I have had some recent experience with the M&P Sport, which is the model that does not have a dust cover or the forward assist.
The first one a friend bought and we added a Troy VTAC float tube, a CMMG 2 stage trigger, Magpul CTR and MAID grip, and a Leupold scope.
The gas port was right on size at .063 and the bore scope showed a really nice barrel with the throat right on center. I really liked the lower as it had an oversize trigger guard forged with the lower so that saves replacing it with an aftermarket trigger guard.
It also had the bolt and bolt carrier Melonited and the action really slicked up fast. The gas key was nicely staked.
It shot 55 gr American Eagle right at 1 MOA and some Privi with the 55gr VMAX shot well under an inch. It ate up a few boxes of steel WPA without a hitch.
He does not care about the dust cover or forward assist so is not planning to swap out the upper.
Based on how nice that gun was I actually bought one yesterday just for the melonited barrel. I am waiting on a couple of barrels to get here and my last 16 incher was keyholing bullets so figured I would pull the barrel and shoot it for a while to see if his was just a fluke. I did bore scope it before buying and it looked good but maybe not quite as good as the first one.
Mine also had a .063 gas port and a nice chamber, well staked gas key, the Melonited bolt, ect.
I pulled the barrel off the upper and installed it on a Vltor MUR upper with a Troy VTAC tube and replaced the A-2 with a Troy Claymore. The front sight was installed with taper pins and because the barrel is Nitrided the gas seat has the corrosion resistant finish under the front sight.
I checked the headspace and it would close on a 1.4666 NOGO if you gave the bolt a run at it (tight) but would not close on the 1.4696 field gage.
The lower I put it on has an A-5 extension with the standard buffer.
I shot 100 rounds through it yesterday doing some break in and 150rnds today. The barrel is as accurate as I can shoot with 55gr Nosler Ballistic Tips and shoots right around 1 MOA with American Eagle. Hope to work with it some more running various 75gr bullets.
So short answer is I think the gun represents a great value and a lot of the value is in the great barrels Smith and Wesson is using on these guns plus the Melonited bolt and carrier and the lower with the integral forged trigger guard. If a guy feel like he needs a dust cover and FA then add the cost on a replacement upper.
I figure I will use the upper for a dedicated 22 LR in the future and when my other barrels get here I will reassemble most of this gun and beat the crap out of the barrel with steel ammo and save my stainless barrels some wear and tear.



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