What did you look at before buying the M&P 15?

[calif 15-22]

I hope I don't get to beat up to much for this, but was curious what others looked at or bought before ending up with a M&P?

I'm a newbie looking for my first .223 AR. Will be exclusively a range and or SHTF gun. I've been all over the boards gaining lots of information, bought thought I'd ask those that bought M&P 15s

I know what I don't want. I have no need for the super high end piston sytems. I don't need the ultra high end nor do I want the entry level. My philosophy as always been buy the middle of the road and grow into it, rather than buying the entry level and growing out of it too soon. While there are dozens and dozens of great Manufacturers and models, I've narrow it to these:

M&P 15T - Love S&W customer service, own a 15-22 like the look.

DDM4 - Daniel Defense has nothing but great reviews

Colt 6920 CA Version - Colt can't go wrong.

(Side note) Here in California I'm super fearfull of being pulled over by a cop who is not familiar with what is legal or not, seeing "Colt" on the side of an AR and taking me to jail even thought the gun is legal. Sure it would be dismissed but I'd still have a mess on my hands. S&W and DD names are not on the dreaded list.

Just curious how you all ended up with M&P 15s.

Any and all insight would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance . . .

 

[SSgt M]

We'll I wanted a DPMS Oracle till I ran across the sport.
The Oracle reviews are good, but the M&P sport has more to offer IMO.
The sport stacks up to any AR from a shooters stand point. It's the price that scared non owners to say it's junk. You will be hard pressed to find a sport owner that's not happy.

Not to mention, Smith one of top manufacturing weapons companies, and backed with a lifetime warranty.

 

[MPDC]

The 15T is a very good choice. I bought S&W because of a brand loyalty developed over many years. Now that S&W is actually doing most of the fabrication in house, I think it has become even more attractive a choice.

My high end choice would be LMT but you get (IMHO) at least 95% for half the price. I think the sport is agood buy too but not the mid price point you want. I am pretty much in tune with that outlook too.

 

[crracer_712]

I wasn't even really in the market for an AR15, but after not being able to find a SR1911 while at a gun show, I started looking them over. One in particular caught my eye. It was a Spike's Tactical. I had never heard of them, looked on my smart phone for a price comparison but couldn't come up with anything relatively quick.

Turns out, I'd have been OK in buying that Spike's AR, they are rated really well. I bought the M&P mainly because the model I ended up with was deeply discounted. I would have preferred the Railed model, and while it was well under retail, it was almost 400 more than what I ended up paying for my 15A, only difference was it came with the Troy rail.

I have since put all Magpul furniture on, so all is moot now, and I'm very happy with my M&P. But I'll likely add a Spike's if I find another I like in the future.

Already owning the 15-22 was a little swaying as well.

 

[Capt Crunch]

I was nearly sold on the Bushmaster CAR 15, Bud was (still is) having a promotion for them for 699 with a reddot. However I'm glad I did see that because it was the first time I saw where their were AR platforms under 1k. For several reasons I went with the M&P and have not looked back...

 

[Scott10d]

I have lmt,lwrc and a colt and just bought 2 of sports this weekend
To see how they do,so far I am very pleased.i hope to do some long range testing this weekend.

 

[oneyeopn]

I would have made my Dad happier had I bought a surplus Colt or surplus Bushmaster, I bought the Sport, the biggest deal was the progressive gain twist barrel, I know that they stabilize bullets real well and my sport is more accurate than my friends bushmaster or my Dad's Colt AR15A3, So I am really glad that I listened to me this one time.

 

[ocinsomniac]

Put an order in with a large volume gun dealer here in northern GA a few weeks ago on an MP-15 Sport. Also put an order in on a 380 Body Guard for the wife. This gun shop gladly took my money, told me 3-4 weeks wait. As of today they couldn't give me a straight answer as to approx. how much longer til delivery, except "you're number 30 something on the wait list for both guns, and it's gonna be awhile."

Couldn't wait! Found a small gun store about 50 miles from me that had my wife's pistol in stock, and although they just sold their last Sport yesterday, they had a fair selection of M&P 15's at very reasonable prices.

