Another New Sport Owner
Rather than start another thread (there's also the thread about the nitrided / melonited bbl. of the Sport going) on the M&P-15 Sport, and fragment the info, I figured I'd add my experience here.
I also picked up an M&P-15 Sport on 6/12. As noted previously in this thread the M&P is really a mid tier / pushing top tier AR, missing a dust cover & FA, for a bottom tier price.
Immediately after picking up the Sport I headed to the local indoor 25 yard for break in and test fire. I'd packed all my goodies (eye pro, ear pro, sight tool, etc.) in my range bag, but managed to forget my small bottle of CLP :banghead: . There wasn't much packing lube on the gun, and the bore was clear of obstructions, so I decided to go ahead and run it semi-dry as it was. Ammo was 100 rounds of Hornady Brass Training 55gr FMJ. Mags were the supplied P-Mag, and two C-Products Mags which I had lying around, w/ Magpul anti-tilt copy followers factory installed.
I used the military 25m point blank zero method. Groups were acceptable for sighting in. I, however, am rusty, and need to practice my trigger control
. After zeroing, and trying to work on my trigger control for a bit with short strings, I fired the remaining 50 rounds rapid fire, standing. Rounds were fired in two groups of 25 shots each, one group from each C-Products mag. I did this to test both the mags, and the rifle in rapid fire. Groups were, once again, acceptable for rapid fire & reiterated my need to work on trigger control.
My initial testing backs up my previous comments here on the Sport. Those previous comments were based on hands on inspection of the Sport, and prior experience with an M&P-15 A. As Z-Michigan has noted, the forward assist really isn't necessary, and may not even be desirable IMO.
The dust cover is also probably of minimal utility on a non-military rifle. If you live in a desert / dusty environment, and ride around with the rifle exposed to the elements (I know some ranchers & farmers actually do) then a dust cover may be something you need. For most needs non-military needs though, even including an LE patrol rifle, an AR type rifle is going to ride around cased and/or in a vehicle. In those cases the dust cover would come open anyway to chamber a round, or during firing.
The barrel has already been discussed at length. I will add that it has proper M4 feed ramps, and the upper does have the proper matching M4 feed ramp extensions.
The forged in trigger guard mimics the Magpul enhanced trigger guard. Unless you plan to use the rifle in truly frigid conditions requiring thick gloves (and I know some of you live in places like Alaska and may actually do this), you shouldn't need to open the bottom of the trigger guard. If you can break the forged in trigger guard, well you've probably damaged the grip and/or mag well also.
My only real gripe is the unshielded handguards. However, single heat shield handguards are under $20 at Brownells, and true M4 style dual heat shielded models can be found for just over $20 at Brownells & many other reputable AR parts websites.
Initial Conclusion: Out of the box, the M&P-15 Sport is a steal. At $600 NIB from the big box places, it shatters the price barrier to get into a quality AR. Adding $25 for upgraded handguards is the only real need I see. I bought this rifle as a cheap backup to a top tier M4gery, and it compares surprisingly well to that rifle which cost nearly twice as much.
Unnecessary, but helpful, info about my background below
To put my opinions on the M&P-15 Sport into perspective, I'll share my background with AR type rifles. I've been shooting AR type rifles since I was a teenager, and now have 12+ years with them (I'm in my late 20s). I also used an M-16A2 quite a bit in the USAF (yes I was in one of those weird AF units that actually went into the field and used small arms). Past AR type rifles I've owned include Colt SP1 (slick-side), DPMS carbine, Olympic A2 HBAR style, LMT Defender 2000, Charles Daly CDM4LE, S&W M&P-15 A, and a pistol based around a Noveske / VLTOR factory upper upper with Noveske 7" Diplomat bbl. Some were traded, and the final one I owned (The LMT) was sold during economic difficulties. Thankfully things recently turned around, and I was able to pick up a DDM4 V1 to get back into a top tier AR. So, when I compare the M&P-15 Sport to other AR type rifles, it's from a perspective of someone who has hands on experience with ARs from all price & build quality tiers.