Im looking at the brown S&W M&P 15. Just curious what everyone thinks about them. I have a DPMS hunter but really like the look and feel of the M&P. Im working at Cabelas(a terrible idea for a poor college student) and i can get a decent deal.
The MOE version comes already loaded with a few upgrades which is nice, the only downside being that the handguard doesn't allow you to attach a dizzying array of accessories to it, but if you're like me and that's not really your thing, then it won't matter.
Sir, you are confused. All S&W M&P15 production for the past several years has HPT/MPI Bolts. The two models (Sport & T) with Melonite 5R rifled barrels are 1:8 twist. The other models have conventionally rifled 1:9 twist barrels which are indeed hard chrome lined.The good: they are cheap, they have a properly staked gas key, a melonite coated gov't profile barrel, and 5R rifling. Pretty good quality for the money.
The bad: They don't have chrome lined barrels, they don't have a HPT and MPI bolt, and the twist is 1/9 instead of 1/7, so you can't shoot some of the heavier bullets.
1/7 barrels overstabilize some 55 grain and lighter bullets, which causes faster deceleration, loss of accuracy, and a reduction in reliable expansion.The good: they are cheap, they have a properly staked gas key, a melonite coated gov't profile barrel, and 5R rifling. Pretty good quality for the money.
The bad: They don't have chrome lined barrels, they don't have a HPT and MPI bolt, and the twist is 1/9 instead of 1/7, so you can't shoot some of the heavier bullets.
S&W reps, a former S&W exec who's a friend, and the MP marked bolts in my S&Ws.As for the guy who said S&W's are now being HPT and MPI tested, do you have a source for this info?
What S&W calls Melonite is Black Nitride. Nitriding actually does reduce friction, inhibits corrosion, and doesn't have the dimensional variances caused by plating an over sized bore down to size. AAC is using nitride on their .300 Blackout barrels, and THR member rsilvers (head of R&D for the Blackout at AAC) has stated in another thread that AAC is getting 60% greater life from nitrided bores than hard chromed.Yeah melonite is better than a plain old CM barrel in that it will last longer, but it still doesn't last as long as hard chrome plating, and doesn't have the same friction and corrosion reducing properties.
LWRC has stated that they also get longer life on their nitrided 5.56 / .223 Barrels.Interesting that AAC is reportedly getting longer life out of nitrided barrels than chrome with .300 BLK. I wonder if that has to do with the velocity of that particular cartridge.
Never said they all weren't. Just said nitriding eliminates the possibility of dimensional variance.It is not accurate to generalize that chrome barrels are inaccurate.
That's a broad generalization too. HK has used nitriding on their rifle barrels for decades now. Nitriding has to be done properly, just like hard chrome lining.Yeah it reduces friction and corrosion somewhat, but not as well as chrome lining, which is why I said it doesn't have the same properties. Get both dirty and run a cleaning patch down each, and you will definitely know which one has the chrome lined barrel.