[kirby25]

hi,

first off, i want to say that i know in some shape or form, what im going to talk about has been beaten to death, but i think my is just alittle different.



im looking at getting an AR-15 really soon(going to trade in a M&P 40 NIB towards it-i have a 9 already-got a great cheap deal on the 40) anyways, im looking at the Stag, Rock River and of course the M&P one. As i was doing my very in depth and large amount of research, i found alot of people saying that Stag made alot of the parts for other major brands, especially the M&P one. If this is true, basically the high price tag is for the name and the great warranty. im not sure what type of warranty Stag offers yet. The other brand is Rock River. ive heard great things-hardly nothing negative but you usually have to wait to get one.



im not directly asking which brand is better or this or that, what i would like to know/hear about is people who have shot all 3 and what their opinions are. even if youve only shot one of the brands, tell me about it. which one has better options? finish? warranty? customer service(o wait thats S&W no brainier!!) anyways, any opinions or advice would greatly be appreciated.



kirby

 

[C4iGrant]

First let me say that I am a dealer for all three AR's mentioned. The S&W 15A is the best deal out of the bunch. The reason is because this model is made in house at S&W, comes with an LMT bolt carrier group (one of the VERY best in the business) and a Troy BUIS (again the very best in the business).



My second choice would be the SA model 2 or 2T. This is another good value, but the BCG in the SA's AR's needs some work as the carrier key is not properly staked and the extractor insert is incorrect (needs to be black).







C4

 

[m4arc]

Out of your three choices the S&W M&P15 is the best choice.



Now if they will only make 1:7 twist barrel with M4 extensions I'd be all over one like stink on a monkey.

 

[kirby25]

thanks alot for the post so far. i have a new one i found to add to the list.



i found on auctionarms.com(i can get the link i anyone needs it) were these guys get Rock River lowers complete and send them off to have LMT uppers with wilson barrels put in. for the model im looking at, M4A3 Flattop, it looks like without shipping, hes asking $715. my first thought was, no matter what brand that is pretty cheap. on top of that, it has a really good lower, and from what i hear one of the best uppers out there,LMT. and all this for $715, seems to good to be true, but hes sold alot. im still investigating him though, not going to send the money just yet.



so what do you guys think, dose this sound like a great rifle or what? bring on the opinions!!



kirby

 

[C4iGrant]

Please post the list because something isn't quite right.



First, LMT does NOT sell stripped upper receivers. Second, Wilson barrels are just ok at best (same barrel that RRA uses). LMT barrels are make in house out of 4150-ORD steel (not 4140).



One of the key components in an AR (besides the barrel) is the Bolt Carrier Group. Did the auction say what kind of BCG it had in it?



As the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.







C4

 

[kirby25]

Please post the list because something isn't quite right.



First, LMT does NOT sell stripped upper receivers. Second, Wilson barrels are just ok at best (same barrel that RRA uses). LMT barrels are make in house out of 4150-ORD steel (not 4140).



One of the key components in an AR (besides the barrel) is the Bolt Carrier Group. Did the auction say what kind of BCG it had in it?



As the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.







C4

heres the link

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayi...itemnum=7978645

 

[kirby25]

C4iGrant,

i know your view on stag and s&w, but what about the Rock River Rifles compared to the S&W 15A(stag is out of the question now)? also what do you think about bushmasters?

 

[C4iGrant]

C4iGrant,

i know your view on stag and s&w, but what about the Rock River Rifles compared to the S&W 15A(stag is out of the question now)?

I generally put RRA AR's at the bottom of the list. Here is why:



Dremel tool'd feed ramps

Red Loctite on the castle nut

Non Mil-Spec Receiver Extension



I am also not certain where their bolts come from and if they even remotely done right (made out of 158 carpenter steel, heat treated, MP tested, etc).







C4

 

[C4iGrant]

[quote name='C4iGrant']Please post the list because something isn't quite right.



First, LMT does NOT sell stripped upper receivers. Second, Wilson barrels are just ok at best (same barrel that RRA uses). LMT barrels are make in house out of 4150-ORD steel (not 4140).



One of the key components in an AR (besides the barrel) is the Bolt Carrier Group. Did the auction say what kind of BCG it had in it?



As the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.







C4

heres the link

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayi...itemnum=7978645[/quote]



The auction really tells you NOTHING about the weapon. This is a 100% parts gun with very few of the parts manufacturers even being listed and the ones they do list are just ok at best so I can just guestimate how good the other parts are!





C4

 

[kirby25]

C4,

one last question, think you might have said this before but are the M&P15A's made in house at S&W along with the T's but the standards are made at Stag? if this is so, is there a difference in the A and T besides the T comes with the rail hand guard? the dealer i use only has Ts and standards and dosent really want to order an A so i can trade towards it-only wants to trade with what he has(which i understand why). anyways any thougths on the M&P 15T.



oh and i was thinking, S&W has got to have one of the best customer services out there(ive dealt with others and S&W is great) i think also has alot do with which brand i choose as well. thanks alot for all your help C4 and everyone else that posted.



kirby

 

[C4iGrant]

The T & A's are made in house. The 15 is made by SA. There is no difference between the T&A other than the rail and additional front flip up frong sight.







C4

 

[kirby25]

Thanks ALOT C4, you helped me make up my mind and cant wait to get my hands on a 15A or 15T. Thanks for the speedy replys and helpful info!!!!



kirby

 

[C4iGrant]

Your welcome and glad I could help.







C4

 

[YukonGlocker]

Do you know who makes the barrel for the M&P 15T?

 

[Walker]

I agree with Grant here, the M&P15A is the only way to go, mine preformed flawlessly in my first IDPA match were other makes and models had issues...

 

[kirby25]

i guess i have one more question about the 15A and 15T. how would i know, if the particular one i was looking at, either A or T, if it was one made in the S&W house rather then by stag? or did they always make the A and T in S&W house? im asking this because i read that when they switched over to S&W house, they put LMT BCG in them and fixed the key problem. i figure if im going to buy one, i want one with the staked key and the LMT BCG. thanks



kirby

 

[shadow_dog]

Do you know who makes the barrel for the M&P 15T?

I just got my M&P Tac back from Smith, the barrel was replaced. While I was on the phone with them, they said the barrels were from Mossburg. My new barrel doesn't have the twist rate or caliber stamped on it like my old one did.

 

[YukonGlocker]

Does it have any stampings or markings on it?

 

[kirby25]

i guess i have one more question about the 15A and 15T. how would i know, if the particular one i was looking at, either A or T, if it was one made in the S&W house rather then by stag? or did they always make the A and T in S&W house? im asking this because i read that when they switched over to S&W house, they put LMT BCG in them and fixed the key problem. i figure if im going to buy one, i want one with the staked key and the LMT BCG. thanks



kirby

so can anyone answer my questions?

 

[shadow_dog]

Does it have any stampings or markings on it?

none, no markings at all.