Would you buy the compliant for the heavy barrel?

[rip3000gt]

Hello Everyone, I am planning on picking up an M&P 10 in the near future. My plans are to probably put on the fixed magpul PRS stock and also to put on a free float rail and muzzle compensator. I would like to use the gun for longer distance shooting.

Would I be better off getting the compliant version with the heavier barrel? I'm really not a fan of the thinner barrel on the standard M&P10. I was thinking I could get the compliant version take the pinned stock off and have the barrel threaded. I live in PA and am on the border of NJ so getting the compliant isn't hard for me.

Any thoughts?

 

[ole-cowboy]

In the end, it's whatever floats your boat.
I would be VERY surprised to see anyone be able to shoot well enough to have that thin barrel hold them back

 

[rojodiablo]

Quite honestly, if I were getting the rifle for long range shooting, I would be getting a 20 or 22" barrel, to maximize pressures developed.
And, were I getting a heavy barrel rifle, it would be a bolt action.

With this said, the rifle will give up good accuracy with the right ammo, regardless of barrel.

Several of my best long range rifles are true hunting guns, and not heavy at all. After having owned some really heavy rifles, I came to appreciate lighter rifles.

 

[Rick_A]

Most thin barrels will shoot quite well so long as they don't get too hot, especially when free floated.

If it'll be a stationary target gun the heavier the barrel the better. If it's to be a field gun that'll be carried often a compromise must be made.

I have a few rifles weighing from nine to ten lbs scoped. That's as much rifle as I'd want to lug around.

 

[wanker]

Mine is a heavy barrel and she is a tack driver.

 

[Lost Lake]

I'll echo the others on this one....

If you want a long range target gun, the M&P10 isn't what you want.

And to take it a step further, .308Win isn't a great long range round to start with!!

.

 

[apiccola]

Does the compliant model really have a heavy barrel, or is it more like an un-threaded light or medium weight barrel that's perceived as a heavy barrel?

 

[rip3000gt]

Does the compliant model really have a heavy barrel, or is it more like an un-threaded light or medium weight barrel that's perceived as a heavy barrel?

I don't know if i would call it a heavy barrel but its profile doesn't thin out past the gas block. I guess I'm just not sure if I'm a fan of the thin looking barrel or not.

 

[sgtsandman]

Even with the heavier barrel, using an AR for long range shots is a compromise. There is a reason snipers tend to prefer something more like a full length hunting rifle over a carbine. The .308 round is considered by many to be an 800 yard round. If you set the AR up correctly, you should be able to get pretty close to that. Little things help, so the heavier barrel would go some distance toward that but I think good optics, using the right grain bullet, and free floating the barrel will do more for you in that regard. Either getting a trigger job or dropping in a better trigger group will help a lot as well.

The trick is, how are you going to use this weapon? Is it going to be a target match piece or will it see the field? You don't want a light trigger in the field and weight will become a factor quick. Also, a free floating hand guard is heavier than a standard one. It all depends on what you are willing to give up for your intended use.

 

[apiccola]

My assumptions on the compliant barrel, and its form are: a) S&W determined they could save cost by using the same barrel blanks and eliminating the milling time on the forward barrel and b) S&W determined that they needed to leave some weight on the barrel (offsetting the weight of the flash hider) to mitigate upswing. These are just guesses, but I trust in the capitalist big box nature ... if the compliant barrel were any better than the standard barrel, they would market it, and charge you at least $100 more for it (even if it cost them less to make the completed product).

 

[tlshores]

For me the 10 is a battle rifle. The light & accurate 308 in an AR format is a lot of firepower in a portable package. Mine was purchased with Heavy Metal 3-gun in mind. You could re-configure it for long range precision shooting at the expense of a lot of added weight. If so, it would probably be a very serviceable option out to 800+ yds. However there will always be better options for that type of shooing.
You could ask Drew Brees to play wide receiver but I'd just let him throw it.