Talked to a Smith rep today and he told me all the newer mp 15s come with m4 feed ramps and TC barrels. 68 C nunber or higher. 2nd gen. he said had no M4 ramps and had Mossberg barrels and 1st gen were by Stag. My question is which is better or does it matter. How are the TC barrels compared to the other two.
This is all correct. The newer guns are better than the older ones.
C4
Interesting, especially since I just finished reading “A Tale of Three Smiths” in the May issue of S.W.A.T.
I’d heard (from a credible M4C member) that the first barrels were Stag, the second Wilson (maybe) and in-house thereafter. I hadn’t heard Mossberg 'til now.
Does that mean I should dump my older smith for a new one? I still have not gotten my $100 rebate check and it has been two months now. Is there really a major issue here if the rifle goes bang and the bullet hits where you aim it?
What’s a disappointment right now is that the barrel extension has M4 ramps but the upper receiver does not.
Stag has never made barrels. The barrels in the older M&P’s were made by Mossberg. They are currently made by TC.
C4
If the weapon goes bang for you, then keep it.
C4
Got it. I’m sure you know how hard it is for us regular consumers to strain this info-stew for the occasional chunk of meat. 
Good advice, words to live by, and a sig-line-in-waiting…
All is good, I have a 70 series gun so it is the latest. Yes, it does go bang.
Newer ones as in 3rd gen. or newer ones as in 2nd and 3rd gen?? I emailed smith and told them I have SN 619xx and they said it was a non-stag/in-house gun. Im not sure how certain he was, but i would like to know how mine stacks up to the other smiths. BTW, fit and finish is great, it shoots well, Pmags work well, and the stake Job looks like that of an LMT BCG, so it would make sense that he was right about it not being a stag gun.
for your ref. i mailed my rebate form 3-31-08 and check got here 6-19-08. feel better now ? i sure do .
My M&P 15 (standard model) is a 63xxx serial number…and it shoots 69 grain SMK’s REALLY good…I get 1.5 inch groups at 200 yards with my reloads…loaded long and fed by hand.
Loaded to mag length I get about 2 inch groups…10 round groups.
I’d say thats a pretty good barrel…whoever made it.
My check arrived on Friday, 6/20/08. Yeah, I do feel better now. The rebate wsa the reason I picked S&W over Stag back then. Was not a member of the group when I bought. Yeah, I like my S&W, even better now with the Millet DMS-1 scope.
There is nothing really the matter with the 2nd Gen. S&W ARs. They are quality rifles not having M4 cuts will not change their relibility also their Alloy (non steel) gas blocks using set screws work well when install the correct way.
Even S&Ws AR Project Enginner likes the Alloy gas blocks and said that they only changed because the Military and some Police Depts. wanted them in their fullauto ARs. not because the had lost faith in them. Steel is where the steel pinned gas block is really needed in the high heat of a full auto AR.
Also the 2nd Gen.s using the Mossberg barrels have quality bbls. Mossberg has made bbls for many rifles for many years. S&W bought Thompson Center so they now use TC bbls. not because they had problems with Mossberg bbls.
On another subject.
Also keep in mind www.GRTactical.com is a supporter of this and other AR forums and is a quality Dealer of S&W ARs and can supply you through your local FFL Dealer with a new S&W AR and also quality service and many other firearm items.
And no I do not work for S&W or Mr. Grant.
You most likely have a GEN II.
The GEN III’s have M4 barrel extensions and M4 upper receivers. They also stopped using LMT BCG’s, but the bolts are just as good and are HP/MP tested.
C4
I wonder why they stopped using the LM&T BCG’s? What replaced the LM&Ts?
Grant what is the ETA and Price for the SW M&P VTAC?
Supply was why they switched. S&W went out to another source that makes bolts for companies like Colt.
C4
No firm ETA (sorry).
C4
That is comforting news…Thank you for that bit of info C4.