I bought a S&W AR years ago. It’s a good gun. A friend of mine bought one last year. It has no forward assist and no dust cover, but it shoots OK.
he bought the Sport. The Sport is a low cost AR that is built nice but lacks some features. Its for someone on a budget but wants a decent AR.
I’d love to get an AR but don’t have the money for a new platform (gun, mags, ammo, optic, etc).