Colt LE6920 Magpul Edition With Anodized Receiver Review

Well, first and foremost the LE6920 Anodized Magpul edition (Model: LE6920MPFDE) lives up to the standards Colt is known for.

The big question when it comes to Colt ARs in my opinion is––-are they worth the money they charge over lower priced competitors like PSA, Spikes, Windam, ect... Tough to say as it's an individual decision. I generally only recommend Colt ARs to people who don't know anything about ARs and have a ~1k budget because you really can't go wrong with one. But, I'm certainly not a Colt fan-boy as this is the only Colt rifle I personally own and I have nothing but good things to say about my other PSA ARs. I only bought this one because I got a good deal on it and I sold another rifle I bought years ago and made $450 on it to put toward this AR (and because I like shiny FDE products!).

Pros(and features):
-1 in 7 chrome lined 16.1'' barrel with A2 style brake
-5.56 chamber
-MPI (or MPC as Colt calls it) inspected bolt
-Anodized upper, lower, and buffer tube
-Magpul stock, rear sight, pistol grip, mags (2x black PMags), handguard, and VFG included
-Cleaning kit and sling included
-Good out of the box mil spec trigger (pulls crisp between 6-7lbs)
-This model has LE serial number (some people think this is a big deal, not me however)
-Reliability (0 failures of any kind through 500 rounds, the vast majority Barnaul ammo)

Cons:
-Cost
-Stepped M4 barrel isn't used/needed by the vast majority of shooters
-The anodization seems to turn color or hold carbon on the inside of the upper even after being cleaned(the video shows it better than I can write it)

Bottom line: You really can't go wrong with the 6920. If you're looking for a quality, reliable, out of the box AR at around $1k this rifle deserves consideration. You can probably get a similar quality rifle for less, especially if you build it, but you'd probably be increasing your chances of getting a lemon.

Here's a video with some discussion, shooting from 15m, 40m, and 75m (the farthest line of sight I have on the land). I also do a quick table top discussion and chrono some Hornday TAP 75gr and Silver Bear 62gr HP rounds.

Chrono Data:
Hornady 223 75gr TAP: 2437fps, 989ft/lbs energy
Silver Bear 62gr HP: 2687fps, 994ft/lbs energy

Smith and Wesson Shield 9mm Review

The Shield is one of the, if not the, most talked about handguns within the shooting community this year.   The trend for small carry guns in 380 seems to have been set aside for compact single stack 9mm guns.   The Shield certainly isn't the smallest of the "pocket 9s" but it may well be the best.  I've shot the Nano, Solo, PF9, PM9, P938, and own the CM9...  if I had to pick one of them it'd be the Shield.    Here are some reasons why:

Pros:
-Reliable.  I just passed the 1K round mark with this gun using everything from steel cased Russian ammo to quality JHPs it's never missed a beat
-Shootable.   Of the guns I mentioned above, the Shield is the easiest to shoot well.   Many of these small guns tend to jump around in your hand causing the shooter to re-grip halfway through the magazine; the Shield doesn't seem to have that problem
-Lightweight.  It comes in at 19oz unloaded
-Great finish.  The melonite (68 HRc) finish is top notch.   With over 1K through the gun it shows less signs of wear than my SIG P229 did after 200 rounds
-It comes with usable sights.  I replaced my sights with Trijicon NS but the factory 3 dot sights are easy to use and better than most guns in its' class.
-Cost.  I got mine for $389 OTD right when they were released and used the Nation's Finest rebate (they used to honor it for the Shield but no longer do.  They now have MIL/LE pricing however) for an additional $50 off.  
-Value.  For the cost above you get a well built, seeming very durable firearm that carries extremely well.  Due to this, demand is currently exceeding supply and they're hard to find.
-Lots of aftermarket support from Apex parts to night sights to holsters.
-Comes with two mags (some of the competitors don't); a 7 round flush fit and 8 round extended mag.
-It has by far the best out of the box trigger of any gun in the M&P lineup; the reset isn't faint like the rest of the series.  My trigger breaks consistently at 6lbs.
-You don't have to pull the trigger for disassembly.  That's important to some people so I mentioned it to me but I don't mind pulling the trigger (as you'll see in the video below).
-Fish scale serrations allow for a positive purchase on the slide when manipulating the weapon.

Cons:
-Right side only controls.  If you're a lefty you likely won't appreciate that.\
-External safety.  I'm in the camp of the people who do not like external safeties on a striker fired gun.   That said, it takes an intentional sweep to put it in the 'on' position and I worry little about it accidently coming on (has never happened yet).  Also, for those who like external safeties it's still a con.   Reason being it's small and difficult to manipulate...  likely more so under stress.   I think they tried to compromise here and missed both ways.
-It's larger than some of its' competitors.  I don't find it to be a pocket gun (I know some do) unless I'm wearing cargo pants/shorts.


Here's a video with some shooting from the 12m line, a size comparison with a couple carry guns, demonstration of disassembly and assembly of the gun, a quick discussion of the guns' pros and cons, and some chronograph testing with some popular defensive rounds

Chrono numbers:

Hornady 147gr TAPs: 894 fps, 261 ft/lbs energy
Federal 124gr HSTs: 1016 fps, 284 ft/lbs energy
Speer 124gr Gold Dots: 1076 fps, 319 ft/lbs energy