S & W M & P 15

Amber likes the S & W Mp & P 15 enough that she is going to give it a new home Smith & Wesson’s M & P 15 The black rifle may very well be the best selling rifle at this time. They come in many calibers and styles though the 223 is probably the most popular. I have shot them in everything from the 223 to the 338 federal. Even though they are not my cup of tea I will admit that they can be very accurate and reliable given proper ammo. They are becoming popular in the hunting fields as they do perform well there. Many times they can equal the accuracy of a standard bolt action rifle. If you reload they do require a bit more care in making ammo for them. Almost everyone who makes guns offers some form of these rifles. I would hesitate on guessing the numbers of manufacturers out there but there should be something for anyone who wants this type of rifle. I requested and received a M & P model 15 from Smith & Wesson as it looks like a model that a smaller statured shooter might shoot and enjoy. I was primarily focusing on women and children in that respect. While chronographing loads isn’t a primary purpose of this report will do a couple to show the velocity loss that you will experience with the shorter tube. I have done quite a bit of experimenting and you can expect to lose between two and 300 FPS between a 16” and a 20”. However that might not be important if you place a high value on handiness. If you want to push a 55 grain bullet at 3300 you better get a 24” gun. With the 1 in 8” twist you should be able to shoot a 70 grain bullet accurately if that is your desire. That would make it a good coyote load. LOAD BULLET VELOCITY COMMENT PMC 55 grain bronze 2619 accurate 27 X 55 grain FMJ 2898 consistent

Some of ammo used in test. Gun never jammed even with reloads The M & P is friendly to reloads. That is a plus with the cost of ammo these days. I didn’t do a lot of load development as I am more interested in how it functions with common ammo and how various shooters like it. I had done a lot of work in the past on the 223 and any of the loads worked ok. Everyone who handled it liked the feel and weight. The sights are easy to use and fully adjustable. With a scope range will be extended considerably. With the short barrel velocity will be limited to around 2900 FPS with sensible loads. In a 24” you can expect about 300 FPS more. So you either have convenience which the M & P 15 offers or longer range that a rifle with a longer barrel offers. If you want a handy trail rifle then this one will fill your needs. I have found it a quality item and for someone who is looking for this type of rifle I would give it a thumbs up.

Telescoping stock makes it convenient for shooters of various sizes to shoot in comfortably. I asked one of the females to give me an opinion on the M & P 15 both good and bad points. Maybe S & W can take a look at it and go from there. This is in her own words. “ First off this is a gun that my friends and I have thoroughly enjoyed shooting. I do not have an immense background in firearms but am getting much more acquainted as most of my family is very into firearms. My first thought of this M&P 15 is the immediate “cool” factor, which at my age is very important. The gun stands out; it’s very sleek full of picatinny rails: top, bottom, and sides. Very useful for adding accessories of all kinds: lights, lasers, grips, and such. I was very impressed with the magpul accessories which came on the M&P 15. The sights are flip sights in which a release button is hit and the sights, which are spring loaded, flip into action. The magpul pmag was a welcome addition especially in the hot desert sun. The magazine doesn’t get hot when in the sun like all of our conventional steel magazines do, which make them nearly useless because they can’t be handled. The six position stock is a life saver as my friends and I are all respectively short and have shorter arms then our men. This makes a day shooting with friends a more enjoyable outing as we can all set the stock to our comforts with ease.

Action. Gun is easy to clean and disassemble I have taken the M&P 15 apart for cleaning a few times so far and it is very simple for a novice like me to get apart and clean. I did have help the first couple times getting it apart, but once I was shown it is a simple procedure. Just 2 pins to separate the 2 main sections of the M&P 15 and apart it comes. The bolt assembly simply slides out and everything can be cleaned and lubed up until next time. Unfortunately there were a few things on the gun that I was not entirely impressed with. Comfort is key for me with firearms, so first of all the butt stock was not well thought out in my opinion. It is extremely hard plastic with rough semi pointed spots all over it. I think just installing some type of rubber padding would have gone very far for the overall comfort of the M&P 15. While on the comfort subject I also believe the pistol grip could have had a minor improvement as well. Something slightly more comfortable to grip such as a Hogue grip or similar would have gone a long ways to extended shooting times. I do understand that these accessories are all readily available at a local sporting goods store or gun shop however the gun did include picatinny rail covers to keep shooters hands from being beat up I also believe inexpensively these upgrades could have been included as well. Overall I believe this would be a great addition to any women’s arsenal that is looking for a bit more firepower than the traditional 22 rifle. I was very happy to have been asked to help in the testing of this rifle. Smith and Wesson is a great name in the weapons industry and I feel they really did a great job with this particular rifle. “ This gun performed well as expected. There were no malfunctions with any ammo including reloads. It is accurate enough for it purposes. With it’s light weight female shooters should like it. The telescoping stock works well and is easy to adjust. Recoil while almost non existent with the metal but plate some folks might want to put a rubber but pad on it. They are easy to find and are inexpensive. It has three picatinny rails so you can mount accessories such as a scope and a flashlight. There are many accessories available for this model so an owner can tailor this carbine to his or her taste. • SKU: 811036 • Model: M&P15 Sport™ • Caliber: 5.56 mm NATO • Capacity: 30 Round Detachable Magazine • Action: Semi-Auto • Barrel Length: 16" / 40.6 cm • Barrel Twist: 1 in 8" 5R Rifling • Front Sight: Adjustable A2 Post • Rear Sight: Magpul® Folding MBUS • Overall Length: 35" Extended / 32" Collapsed • Stock: 6 Position Telescopic • Weight: 6.45 lbs. / 2,925.7 g • Barrel Material: 4140 Steel • Barrel Finish: Melonite® • Receiver Material: 7075 T6 Aluminum • Receiver Finish: Hard Coat Black Anodized • Chromed Components: Gas Key Bolt Carrier • Purpose: Competitive Recreational Professional / Duty Home Protection Hunting

Another young lady shooting the S & W M & P 15