Deaj
16 May 2010, 19:06
I did quite a bit of research before choosing a new AR-15 last year. The Smith & Wesson M&P15T turned out to be the closest thing to ideal that I could find and the price was definitely right - $1150 after shipping and FFL fee. The 4140 steel barrel with 1:9 twist is more than sufficient for my use. 90% or more of the ammo that this rifle will be fed will be 55gr. .223 and, obviously, at semi-auto only. I verified that this one was built in-house at S&W before purchase so as to avoid any of the quirks reported with some of the early M&P15's.
The trigger on my M&P15 is a fantastic example of how good a standard GI trigger can be. I haven't measured pull weight but it feels like 6-7 lbs. There's no creep and the break is crisp and consistent. It's very smooth as well - no grittiness.
I've made a few changes to my M&P15T's configuration since purchasing it trying out a variety of products to see what functional benefit they might bring. I found more than a few to be little more than added weight for me. I'm very impressed with every Magpul product I've purchased to date though! I recently added the enhanced butt pad to the CTR stock (mostly to add a little length with stock fully extended), a MIAD grip with AA battery core (certainly the most comfortable grip I tried to date - replaced a Hogue ergonomic), and a B.A.D. lever.
The B.A.D. together with the BCM/VLTOR Gunfighter charging handle make a big difference in operating the weapon - these two are by far the most functional additions I've made to date.
After trying several vertical front grips and a Magpul AFG I've come to the conclusion that I'm more comfortable with a forend grip parallel to the bore. I may eventually grow accustomed to a VFG or AFG but ladder style rail covers are working out just fine for me now.
The light is a Streamlight PolyTac LED - extremely light, rugged, and 130 lumens for 3 hours continuous. The mount is a VLTOR offset Scout light mount.
The sling is something I've been fumbling with for a while trying to figure out what works well for me. I have a Blackhawk V-TAC quick adjust sling, a low profile Troy QD swivel mount on the left side rail closest to the receiver, and a Tango Down PR-4 QD swivel mount just behind the castle nut on the buffer tube. With this setup I can use it as either a 2-point configuration between the rail and the PR-4 or move both swivels to either side of the PR-4 and use it as a (quasi) single-point sling. Both work very well though I prefer the single-point configuration.
After experimenting with short range optics / RDS' I've found that the Eotech HWS seem to work best with my eyes. I much prefer the sight picture and find the reticle preferable to a single dot. I also like the absolute co-witness more than a lower 1/3rd. The BUIS are the stock Troy flip-up sights. I did replace the front sight post with a KNS .034 bead top post. I use the small bead to cover the target instead of the horizontal plane of a standard post. The bead naturally centers in the round aperture of the rear sight so target acquisition is very fast with this setup.
The current configuration is fairly light and very simple. I have a Harris 6-9" bipod and a 4.5-14X scope on quick mounts for long range shooting. The scope/mount has maintained zero with removal and remounting nearly a dozen times so far. Most of my shooting is at a distance of 100 yards or less and with iron sights or a HWS though. The scope and mount are Primary Arms. If I ever get to a point where I'm spending any appreciable time shooting distances farther than 100 yards I may look into other scopes. I own several Primary Arms optics and all have been excellent products far better than their price point would suggest.
Aside from what is visible the only other mod worth noting is the addition of a Spikes ST-T2 buffer. Cycling is smoother and recoil impulse is slightly reduced. Definitely worth the $30 I paid for it.
If there's one thing I would change about this weapon it's the barrel profile (i.e. the M4 profile). It serves no purpose in this format. I would have preferred a pencil barrel for a little less weight out front. It feels balanced as is so it's not a big issue at all - just one of those things I would have done differently.
