M&P Sport vs M&P Rifle (sku 811000)

[grnidkjun]

For what its worth, I'm a woman and love my sport.
I was able to outfit it how I want for under a grand including 500 rounds of practice ammo.
I have not needed a forward assist.. and definitely don't need a dust cover.
It was my valentine to me this year and I'm so glad I bought it.
My friends (military and hunters) have also been impressed with it.
Whichever you choose I think you will be happy with.

 

[thingamajig]

Forward assist would be useful if you hunt and prefer to carry with the chamber empty -- if you spotted game you'd want to drop the bolt silently to chamber a round without scaring the game. So with FA you could ride the bolt forward with the charging handle, then push it into place with the FA.

Or just carry chambered with the safety on and your brain engaged.

 

[Stebo]

Forward assist would be useful if you hunt and prefer to carry with the chamber empty -- if you spotted game you'd want to drop the bolt silently to chamber a round without scaring the game. So with FA you could ride the bolt forward with the charging handle, then push it into place with the FA.

FA has been integral to the AR for 50 years. There's a reason for that. Thingamajig states it perfectly, and that applies to combat or hunting. I know, you could always push the scallop, but then that's a reason for the FA. Personally, I don't need FA, but I see why it's there.

Spoke with a young hero a few weeks ago who was headed back to Afghanistan. He tells me they sometimes wrap their weapons to keep out dust, and even run their weapons dry to keep the dust from gumming up in the oil. Don't need a dust cover? Yeah, I don't for the range shooting I do, but I understand why it's there.

I like the Sport, have recommended it to friends, but because of that nice, melonite 5R barrel. If I were to own one I think I'd have to replace the upper. Just my opinion.

 

[jwk]

The FA helps those who are compulsive chamber checkers, the ones who pull the bolt back just a little so that they can see a round in the chamber. That leaves the rifle slightly out of battery which is a bad thing. The FA will push things the rest of the way home.

If you have a jam try clearing it. Shoving it further into the chamber is seldom a good thing.

 

[PJS50]

I'll try and stay on topic for you Ken:
rojodiablo is spot-on: the forward assist was an item added when they were ignorant enough to; 1).think the weapon didn't need cleaning or 2). that soldiers needed to know how to clean them in the first place.
So essentially, most forward assists go completely unused in the civilian world. Now in combat, it may have SOME utility, but I would also venture that they also go essentially unused for the most part...

The dust cover is nice, but "100% necessary" I doubt....

Due to the insanity happening around our country regarding gun laws/control, if you don't already own SOME KIND of AR variant, I'd get what you can right now and later on worry about small features like these being 100% necessary...