M&P vs. DPMS budget rifles

Poked around on PSA a bit.

Not bad for an entry level.

I have a Sport.
Properly staked gas key, properly staked castle nut on a mil-spec receiver extension, comes with sights, better fit/finish over DPMS (I like the Melonite finish), accurate, 100% reliable in 1000 or so rounds...

the M&P is 5.56 the DPMS is 223 i would go with the M&P

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My DPMS barrel is marked 5.56, 1/9.

better fit/finish over DPMS (I like the Melonite finish)

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Preference is personal and not an issue - but my DPMS' fit and finish is flawless. Again, I have no stock in DPMS nor am I a secret admirer, just an observer.

this is what a saw 223 http://www.woodburyoutfitters.com/shop/-12545

I have the DPMS bull barrel. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go with the M&P sport. I'm currently looking to replace the bull barrel with a lighter weight barrel.

LuckyDawg, I'd want to look at the barrel. It could certainly be 223, but you don't see it very often in M16/M4 lookalikes. DPMS lists the LoPro Classic as 5.56 NATO at one place on their website ( http://www.dpmsinc.com/LO-PRO-CLASSIC_ep_137-1.html), and 223/5.56 at another ( http://www.dpmsinc.com/223-REM-556-NATO-16-18_ep_189-1.html). Most of the mil-config rifles are listed as 223/5.56. Varminters/target/hunters are listed as 223 or 223/5.56, so I would just want to ask first first.

Congrats, and welcome AR ownership.

NewShooter said:

I don't mind the weight...

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NewShooter said:

Have it in my hands. Glad I didn't go with a heavy barrel.

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Experience is still a good teacher.

A few years ago I sold or traded any AR's I owned in favor of AK's, but later got to missing them, and then stumbled into a nice Armslist trade for another, this one a M&P Sport.
Nearly every word I could find on them has been positve, and mine has been great the couple times I've fired it, and I'm happy with it (and I've owned another S&W, Colts, Rock River, Spikes Tactical.)
In recent thread over at survivalistboards, I was butting heads with several guys that are all convinced the M&P Sport is substandard junk that probably won't fire at all during some imminently looming home invasion, and merely owning one apparantly makes me a tight-wad sheeple that doesn't care for the lives of my family LOL!! Mind you, NONE of these guys seemed to have any hands-on experience with them, they were just hung up on the fact the Sport has no FA or dust cover, and some of them seemed to be having vivid flashbacks of hellacious sandstorms back in Iraq .

Thanks Maj Dad, you just put me back on the fence. LOL
The M&P is $50 cheaper up front at my LGS. Being the skinflint that I am, that might just be the deciding factor.

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Well, got into this thread late, but if you were still on the fence, you might have considered which model is less likely to be "ammo-finicky," as between digesting commercial .308 and 7.62 mil-surplus ammo.

Google can surely turn up user reports & experiences w/ both models, but THR has seen its share of these threads as well.

Just FYI ...

I've been hesitating about posting in this thread but I might as well. I'm no expert on the subject but I know what I've seen of DPMS rifles. I've been looking for a entry level AR myself and it's strictly M&P Sport for me. I've seen too many DPMS models that wouldn't cycle effectively. For a while every time I went to the range somebody was there with a DPMS and several of them would fire a couple of mags then have one jam. They'd spend 15 minutes working on something - not sure what - and they'd try it again. Same results.

This is my very limited experience but I know what I will be getting.