I have about 2,000 rounds through this rifle so far without a single malfunction of any kind. My Smith & Wesson 4506 has an identical track record and is also a joy to shoot - this was one of the factors that played into my decision to go with the M&P. I'm happy with the way it turned out and very pleased with this rifle!
http://home.centurytel.net/flanneldrawers/M&P15T-finished.jpg
http://home.centurytel.net/flanneldrawers/M&P15T-finished-03.jpg
I'm now beginning to think about building an AR though I haven't yet decided what the focus of that weapon will be. I'd love to build a SBR but that's not an option here in Washington state. :mad:
The trigger on my M&P15 is a fantastic example of how good a standard GI trigger can be. I haven't measured pull weight but it feels like 6-7 lbs. There's no creep and the break is crisp and consistent. It's very smooth as well - no grittiness.
I've made a few changes to my M&P15T's configuration since purchasing it trying out a variety of products to see what functional benefit they might bring. I found more than a few to be little more than added weight for me. I'm very impressed with every Magpul product I've purchased to date though! I recently added the enhanced butt pad to the CTR stock (mostly to add a little length with stock fully extended), a MIAD grip with AA battery core (certainly the most comfortable grip I tried to date - replaced a Hogue ergonomic), and a B.A.D. lever.
The B.A.D. together with the BCM/VLTOR Gunfighter charging handle make a big difference in operating the weapon - these two are by far the most functional additions I've made to date.
After trying several vertical front grips and a Magpul AFG I've come to the conclusion that I'm more comfortable with a forend grip parallel to the bore. I may eventually grow accustomed to a VFG or AFG but ladder style rail covers are working out just fine for me now.
The light is a Streamlight PolyTac LED - extremely light, rugged, and 130 lumens for 3 hours continuous. The mount is a VLTOR offset Scout light mount.
The sling is something I've been fumbling with for a while trying to figure out what works well for me. I have a Blackhawk V-TAC quick adjust sling, a low profile Troy QD swivel mount on the left side rail closest to the receiver, and a Tango Down PR-4 QD swivel mount just behind the castle nut on the buffer tube. With this setup I can use it as either a 2-point configuration between the rail and the PR-4 or move both swivels to either side of the PR-4 and use it as a (quasi) single-point sling. Both work very well though I prefer the single-point configuration.
After experimenting with short range optics / RDS' I've found that the Eotech HWS seem to work best with my eyes. I much prefer the sight picture and find the reticle preferable to a single dot. I also like the absolute co-witness more than a lower 1/3rd. The BUIS are the stock Troy flip-up sights. I did replace the front sight post with a KNS .034 bead top post. I use the small bead to cover the target instead of the horizontal plane of a standard post. The bead naturally centers in the round aperture of the rear sight so target acquisition is very fast with this setup.
The current configuration is fairly light and very simple. I have a Harris 6-9" bipod and a 4.5-14X scope on quick mounts for long range shooting. The scope/mount has maintained zero with removal and remounting nearly a dozen times so far. Most of my shooting is at a distance of 100 yards or less and with iron sights or a HWS though. The scope and mount are Primary Arms. If I ever get to a point where I'm spending any appreciable time shooting distances farther than 100 yards I may look into other scopes. I own several Primary Arms optics and all have been excellent products far better than their price point would suggest.
Aside from what is visible the only other mod worth noting is the addition of a Spikes ST-T2 buffer. Cycling is smoother and recoil impulse is slightly reduced. Definitely worth the $30 I paid for it.
If there's one thing I would change about this weapon it's the barrel profile (i.e. the M4 profile). It serves no purpose in this format. I would have preferred a pencil barrel for a little less weight out front. It feels balanced as is so it's not a big issue at all - just one of those things I would have done differently.
I have about 2,000 rounds through this rifle so far without a single malfunction of any kind. My Smith & Wesson 4506 has an identical track record and is also a joy to shoot - this was one of the factors that played into my decision to go with the M&P. I'm happy with the way it turned out and very pleased with this rifle!
http://home.centurytel.net/flanneldrawers/M&P15T-finished.jpg
http://home.centurytel.net/flanneldrawers/M&P15T-finished-03.jpg
I'm now beginning to think about building an AR though I haven't yet decided what the focus of that weapon will be. I'd love to build a SBR but that's not an option here in Washington state. :mad: