Newbie looking for first AR-15.. M&P15 vs. Colt 6920

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Get the S&W. If it's only going to be used for self-defense and range plinking, there's no need for your first AR-15 to be a "top tier" rifle. Besides, S&W's customer service is one of the best. If anything goes wrong with the rifle, they'll make it good.

BTW, there are thousands of Sport owners that will tell you the forward assist and dust cover aren't necessary, and they're right. Don't let the gun snobs convince you to spend more money than you need to.

If, after owning the Sport for a while, you decide you really want a "top-tier" gun, then buy one.
 
the only thing a pistol is good for it the help you get back to your rifle.....
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Really? This is one of those cliches like "the most stopping power" and "turning cover into concealment."
When you're at the store with your family and some nut-bag starts shooting at people, is your rifle going to be anywhere nearby for you to fight your way to? Come on.
Practice with your CCW's. A public shooting spree is much more likely to happen to you than widespread social chaos.
BTW, I think either rifle would be fine, but I personally would get the Colt because of the relatively small price difference when you look at the long run. Some here have said that a Colt is only noticeably different when both rifles are pushed to their limits. Isn't that why you want the rifle in the first place, for times when things may be extreme and unpredictable?
 
Weedy said:
Really? This is one of those cliches like "the most stopping power" and "turning cover into concealment."
When you're at the store with your family and some nut-bag starts shooting at people, is your rifle going to be anywhere nearby for you to fight your way to? Come on.
Practice with your CCW's. A public shooting spree is much more likely to happen to you than widespread social chaos.
BTW, I think either rifle would be fine, but I personally would get the Colt because of the relatively small price difference when you look at the long run. Some here have said that a Colt is only noticeably different when both rifles are pushed to their limits. Isn't that why you want the rifle in the first place, for times when things may be extreme and unpredictable?
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Good points. I think each individual person has a weapon or group of weapons for certain purposes. For daily CCW, obviously a pistol is important. For home defense, I could see both having a purpose depending on one's environment, house setup, family members etc.
I think everyone would love to be the best they can be at all their weapons but sometimes time and money is a limit.

Interesting point about pushing the rifles to their limits. I've seen a lot of pro-Colt posts but not a lot of specifics on why.
 
I have a S&W M&P 15 and I will tell you that as far as reliability goes, it has been 100%. I doubt that in the real world that we live in, you could tell the difference. Just about all AR's have the M4 feed ramps, stacked gas tube etc and it has been my experience (I have had a Colt) there is not enough diff to matter.
But the sport and shoot the snoot out of it.
 
I don't want to get off topic with specifics, but what exactly does the forward assist really do?
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Allows one to close the bolt manually when the bolt/carrier is not fully forward/closed
 
Thanks Gunny.

And before I forget, thanks to everyone for their replies. I can see this is a pretty controversial topic, as are many gun topics!

Thanks.
 
The Colt is built to proper military spec. All parts that are supposed to be staked are going to be and everything is going to be made of high quality material. The Colt 6920 has earned a reputation for being a reliable rifle under harsh conditions and after high round counts.

My dept bought a batch of Bushmasters a while back when Colt was back logged. Almost every rifle has had at least one major problem. Once they are fixed ( mine broke 4 times ) they are a fine weapon. But do you want to find out what parts need replacement during a gunfight or do you want to stack the odds in your favor and buy a rifle that will be built correctly from the start.
 
There are Colt fans and all sorts of other brand names each will present as the best.
I have Colt, Patriot Arms Olympic Arms and a mix of lowers and uppers.
I have a Cav Arms lower with a no name hodge podge upper varminter that shoots 5/8 inch at a 100 yards.
It still comes down to what fits your needs and wallet best of luck in your choice, there are many out there.
 
Weedy said:
Really? This is one of those cliches like "the most stopping power" and "turning cover into concealment."
When you're at the store with your family and some nut-bag starts shooting at people, is your rifle going to be anywhere nearby for you to fight your way to? Come on.
Practice with your CCW's. A public shooting spree is much more likely to happen to you than widespread social chaos.
BTW, I think either rifle would be fine, but I personally would get the Colt because of the relatively small price difference when you look at the long run. Some here have said that a Colt is only noticeably different when both rifles are pushed to their limits. Isn't that why you want the rifle in the first place, for times when things may be extreme and unpredictable?
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Yeah really, I carry a pistol, and I practice with it. But if the SHTF my measly 17 rounds of .40 are going to be used to get me back to my house,family and rifle. I would venture to say that the best SHTF / defense weapon would really be a 12ga pump shotgun filled with 00 buck.....and I try to keep either my AR or M1A in my car all the time..... Can never have enough firepower............. Was that cliche enough?


To the OP, I bought a used bushmaster XM15 recently and have been extremely happy with it.recoil and muzzle rise are non existent with the factory muzzle brake.


