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

[JustinJ]

Is the 6720 much different than the 6920?

The key difference is the pencil barrel. Government profile barrels do nothing on a civilian's gun but put extra weight where it does no good but the most bad. The 6720 also comes with a Matech BUIS instead of a detachable carry handle. Mine also included a pair of 20 round Pmags but i don't recall what comes with the 6920. The biggest downside to the 6720 is a .625 diamater at the gas port so there are fewer options of gas blocks if one wishes to change as i did.

 

[lithnights]

The key difference is the pencil barrel. Government profile barrels do nothing on a civilian's gun but put extra weight where it does no good but the most bad. The 6720 also comes with a Matech BUIS instead of a detachable carry handle. Mine also included a pair of 20 round Pmags but i don't recall what comes with the 6920. The biggest downside to the 6720 is a .625 diamater at the gas port so there are fewer options of gas blocks if one wishes to change as i did.

First off, thanks. Second..OK, forget I asked. I will not make this thread even more convoluted. And make me even more confused. : ) I'm sticking to the 6920 if going with a Colt.

 

[C-grunt]

GandRTactical.com has great pricing on Colts. Not sure if her has any in stock right now. He also carries BCM which is another fantastic choice.

 

[Teachu2]

My lgs told me s&w are using inferior parts in the m&p's and not droping the price to match the quality of the internals. I can't say if this is true or not, but I trust my local gun shop guy, he's a well respected buisness man in our little community. He will no longer carry the m&p rifle line.

Funny - I've had a couple of dealers and a custom AR manufacturer tell me a totally different story. They say the Sport is well built in every area that it needs to be, that they can't assemble a comparable weapon for $600, and that it's the best buy on the market. They also say that the only issue they have with them is availability - they are hard to keep in stock - and the profit margin is a little thin. It has to be tempting to knock a product that's selling like crazy, you can't get enough of, and has a lower margin than what you have on the shelf. Just sayin'...

The local indoor range has one in their rental fleet - and it get rode hard and put up wet. The rangemaster there says the only problem they've had with it is keeping enough ammo available. It gets driven like a rental car and has had no issues.

 

[treeprof]

Clyde will allow you to swap out the Matech for a Colt carry handle on the 6720 if you wish; that's what I did.

 

[lithnights]

Just an update.. after hearing all sides, I decided to go out and see availability to see if that would help my decision. Maybe it was just when I looked but both were basically out of stock everywhere I looked. Even some of the links given here, when I went on, stated OUT OF STOCK. In stores, was no better.

So I got on some emailing lists (for availability) for both and even put a deposit down at a local store on the M&P. After a month of no word, I finally got an email about a 6920 being online. A day later, I waited too long, they were out. It came available again today, and thus I jumped on it.

So in the end, I went with the Colt, not out of devout love to it, but basically b/c I got impatient and got what was available. : )

I'll post back when I end up getting to the range. Now onto scopes..but that's a different thread!

 

[txjuggernaut]

You made the right choice going with the Colt. If you didn't get it you would probably always wish you did.

 

[r1derbike]

Colt it is...

Have a 6920 and love it. lithnights, tell us how you like it now?

 

[meanmrmustard]

And to turn that around, it means absolutely nothing when posters claim the MP Sport doesn't have long term reliability without then explaining what PROOF they have that it isn't!

Most have never owned an MP Sport, but have all kinds of opinions about them...

DM

I've had two. Both were supreme examples of value per dollar, and I'd never hesitate to buy another. Ran it in snow, dirty, hot, and with steel ammo. No malfunctions, ever.

 

[lithnights]

So far so good. I haven't had too many chances to shoot it. Yes I got a new AR, but also got a new baby at just about the same time. So time is tight. I also, over the summer, bought a vintage M1 Garand so I've spent some time playing with that.

So yes, so far I love it, but with that said, with not much to compare to, I may have been saying the same thing about the M&P. : )

 

[meanmrmustard]

So far so good. I haven't had too many chances to shoot it. Yes I got a new AR, but also got a new baby at just about the same time. So time is tight. I also, over the summer, bought a vintage M1 Garand so I've spent some time playing with that.

So yes, so far I love it, but with that said, with not much to compare to, I may have been saying the same thing about the M&P. : )

Most likely would've liked it too, but if you're happy, that's all that matters. Congrats on all the new additions!

 

[lithnights]

Most likely would've liked it too, but if you're happy, that's all that matters. Congrats on all the new additions!

Thanks!
Last year (I'm fairly new to guns), I never thought I'd ever have more guns than kids. But now with 3 pistols, the Colt, and my M1, my guns (5) outnumber my boys (3)! : ) And I haven't even purchased the .22 and shotgun I need...um, I mean want.