Ruger AR 556 or Smith and Wesson M&P 15

I would go S&W but Ruger is ok. Either would give you factory support. Something you often don't get with kit guns. I have built a few , I would go with Del-Ton for price and quality. That way all the parts are matched, not mix and match like PSA.

bannockburn said:

I "built" this particular AR long before there was an Internet by reading a couple of "How to..." articles along with a fairly helpful step-by-step photo display.

If I can do it, any one can.
View attachment 1010398

If I had to choose between the Ruger or the S&W, I would probably go with the S&W.

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Love the way that looks. I've got to build me a CAR-15 some day.

Hugger-4641 said:

No argument here, overall they are both good and I'm not a fanboy or hater of Ruger or S&W. They both make good guns, and occasionally some bad ones. I have many of both, but in the AR platform, I've only had problems with Ruger. Around here, a Ruger 5.56 is going for $200 or so higher than the equivalent M&P and having owned both, I can't see the justification for this.
"Building" can also mean different things to some. Snapping a complete lower to a complete upper can be called "building" and is probably the easiest and cheapest way at the moment.

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Oh, for a $200 difference get the Smith easy.

I was in your shoes a few years back . I had only waited over a half century to buy my first AR.( kind of a blued steel and walnut guy ). I knew practically nothing about entry level AR’s,but after a little research . I too had narrowed it down to the Ruger AR 556 or the Smith & Wesson MP sport 2 . Due to the scarcity at the time the Ruger showed on the shelf at my LGS first. Two weeks late I ran across an M&P sport and picked it up for my son. I have used both mostly for range fun. I am about 2000 rounds into the Ruger and maybe 1200 or so into the Sport. I have been very happy with both. Not a single hiccup from either rifle, and both are more accurate than me with open sights and Federal Lake City 62 gr green tip 855 ammo .
The two are so close that can’t think of a really good reason to reject one over the other .. Tentwing

TheClasonater said:

Only "bling" that's gonna go on it right away, is perhaps an optic so I can rid my property of pests.

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I was actually going to say, between the two of them I'd just pick one eenie meanie miney mo style if you can't decide, or pick the on with the more appealing roll mark. The real thought and consideration should be toward an optic. If you can afford, an aimpoint will not disappoint.

Whaaat, we did not have yet one of those “ for only X amount of $$$$ more, you can get a such and such rifle “ answer ?
It always has to be for “only $100 more…” guy answering very specific questions when people say they are on the certain budget or they say exactly which model(s) they are interested in.
Now seriously , I am sure both are very good , when I was buying mine few years ago they were exactly same
price ($500 plus tax back then), the only reason i got SW was that I was told that Ruger has less interchangeable parts with other brands

Buy which ever one you can find cheapest. They are about the same in form and function.

Get yourself a complete lower from PSA and a complete upper of your liking. For under $600
https://palmettostatearmory.com//psa-ar15-complete-moe-ept-stealth-lower-black.html

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa...-7-nitride-classic-upper-with-bcg-ch-fde.html

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-16-mid-5-56-nato-1-7-13-5-lightweight-mlok-upper-w-bcg.html

For Hugger… my comparison was limited to basic ARs that came new with factory iron sights..

My only AR experience was in 1969 when I first qualified with an M16 ( and two years later in Vietnam where I was just a pencil pusher…but had one with me most of the time). When everyone later embraced them I was much more a shotgun type… So I wouldn’t even consider optics on a long gun. I just don’t know enough about them.

when I pointed out that at least on Gun broker the Smith is more money… Pretty sure that before the virus the Smith was cheaper… that’s what caught my eye.

lemaymiami said:

For Hugger… my comparison was limited to basic ARs that came new with factory iron sights..

My only AR experience was in 1969 when I first qualified with an M16 ( and two years later in Vietnam where I was just a pencil pusher…but had one with me most of the time). When everyone later embraced them I was much more a shotgun type… So I wouldn’t even consider optics on a long gun. I just don’t know enough about them.

when I pointed out that at least on Gun broker the Smith is more money… Pretty sure that before the virus the Smith was cheaper… that’s what caught my eye.