So instead of the Sport, I got one of these they had in stock -

Product: Model M&P15 Rifle

.......And of course the wife's BG 380. We were happy campers!

Not really crazy about the detachable handle with rear sight, but that comes off and in it's place goes an Eotech 512, and a detachable rear sight that mounts to the rail so I can co-witness.

Yeah, I could have waited weeks, even months to get a Sport for a few hundred less, but I want it NOW! Weather has been too good lately to waste all these spring-like winter days without being at the range.

 

[Grjfer]

I was originally looking at an ak because I didn't think I could afford an AR. Then I spotted a dpms sportical and M&P sport at my local gun shop. Looked at the dpms but the owner suggested the S&W, said it was a better value. So I went home did a little research, and bought the S&W Sport a few days later.

I have been very happy with my decision. Lifetime warranty, long standing reputation, value, and this great forum. Whats not to love?

 

[JaPes]

I finally received the SR1911 I ordered. Being a semi-addicted firearms enthusiast, I started to look for my next handgun. I spent a couple hours looking at all the semi-auto's and wheel guns.

To my dismay, there weren't any handguns that I felt I had to have.

I'm not much of a long-gun guy. My only bolt action rifle is a Mosin-Nagant. I have a 15-22 & 10-22. I have one shotgun, a Benelli SuperNova Tactical. I figured since I now had a 1911 I might as well get another American icon, an AR15.

I set a budget of no more than $900. I started looking at used AR's. I looked at a used Bushmaster, DPMS, Stag.

I received a Cabela's flyer in the mail. 0% financing for 12 mos. on all S&W firearms, with a $25 promo. They had a 15-Sport in stock. Being a newb, I felt less apprehensive buying a S&W because it's a major firearms manufacturer & the S&W limited lifetime warranty.

Been fun ever since. Got me addicted to the EBR.

On other forums, I got ragged on for buying a 15-Sport. I was told that I could have just built a full featured one myself for the price. I was annoyed, yet curious. So I assembled one within the same cost as a 15-Sport.

 

[rtquig]

I already had an M&P 15 22 and really had no desire to pick up an AR 15 until I saw the Sport and its price. While ammunition is no cheap, it was well worth the purchase.

 

[oneyeopn]

JaPes...so after building your own within the same cost as the Sport what do you think? They are both nice looking rifles but IMHO I like the smoother barrel on the sport and that optic set up. But what do you think, and is the barrel on your build shorter or does it just look that way? So give us the specs on your build, I am wondering. I found suppliers for the melonite treated parts and have been looking at doing it but Adams Arms gets a ton of money for their melonite treated pieces.

 

[JaPes]

JaPes...so after building your own within the same cost as the Sport what do you think? They are both nice looking rifles but IMHO I like the smoother barrel on the sport and that optic set up. But what do you think, and is the barrel on your build shorter or does it just look that way? So give us the specs on your build, I am wondering. I found suppliers for the melonite treated parts and have been looking at doing it but Adams Arms gets a ton of money for their melonite treated pieces.

The Franken-AR's barrel is 14.5" with a pinned flash suppressor. That's as short as I could go without having to file SBR paperwork with the ATF & pay the $200 tax stamp.

The barrel is M4 profile, 4150 CMV non chrome lined, 1:9 national match grade rifling, chambered for 5.56 with M4 feed ramps. I think the exterior barrel finish is mil-spec phosphate coating.

RGUNS - AR-15 Upper Receivers -5.56mm: 14.5 Inch

Second one down. I splurged the extra $10 to get the MOE hand guards.

The stripped lower is a Delaware Machinery.

Welcome to the RGUNS Internet Storefront (scroll down the home page and you'll see it.)

The lower parts are a standard kit, nothing special. I polished the sear & disconnect, and installed a JP Enterprises "Yellow" reduced power trigger spring kit.

The buffer tube & spring are generic mil-spec items. It has an H buffer in it.

At first had standard M4 stock & grip on it. (The Magpul MOE stock & MIAD pistol grip were transferred off my 15-22.)

