Took the AR Plunge

[spengo]

Hey Dyjital,
I like your setup, enjoy the fruit of your patience. The S&W is one I seriously looked at, Just a little more than I had budgeted. The setup looks beautiful, let us know how she shoots.
I'm surprised more guys aren't pipping in on "Proper Break-in". I was told minimum thorough clean between each of the first five shots made a huge difference on long term accuracy... What do the "Guru's" suggest?

Come on guys, quit giving crap over optics, and give him something useful...
He'll work the optics issue/preference out after a few trips to the range.
A1

>"break-in" a chrome lined barrel

 

[C&H]

>"break-in" a chrome lined barrel

How fabulously helpful.
Carp all over his optics in previous posts, and now offer mocking laughter after someone else asks a question?

 

[spengo]

How fabulously helpful.
Carp all over his optics in previous posts, and now offer mocking laughter after someone else asks a question?

Not laughing at him, laughing at whoever told him that. The answer is no, you do not need to break in the barrel. Chrome lining is incredibly hard.

 

[Member 5605]

So here is my build so far.

S&W MP15
NcStar P4 Sniper
Magpul VFG
Magpul Flipup front backup sight
Magpul Flipup rear backup sight
4x 30 round Magpul PMAG mags
Front rails
Badger Ordnance GenII Tactical Latch
Yankee Hill Mach. 4" riser so the scope is above the backup rear sight. This also allowed the scope to sit further back on the receiver so I didn't feel like I was humping the gun with my face. The 1/2" that it sat higher on the rails worked out better for me and was a LOT more comfortable to look down range.
Rocky Mount 9"x13" Bipod

So far I estimate that each round has cost me approx $25 to shoot so far

Break in went as follows: loaded two 30 rounders and gave some targets he-ll-O.

I will post up a photo of how it sits with all goodies when I am not on my iPhone typing.


Suckage: I lost the editing with photos: booooo!!!


As it sits tonight:


Rear backup sight and extended latch:


Front backup sight:


Front backup sight up:


Looks odd with the sight up and the rail so far back but it was necessary to have it that way so the sight would lay flat. Looks good down. It's as a backup only, and it will be zeroed in when I go tear it up on the range.

Thanks to:
Clips N' Stuff in Albany : www.clipsnstuff.com
and
ABG Buyers/Corvallis Gun Shop for the accessories (I will be visiting you guys soon for the Magpul rear grip)

 

[The B]

using the MBus on a gas block rail is probably not a good idea... the gas block gets to well over 600 degrees in very little time. i know magpul says not to do it.

 

[Member 5605]

using the MBus on a gas block rail is probably not a good idea... the gas block gets to well over 600 degrees in very little time. i know magpul says not to do it.

Good call. That just saved me $42. I'm sure by the time I noticed it....... I would have melted it.

Moving it to the other rail

 

[clearconscience]

I love it. I had to sell my S&W M&P15 a year and a half ago or so and it was one of my biggest mistakes. I loved that rifle. I have a different AR now I picked up, but it's not the same. I had a NCstar scope on mine too and I quickly removed it and decided to stick to the iron sights. The NCstar is great for small caliber rifles, but as far a quality they have a lot of work to do.

Great Choice though.

 

[The Cheese]

I love it. I had to sell my S&W M&P15 a year and a half ago or so and it was one of my biggest mistakes. I loved that rifle. I have a different AR now I picked up, but it's not the same. I had a NCstar scope on mine too and I quickly removed it and decided to stick to the iron sights. The NCstar is great for small caliber rifles, but as far a quality they have a lot of work to do.

Great Choice though.

+1 on the NCstar. There are better optics out there for not a lot more $$.

 

[spengo]

Good call. That just saved me $42. I'm sure by the time I noticed it....... I would have melted it.

Moving it to the other rail

Um... Well, it isn't going to do you much good if you put it on a rail attached to a non-free floated handguard. It will not hold zero at all there. You're going to need either a metal construction front sight that can be put on a gas block or a free float quad rail to attach an mbus.

 

[The B]

i actually didn't know smith made an M&P with a railed gas block.. doesn't really make any sense to have a rail gas block and non-floated handguards (a combination that is pretty contradictory). if you're wanting an optics-exclusive weapon, to the point that you'd sacrifice the front sight, why wouldn't you float the handguard? and if precision is so unimportant that you don't float the handguard, why use a low-set optic, and not just run irons/RDS, or a low-mag, fixed optic like the ACOGs?

if it was mine, i'd replace that huge chunk of heavy metal railed gas block with a low-pro block, and add a DD omega.. then you can have you cake and eat it too.

