I’m looking at what I should upgrade first on my M&P sport II. It’s a very basic rifle, that I want to upgrade over time, but I’m wondering what I should prioritize.
I definitely want a light. I could buy a rail system and attach it to my current hand guard with the holes on the bottom (I’m not sure if this will effect gas system though).
I would like to swap out my hangaurd with something like the Magpul handgaurd. The current hand guard does not have any metal inside for heat. It is just straight plastic. It works, but if you run many consecutive rounds it will start to melt.
I also would like to change the stock to something better, though functionally I can’t find anything bad about the stock. It’s just very basic.
There are lots of things that could be upgraded here. What would be your first upgrade?
Does yours have a front-sight post permanently attached? Or the one that has a little flat-top section forward of the handguards?
First get your irons setup (permanent or BUIS). If you have the built-in front sight, you just need a set of rear sights. If your plan is to eventually go red dot or other optic then get some that flip down.
If this is an HD rifle, then I’d upgrade the handguards to one of the magpul variants, get a weapon light, get a red dot (or LPVO). In that order, over time as funds allow.
If its not an HD rifle, the world is kinda your oyster here. How you plan on using it will determine what to update first.
the gas system is on top of the barrel so attaching below the handguard shouldnt bother that. I’m unclear which handguard you have that has a rail attachment on the bottom?
You have to shoot it quite fast for it to melt The magpul may have better heat tolerance (not sure), but it will definitely give you more attachment options
I would say if it doesnt obviously bother you in some way, this would be one of the last upgrades. When you shoot it for a while you’ll see where (if at all) you want something different
This was the video that made me considering making the hand guard first.
My main concern with this rifle is I want it to be functional and durable for a big fight. I think it already is that, I know it’s not the highest quality build by any means. But it’s functional and has a really good reputation. The weakest link from what I’ve seen is the hand guard. BUT that’s just from what I’ve seen.
I have the same as you, Smith & Wesson Sport 2. Below are my Magpul upgrades. I use a Nikon BDC 600 scope with quick detach Burris mount system. It holds zero without any problems. image|281x499
This is a hard one for me right now. I’m not sure if I want long range, mid range, or just a good red dot. Right now I’m just trying to get comfortable with my Mag-Pull flip up site.
@Scoutbob, that makes it hard to recommend a good upgrade if you are not sure how you are going to use it. That being the case, dont go crazy, just shoot the crap out of it stock and that will start giving you a good idea of its strengths and weaknesses for you.
That said, if you are not sure how you are going to use it, get the nicest LPVO (low power variable optic) like a 1-4x or 1-6X. That way you have some flexibility. 1X for close in, then crank it up if you are shooting a little farther.
OK I see what you mean for the light. If you choose to keep the existing handguards, that will be fine on the bottom or top as far as interfering with the gas block. If you are concerned about heat though, the bottom is a better place for it.
Build quality is great, just maybe not so many bells and whistles
This is good advice here. Start shooting it now with irons (you’ll need to have those zero’ed anyway) and see what you like and dont like. You want to avoid, as much as possible, buying something that you later go “nah I shoulda gotten the other thing instead”. In my opinion, I think swapping the handguard first is a good start because no matter what role the rifle ends up in, you can always use a good handguard. In addition to the magpul handguard (which is a great EASY replacement) google for “ar15 handguard with fsp cutout” and there are actually free-float handguards (aluminum usually) that have a cutout for the front-sight-post, but these will be way more $$$ and you will need tools to swap them in. This thread on another site gives you an idea (lots of pics).
For my story, I started out with irons, then picked up a red dot (with QD mount) for a HD role. When I got comfy with it, I wanted to see what kind of accuracy I could get, so I then picked up an LPVO (also w/QD mount). On range days, I’d pick if I wanted to run the LPVO or red dot swapping them out with the QD mounts. Eventually, I caved and picked up another rifle for HD which inherited the red dot and the LPVO now sits on my first rifle permanently (altho still in QD mount) as my “general purpose do all” rifle.
I highly recommend replacing the plastic hand guard with an M-Lok hand guard. I purchased the one with the picatinny rail all the way across the top. I also purchased the Sig Sauer Romeo 5 XDR red dot. This will give you great eye relief on a long shooting day. I zero mine at 35 yards and can shoot quarter size groupings at 100 yards. Next, I replaced the stock bolt carrier with a Nickel Boron bolt carrier. Last, I replaced the stock barrel with a Stainless steel barrel. This is very easy to clean and should last many years.
The magpul may have better heat tolerance (not sure), but it will definitely give you more attachment options
, and the gun! Welcome to the community.