I was using the A2 sight from my 15-Sport. I don't intend to mount an optic on it, so I added an A2 carry handle for looks.

$500 Complete 14.5 Upper w/MOE hand guard.(RGuns)
$70 Stripped Lower (RGuns)
$100 Lower build parts
$30 A2 Carry Handle (no name off Amazon)
===============
$700 OTD

MSRP 15-Sport = $739 W/O Taxes & fees.

I paid $614.99 OTD for my 15-Sport after applying $50 Cabela's promo & rewards points.

I could have had a build price around $640-ish if I opted for a 16" barrel. $610-ish w/o a carry handle. Then I really would have built something to have an apples to apples comparison to the 15-Sport.

I wanted something different so I paid a little more.

The funny thing is that if I check AR forums for opinions on the component parts & upper I used, they're pooh-poohed worse than the 15-Sport.

Google RGuns, and you'll see some nasty internet forum posts from 2009. It made me apprehensive, but RGuns was recommended by a FFL acquaintance. RGuns is local to me, so if I had any issues I figured I'd have less issues resolving them. I have nothing but good things to say about RGuns.

 

[Shooting Padre]

A surplus F14 Tomcat with full strike capabilities, but my 15-22 came under budget much faster.

 

[SSgt M]

I too looked at building one prior to my sport purchase, but to build something decent to me was 800+ and then hoped it shot.

 

[JaPes]

Forgot to answer the question beyond the build, & "what I think".

My 15-Sport is a great AR assembled by a prominent firearms manufacturer, backed by a lifetime factory warranty that gives me a warm secure fuzzy feeling inside. I take a measure of sanctification in that my entry level priced AR has capabilities beyond that entry level price.

My Franken-AR is assembled by a great guy. If it breaks, that same great guy will fix it with a great turn-around time. Same day shipping. I'm a little more prideful of my Franken-AR because I assembled it myself, exactly the way I wanted it.

They both good shooters. It's a draw.

The Melonite treated 4140 steel, 1:8 5R barrel is nice. Cleaning is easy.

The no-chrome lined, 4150 CMV stee, 1:9 National Match Grade Rifled barrel is nice too. Cleaning is isn't different from the Melonite barrel. I do push a couple more patches through to get it clean.

Melonite provides corrosion resistance. The unlined CMV barrel, less so. It doesn't matter to me because the final step in my cleaning process is to pull a CLP moistened patch through the barrel to give it a protective coat.

 

[cyphertext]

I was going between PSA and the Sport. I also considered the M&P 15 optics ready, but I decided I wanted the barrel that the Sport offered for shooting the heavier rounds.

 

[JaPes]

I too looked at building one prior to my sport purchase, but to build something decent to me was 800+ and then hoped it shot.

You should try assembling a lower & topping it off with your choice of complete upper. As you may already know, assembling a lower isn't difficult. Follow the instructions step-by-step and you can't screw it up. It will shoot.

PSA AR15 Lower

(Every once in a while PSA will put these on sale for $49.95. Depending on the cost of shipping & FFL transfer fee, YMMV.)

+

Palmetto State Armory Classic Lower Build Kit - Lower Parts - AR-15

From what I gather, assembling an upper is more involved. Affixing gas block to the barrel. Affixing the gas tube to the gas block. Mating the barrel to the receiver & making sure everything is torqued to spec and aligned. It's in assembling an upper that you hope it will shoot without having to make adjustments.

 

[crracer_712]

JaPes, good job on the build. I'm looking in to building one of my own, if nothing else, just to say I built my own. I may try some of the lower end stuff and assemble a couple for my boys, if I can find good deals while milling around the gun shows. Always parts scattered everywhere for these things, until recently, I've never gave much attention to what that stuff was going for. There are some deals to be had on some quality lower parts at gun shows now and then.

 

[JaPes]

JaPes, good job on the build. I'm looking in to building one of my own, if nothing else, just to say I built my own.

Thanks! It's a budget build, but surprisingly performs better than it's budget cost would imply.

There is a certain pride in building your own. It's fun too. It's like the adult version of Legos.