE .223 ammo. Does anyone have any opinions of if these munitions are good to use for plinking in the M&P? Anything to watch out for with these munitions?

Thank you, all. I'm really excited about this rifle and can't wait to take it through it's paces.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Greetings all! I finally jumped at the opportunity to own a Smith M&P 15 after years of being on the fence about it. What a beautiful rifle I must say! I can't take my hands off the thing!

I would like to ask a few questions here that i hope are not too "noob" for everyone.

I want to upgrade my front handguard to a quad rail. What is the difference between a "floating" rail and a regular (I guess) rail?

I've seen much written about heat shields in these rails. I'd like to get a quad that had a heat protective shield within. Does anyone have a recommendation for a quality (but inexpensive) quad rail, made in the US, for this rifle?

Finally, I have not had the chance to shoot the rifle as of yet. I did purchase some of the Tula .223 ammo as I've read that the M&P has absolutely no feed problems with any type of ammo. I also have a few boxes of the ARMCORE .223 ammo. Does anyone have any opinions of if these munitions are good to use for plinking in the M&P? Anything to watch out for with these munitions?

Thank you, all. I'm really excited about this rifle and can't wait to take it through it's paces.

I think you cannot go wrong with the Troy Industries quad rail. If memory serves, this is the one S&W uses on its M&P15X, and it is easy to install and it does not require any modification to the front gas block, which is a minor pain and not fun for a non-gunsmith.

A free float rail would require removal of the front gas block, which has the front sight, and replacement with a low gas block over which the free float rail can slide during installation.

The military does quite fine without the free float, and given the purpose of the rifle, there is no reason to have it for the uses that we non-military people will put our rifles, which could be "action" type matches, plinking (mostly) and self-defense. Minute of angle is not required for those disciplines.

If, on the other hand, you plan to go varmint shooting or to Camp Perry, and you need the type of extra accuracy you get, then the free float treatment is more justified, but for either of these purposes, the rifle you have is the wrong rifle, as it is not set up for either discipline, even with a free float rail.

Try this:

Troy BattleRail Drop In CAR/M4|Battlerail Accessories|Battlerails|Battlesights|Troy Industries| | Two Piece Drop-In Rails

 

[VMaxSplat]

Congrats on your new M&P15.

While I don't personally use the railed forends (except the stock unit on the 15/22), several of my friends use the VTAC free float tubes. You can attach rail sections as needed.

Most any commercial ammo should be ok for plinking with the M&P15. There is only one way to know for sure though...

 

[WardenRoss]

My stock Sport shoots 1" groups at 100 yards any day of the week with any ammo that I've tried, so far.

So...if your "mission" is for <100 yards shooting, I see no real need for a free-float, unless you really plan on longs strings at long distances.

 

[webfarmer]

Let me suggest one thing to think about if you decide to go to a quad rail. Weight. For my old Colt SP1, I swapped out the forend to one I bought from Sportsman's Guide. No, It isn't junk LOL. I couldn't believe how heavy it was. Well made for sure - but heavy.

Add that, a forend grip, optics, laser etc. and that 6 3/4 pound rifle feels like you're carrying a Garand (not kidding). Granted I'm older than dirt (60), but just throwing that out there for consideration. My new Magpul Mid is nicely lightweight. The Magpul forend design allows you to add grips etc. with various lengths of picatinny rails made of sturdy lightweight materials. Really worth looking in to if weight is a consideration. Good Luck!

 

[oneyeopn]

You do not have too spend a ton of money to get a quadrail, try an Omega Tactical. There are plenty of solid quads that are affordable and your not paying for a "name". I have free floated but I rarely shoot even as close as 100'. It doesnt really matter which rail you put on your going to gain some weight, have you felt just how light the plastic handguards are. With a quadrail you dont need shields, the rails are well ventilated so you dont get hardly any heat through them at all, even after quite a few bullets. I have put the Omega on quite a number of MSR's of many different brands, you can install it with 1 allen wrench in less than 5 minutes and it isnt going anywhere.

 

[Maddmax]

This is what worked great for me and the price is reasonable. Has a "How to" vedio to show you. Around $50.

Manufacturer: Leapers UTG MTU001 MADE IN THE USA TOO.

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/2-UTGMTU001#



Made in the US. Four-sided, mil-spec picatinny railed handguard allows for a huge array of accessories and is precision machined for maximum strength.
Two piece design replaces your original plastic handguards and locks in place for a secure fit. Installs easily without gunsmithing or modification to the barrel.
Includes black rubber rail guards for comfort and protection.

Hard anodized aluminum construction for superior wear resistance. Four rails with 14 slots per rail.
Fits carbine length M4 and AR-15 style rifles. BLACK.