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If it's a defense gun, go Colt/BCM/Noveske/Daniel Defense/KAC/LaRue. Are you willing to bet your life on inferior firearms? The same principle applies here. You can get a colt or BCM for under $1000, a Daniel Defense for just over $1100 with a floated rail. Don't skimp out and bet on brands with crap QC/QA and spotty histories of reliability.
 
Smiths are good carbines and reliable - they are NOT crap.

But... they are not "top tier".

Colt and FN are the top. Colt "owns" the tech data package - so they have the most experience AND use all the right components and right inspections. Fit and finish have nothing to do here.

Then you have the Milspec, proven brands: BCM, DD, LMT, Noveske, etc. People use them for serious shooting, for tens of thousands of rounds.

Given a choice, I'd get a Colt nowadays. At $1000 they are well worth it. Likewise with DD.
 
The Colt is a bargain, the S&W is built to a budget. That being said I agree that forward assist isn't necessary (it pushes the chambered round forward a little) although for the shtf scenario I want a dustcover. I have a Colt, had a Bushmaster, the Colt is much nicer. The high end stuff like DD, Noveske, etc is great but you'll need to know exactly what you want in order to justify the cost. If you decide you want a 1:8 twist, intermediate length gas system, etc then they're great. Otherwise you'll probably buy an AR and then decide how you want to modify it. In that case: Colt. That PSA model is a good deal, btw.
 
I'm no AR expert, but I can tell you my Colt Gov't Carbine has yet to fail me in spite of being exposed to me and my abusive ways. At $1,200 I consider it a bargain, though it's the most I've ever spent on a firearm by a wide margin. I take it on range trips all the time, it's so danged handy.
 
You can buy a basic ddm4xv or a basic bcm along with the colt for about 150 dollars more than a regular s&w. Not that s&w is bad they are made by the company who makes parts for stag. For that price difference why skimp. After so much things just become lateral movements of quality more of just having something special. The sport is not an equal comparison to the colt. On top of the reciever not having the dust cover or forward assist the barrel is melonited instead of chrome lined and has polygonal rifling (not saying it's polygonal is better or worse I have no facts to back up either for use on a rifle). Either buy the cheapest thing you can get your hands on (s&w sport, used stag, etc.), or buy a colt or dd or bcm. Don't skimp on 150 bucks you'll just end up buying the better on later anyway. At the same time you don't need a noveske, kac, or lwrc. There is a good happy median of top tier rifles at about 1000 to 1300 dollars depending on sights and railsystems. It's like buying a hi point. You buy one because you need something. It works and always goes bang but you still wouldn't buy it over a glock or sig just to save some money.
 
Recently faced the same choice. Bought the S&W from Bud's for $610. The 65% increase to get a Colt simply wasn't worth it to me. $400 will buy a lot of ammo for practice.

For HD, plinking at the range, and SHTF scenarios, the Colt didn't give me a single advantage over the M&P Sport. The M&P is light, accurate, simple, reliable, warranteed for life, and cheaper. The Colt is a fine weapon, and superior in some ways - but either one will exceed the NEEDS of 99% of shooters.

Our local range started a semi-casual shooting contest series last year, and one event was a 3-gun, with the range supplying the weapons. S&W M&P 9mm pistol, M&P 15 Sport carbine, and an old 20 ga pump. I enjoyed the carbine - now I own one.
 
Thanks to the OP for starting this thread. good3.gif

I don't have a semiauto centerfire rifle to speak of (my Winchester Trapper .357 is my "assault rifle" at the moment... :D ), and I am willing to give due consideration to pretty much any solution under the sun to fill that niche.

Anyway -- this has been a very educational and entertaining thread thus far...


.
 
If it's only going to be used for self-defense and range plinking, there's no need for your first AR-15
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If it was just for range plinking I would agree. For self defense I don't know why one wouldn't want to get the best he or she could afford. A defensive gun of mine is going to get run through some training courses and otherwise used relatively regularly and put through its paces. That argues for a well built rifle.

I have a S&W M&P 15 and I will tell you that as far as reliability goes, it has been 100%.
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I'm not trying to be a jerk, but statements like I have ________ and it has been 100% mean absolutely nothing without then explaining what that use has been. I have 200 casual rounds through my rifle and its been 100% is very different than I have 5K rounds through my gun and have run it through two high round count Pat Rogers carbine courses and its been 100%.
 
Two M&Ps. ;) primary and backup, belt and suspenders. SHTF sell one for $5000. Addresses spare parts issues. Two person laying down a field of fire is better than one. Always rotate your stock. No one ends up with one AR. Obama wins election, you will wish you had three.
 
If it was just for range plinking I would agree. For self defense I don't know why one wouldn't want to get the best he or she could afford. A defensive gun of mine is going to get run through some training courses and otherwise used relatively regularly and put through its paces. That argues for a well built rifle.
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Yes, and both the rifles mentioned are well built rifles. I have not seen a shred of evidence to the contrary.
 
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