 

[crosse]

i think people overlook target recognition/acquisition too much. Iron sights are wonderful, but how many of you can actually identify and confirm what your shooting at 100-200 yards out.

if your AR is setup for fast competition CQB style shooting, reddot awesome.

If your looking for SHTF, I would always suggest a quality magnified (4x) power scope.

the OP looks like he wants a good starting plinker. I would say his NCStar does that.

 

[The B]

but how many of you can actually identify and confirm what your shooting at 100-200 yards out.

you're going to have to give some context... 'cause i don't know about you, but i've never shot at anything, at any distance, that i couldn't identify.

 

[Member 5605]

i actually didn't know smith made an M&P with a railed gas block.. doesn't really make any sense to have a rail gas block and non-floated handguards (a combination that is pretty contradictory). if you're wanting an optics-exclusive weapon, to the point that you'd sacrifice the front sight, why wouldn't you float the handguard? and if precision is so unimportant that you don't float the handguard, why use a low-set optic, and not just run irons/RDS, or a low-mag, fixed optic like the ACOGs?

if it was mine, i'd replace that huge chunk of heavy metal railed gas block with a low-pro block, and add a DD omega.. then you can have you cake and eat it too.

New to the terms.


Out of the box the gun had a railed gas block. I considered going with a low pro block. I then wanted a backup sight. So I opted out of replacing it but now with needing to relocate the front sight I'll get a low pro.

Free floating front rails? I assume that floats from delta ring forward and has no front mount piece like the stocker for the plastic piece.

I am on iPhone so I can't type or look up fancy stuff

 

[gehrheart]

i think people overlook target recognition/acquisition too much. Iron sights are wonderful, but how many of you can actually identify and confirm what your shooting at 100-200 yards out.

Not sure I follow as well. I shoot iron/peep sights out to 100yrd and some imes to 200yrd with no issues. I've taken deer with 30-30 iron sights lever gun at just over 100yrd no issues. Am I missing something?

 

[The B]

New to the terms.


Out of the box the gun had a railed gas block. I considered going with a low pro block. I then wanted a backup sight. So I opted out of replacing it but now with needing to relocate the front sight I'll get a low pro.

Free floating front rails? I assume that floats from delta ring forward and has no front mount piece like the stocker for the plastic piece.

I am on iPhone so I can't type or look up fancy stuff

free floating handguards generally have proprietary barrel nuts, negating the OEM barrel nut and delta assembly altogether. the Omegas by DD are nice because you don't have to remove anything but the plastic handguards and clamp the rail to the existing barrel nut, leaving the delta assembly in place.

if you get a low-pro gas block, you can get the handguard in any length you want. you can do a 7, 9, 10, or 12" handguard, and put your MBus at the end.

 

[wsu 5.9er]

Any free-float rail is going to cost you over $150-200. I would suggest selling the MBUS front sight and pick up a metal one from Troy or Midwest Industries and just mount that on your gas block.

 

[Member 5605]

Picked up a low profile gas block ($25) today from a gun shop that's not... well a gun shop because of zoning restrictions... Also yanked a metal mag (20 round I think) for $10 out of the shop to see how my gun likes em. Seems a little sloppier than the pMags but we'll see.

Anywho....
Here's the front now: Looks a lot cleaner:


Not liking how the flash makes everything look greener than it really is.

 

[spengo]

Picked up a low profile gas block ($25) today from a gun shop that's not... well a gun shop because of zoning restrictions... Also yanked a metal mag (20 round I think) for $10 out of the shop to see how my gun likes em. Seems a little sloppier than the pMags but we'll see.

Anywho....
Here's the front now: Looks a lot cleaner:


Not liking how the flash makes everything look greener than it really is.

You know that backup front sight isn't going to do you a whole lot of good mounted to the A2 handguard there... If you want to put any type of sights on a handguard it kind of has to be free-float. I recommend the Daniel Defense Omega ris. It is drop-in, requires no gunsmithing, and is free-float. Alternatively, it would be cheaper to put your old railed gas block back on and attach a metal front sight post like this Troy one.

 

[Member 5605]

You know that backup front sight isn't going to do you a whole lot of good mounted to the A2 handguard there... If you want to put any type of sights on a handguard it kind of has to be free-float. I recommend the Daniel Defense Omega ris. It is drop-in, requires no gunsmithing, and is free-float. Alternatively, it would be cheaper to put your old railed gas block back on and attach a metal front sight post like this Troy one.

Yeah it's going to flop all over the place. Currently looking for a free float that's reasonable in price to fix the front end.

 

[The B]

indeed... that mbus wont hold a zero on plastic, non-floated handguards. even the RAS isn't sufficient, and that thing locked up way tighter than plastic. your POI will shift with every round fired, and by enough to throw you off MOM at 50m. you basically have to float it, now.