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No worries, its easy to miss something using these darn phones as computers, has happened to me.
The 5.56 and the Sport II both have the A2 front sights (M4 style), the optics ready M&P just has flat rails, no sights. Personally, I'd buy the M&P and throw flip ups on it if I really wanted irons and that would still be cheaper than either of the other two.

I'm a Ruger fan in general but would go with the S&W if I could choose. The Ruger has a proprietary front sight base that can cause issues with some accessories. I have an M&P with about 500 trouble free rounds through it. I use it for calling coyotes so it is mainly shot for hunting thus the low round count. It's plenty accurate for this type of hunting.

I would also take a look at the PSA mid-length carbines. I prefer the mid-length gas system on the 16" barrel. It's subjective but they shoot a bit softer for me.

Good luck and let us know what you choose.

Ruger has a proprietary barrel nut. It’s a good system, but they are known for overtorquing the barrel nut. The one I had took way too much force to break loose, but I got it loose after a few tries and tricks… by using a big pipe wrench and destroying it. My money is on the S&W being a better assembled gun.

I'd get a PSA with floating barrel and magpul sights/stock for the same price. It's an AR, not a proprietary revolver.

'Building' an AR is really assembling. Yes, if you buy a stripped upper and a bare barrel you will have a bit of a learning curve, not to mention you'll need some tools. But buy a complete lower and a complete upper and your 'build' consists of pushing in 2 takedown pins.

TheClasonater said:

Looking to pick up an affordable AR platform to learn on and tinker with without killing my bank account. Im a ruger lover, but the smith and wessons I have are solid. Do any of you have experience with either. Just thought I'd check with the big dogs on here because I don't trust the marketing wank articles. Probably still a few months out but wanted to throw it out there first.

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I went through the exact analysis you are undertaking right now. What tipped the scale in favor of the M&P were the torture test videos I watched on youtube. Smith and Wesson builds those guns particularly well, especially considering their price. I haven't shot mine a whole lot yet, but so far I like it.

My only "AR" was a S&W. It was bought brand-new, saw about 500 total rounds, had zero issues, used a P-Mag. All ammo was the oft- very misunderstood Russian ammo!

Never had any time with the Ruger.

My first AR was an M&P Sport. My brother's first was the Ruger AR556. If I were to shut my eyes and pick up one and shoot it I wouldn't be able to tell you which is which. Get which ever is cheapest the week you're ready to buy and both are known to be reliable.

Yes, the Ruger does have some propitiatory non-milspec parts, but I don't see this as a big deal and it's not going to prevent you from changing things later as the parts that matter like the upper and lower are standard.

Plenty of ARs come with proprietary barrel nuts, I have 8 with not a single Milspec nut among them. Just a non-issue.

I would buy the S&W over the Ruger. The main problem with the Ruger is it uses a completely proprietary gas block and barrel set up. If you want to "tinker" with it this is going to give you problems. For whatever reason Ruger decided to pin the gas block on top of the barrel as apposed to underneath the barrel like EVERYONE else, aka... the original design.

C-grunt said:

I would buy the S&W over the Ruger. The main problem with the Ruger is it uses a completely proprietary gas block and barrel set up. If you want to "tinker" with it this is going to give you problems. For whatever reason Ruger decided to pin the gas block on top of the barrel as apposed to underneath the barrel like EVERYONE else, aka... the original design.

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A clamp on low pro would dismiss the oddity I should think. I still see it as a fair fight until one rifle is cheaper than the other or in stock vs out.

Six of one and half a dozen of the other. Buy which one is cheaper and available in stock when you decide to purchase

By all accounts they are both good rifles. I don't have a Smith, but know people who do and they have no complaints. But my Ruger MPR is my favorite of the 4 AR's I own. But that is mostly for the way it is configured. If looking at a basic 16" barreled AR it might be more of a toss-up.