M&p 15

[MO_Soldier]

Couple of points to mention and discuss after I encountered the Magpul edition of this rifle today.

Has anyone else seen the Magpul edition? Thats a sweet rig right outta the box!

What are your thoughts/experiences with the 1/8 twist? Didn't know that existed until today and seems like something new that I would wait for to prove itself before buying.

All in all it was a VERY light, ergonomic rifle for $1200 out the door. I'm definitely not buying any time soon, so i have the time to wait out the whole 1/8 thing.

Any thoughts on S&W's take on the AR-15?

What about the lighter barrel it comes with. My standard issue M-16 has never overheated. Has anyone had bad experiences with these light barrels overheating?

Thanks guys!

[MO_Soldier]

Also, what is the shortest barrel length you can buy?

[Bootlegger]

I have the M&P sport but from my understanding on S&W website all the MP15 bbl are the same 1/8" twist 5R rifling. 1 buddy of mine has the 15-T, same lower and same bbl, mine shoots just as good as his. No overheating issues (had both smokin once tho) :33::33:

About 3000 rounds out of mine so far, would buy same again!

Magpul edition: very cool looking!

[MLESa7990]

Also, what is the shortest barrel length you can buy?

16'' overall before you have to pay a gov't extortion fee

[Scoundrel]

I also purchased the M&P 15 Sport after looking at the one that already came with a lot of MagPul accessories. With the money I saved, I bought a couple of MagPul accessories (the ones I really cared about), a bunch of magazines, and a crapload of ammo.

These guys did a pretty extensive review of the Sport model:
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/201...on-mp15-sport/

S&W says "They’ve fed two M&P15 Sport test rifles a combined ~170,000 rounds of various brands of ammunition without any [visible] damage to the Melonite finishing process." I feel that if it's good enough for S&W's torture testing, it's good enough for me.

The "gain twist" thing is interesting. Starts out longer, tightens up as it moves down the barrel. Seem to produce pretty tight groupings for me when using Federal XM193.

[MO_Soldier]

What models are offered by S&W?

I hate being a bandwagon guy, hence one reason I bought Kahr, but the Colts are REALLY appealing to me!

I want MILSPEC. I heard all of them are...but Colt's website claims that they are the ONLY MILSPEC AR15's.

I dont care to spend bookoo money on an LWCI or whatever. I just want something reliable and durable that meets a recognized standard.

[johnh]

Personally I build my own ARs. I like to get them the way I want them. It is also a fun hobby--but a tad expensive. Get your upper, a stripped lower, lower parts kit, the furniture you want, etc.. There are plenty of tutorials online. In the Springfield, MO, area, Kelley's Tactical and 417 Guns both carry plenty of parts.

1/8 is a good twist in my experience. I have several long guns with it. I feel it is a better compromise twist than 1/9. You can run heavier bullets well, but still stabilize the light stuff if you want to shoot cheap 55gr or even some of the very light defensive/varmint rounds. I have often wondered why more barrel makers don't move to that twist instead of 1/9. Old habits die hard I suppose.

For my go-to ARs, I only do 1/7 chrome lined barrels. I try to get as close to what the military issues in terms of the important parts. Some upgrades of my own choosing after that. Really the 1/7s run lighter bullets okay for practice.

[Scoundrel]

What models are offered by S&W?

S&W has quite a variety of configurations available. You can see them here: http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/w...51_757784_-1_Y

Personally I build my own ARs. I like to get them the way I want them. It is also a fun hobby--but a tad expensive.
For my go-to ARs, I only do 1/7 chrome lined barrels. I try to get as close to what the military issues in terms of the important parts. Some upgrades of my own choosing after that. Really the 1/7s run lighter bullets okay for practice.

I decided I might try building my own later, if I got deeper into it - but for my first one, I wanted an inexpensive one that worked perfectly out of the box. That's what I got.

Regarding chrome vs. melonite, check out this article:
http://www.burlingtoneng.com/wear_resistance.html

I am certainly no expert, and much of this article went right over my head - but I believe that melonite is superior to chrome, and the reason the military has not yet adopted it is because they are slow to accept change in the "mainstream military". I am sure they have lots of bleeding edge technology in some of their equipment, just perhaps not their rifles, eyeglasses, and belt buckles.

[MO_Soldier]

Thanks for beating me to yet another issue John!

I would love to build one starting with a lower. I haven't youtubed it or anything, but all these terms like "staking" and stuff are kinda scary. If it was plug and play i would have no issues, but it seems like it requires some tools, and I don't have much at all. Just standard stuff, nothing specifically for guns at all.

I really like the way the magpul edition rifles come from any manufacturer. Other than the front sight and some accessories, I dont think i would change a thing on them.

[jdavis]

I also like the MOE ARs. The best value for the money that I found is the DTI (Del-Ton) Sierra MOE. It offers all the features for a lot less than most of the other brands. I can be had in FDE. OD, or black. It does have the 1:9 twist barrel which hasn't been an issue for me. Anyway, it met my needs very well and should be well worth a look @about $800.

[rholmes69]

Barrel has to be 16", but you could get a 10in barrel and attach a 6 inch flash hider (permanently of course) and it would be defined as legal in such a configuration...

[les strat]

As mentioned the 1:8 barrels are good at stabilizing heavier rounds as well as light and are a great compromise for shooting light 55gr as well. Milspec is 1:7 though.

I almost bought the S&W MOE, but went with the Colt LE6920MOE-FDE instead for another couple bills. There are other brands that are "milspec" too. It's just that Colt pretty much what defined the standard. The ones they sell now are stamped "M4" and are all LE models.

The S&W is a fine rifle and is used by many LEO's. We are not fighting a war running full auto, and even if we had to use the rifles to defend our family/country/freedom, most of us will never wear one out.

Buy an upper end optic like an Eotech, Trijicon, or Aimpoint and slap that on there, and that's all you'll ever need in a battle rifle. I can't stress enough about not skimping on the glass.

[joshh]

colt pretty much established the "mil specs" because they are the contracted manufacturer for the rifles to the military. many brands build to or above those specs. s&w has some that are that spec but also has models that are not. Their cheapest models do have cheaper parts that are interchangeable with milspec components but are not built to those high standards. keep in mind that military standards for that type of rifle are for serious duty use and are standards most people would never need for what they are going to do with it.
as far as barrels go a 1:7" twist is better for NATO rounds (55gr+) but a 1:8 is good too and better for lighter rounds. both are great with the most common bullets which are 55gr or 62gr but match grade stuff can get heavier.
s&w builds a good rifle and there are guys at my club who love their s&w sports and they are a great deal. you can build your own ar too but i found it was more $ than ordering a complete built the way i wanted/needed. I may buy another upper at some point then assemble a basic lower for it with parts ive upgraded from the one i have, but i wouldnt try to build the upper as its not a great $ difference (sepecially if you have to buy the tools) so i'll leave it to the pros.
watch out, BLACK RIFLES can get ADDICTING.