Cheap Intro AR 15

[henschman]

True enough. You can buy any old budget AR, start shooting it, tinkering with it, trying out other people's setups, and reading stuff on gun forums, and soon you will be like us old hands, with your own picky set of features your rifle has to have!

But I still hate to see people get less than they could for their money, or get outright bad information like how one rifle is better than another without any rational explanation of how.

 

[bob2231]

I bought a complete A3 upper(DPMS) from surplusammo for $429.They don't carry that now but have a couple varieties of SAA for about the same money.
I added an Aero Precision lower for $70,and a parts kit for $35.
Finished,for now,with an extra A1 butt-stock that I had.
So,$535 plus whatever you want to add for optics.

 

[BSA1]

We beat up the subject of whether the forward assist is really needed on civilian AR's on thread I started a while back. Except for one or two Daniel Boones that creep around in the woods the F.A. is NOT needed and use of it try to force a round into the chamber was a bad idea as it may create a jam that cannot be cleared in the field. The easiest and best course of action is to simply eject the round and chamber a new round.

S&W Sports are already on sale for less than $ 700.00.

 

[henschman]

The forward assist I could take or leave. The dust cover, OTOH, is nice to have, especially if you take your rifle out in the field. Interestingly, this is the setup Eugene Stoner thought they should have back when he first designed the AR-15.

 

[goon]

I think for a casual shooter who's just looking to buy an AR (which is the market the Sport was created for) the M&P Sport is just fine. Just don't overpay.

I'd rather have a PSA and maybe assemble it myself, but some guys just want to buy the rifle and shoot rather than be bothered piecing one together themselves over the course of several months.

 

[HexHead]

I can't think of a single feature on the S&W Sport that is preferable to that of any rifle PSA sells.

When the Sports had the 1/8 5R melonite barrels, that was actually a feature that made them worth buying. Now they are just another 1/9 chrome moly overweight heavy-profile 16" carbine length m-4gery with no dust cover or forward assist.

They are 1/9 now, but still Melonite lined. Lifetime warranty from a company that produces one product line that's always on a target list is meaningless compared to a company that will still be in business with other product lines long after we're all dead.

 

[goon]

IIRC, PSA is using chrome lined FN manufactured barrels on some of their uppers. Those barrels are lined with chrome that's twice as thick as it needs to be. I'd call that a very usable barrel!

Not that I'm against the M&P Sport. If the OP likes them and can get one at a fair price, I'd call it a good option. But is it better than other entry level options? Probably better than some, but not all. One place that it does come out ahead is in availability. You can find one in most gun stores, take it home today, and have a useful AR style rifle immediately.
Contrast that with PSA - they make some rifles and I've seen a couple available, but mostly they're loved by those of us who want to assemble our own. They also are often out of stock, so you have to watch them and buy while what you want is available. No big deal for a guy who's just taking his time building a rifle his way anyhow, but it doesn't appeal to everyone.

Price is about equal on the two.

I really don't get all the deep-seated rivalry that comes out between AR guys. As long as good parts and a good upper end up on a mil-spec lower, the rifle is going to outlast me regardless of who stamped their name on it.


Another thing that chiltech500 may want to try... hang around at the local gun shop and see what shows up used. Let it be known that you're in the AR market. I know someone who did that and ended up scoring an almost new Armalite midlength for just a little more than an M&P Sport. He's very happy with the purchase and it's probably got more resale value if he ever tires of it. Just a thought.

 

[HexHead]

The original Sport got a great reputation for a low cost AR option, because it came with such a nice barrel for such a low price. Then S&W tried to pull a fast one and switch the nice barrel out for a cheaper one, and trade on the former Sport's reputation, since they figured the Sport is directed mainly at new AR buyers who wouldn't know the difference.

That's your opinion, and you know what's said about those. According to S&W's CS, the 5R barreling, which was done by their subsidiary TC, was a bottleneck in producing Sports. The change was made in early 2013 at the height of the rush for ARs so they could keep the rifles coming. TC couldn't make them fast enough to keep up with demand. They are still being used on the T and MOE models.

 

[Armybrat]

I've never seen a Mini-14, a 10/22, an M1, or an M1A with a dust cover.

The only rifles I have with dust covers are my Winchester '73s.

 

[chiltech500]

Thanks guys, really appreciate the info about the barrels.

I'm a handgun guy and a wanna be Bullseye shooter and reloader (and close to 60) so I don't envision getting into rifles much more than having one to be proficient with.

My son in law who is an instructor, former marine and merc, says with my one handed handgun shooting the AR with good support should be easy for me. I haven't shot his rifles so I don't know.