Smith & Wesson M&P15
Encyclopedia
The Smith & Wesson M&P15 is Smith & Wesson
's version of the AR-15
rifle with which Smith & Wesson reentered the rifle market in January 2006.
is a gun manufacturer and long time supplier of law enforcement and personal-defense firearms. The "M&P" stands for "Military & Police," and it puts this line of 5.56mm (.223 Remington) 16-inch semi-automatic carbines in the forefront of Smith & Wesson's continuing century-plus tradition of duty-oriented M&P firearms that date back to the world's first .38 Special revolver in 1899 the S&W .38 Hand Ejector Military & Police.
, with the T model featuring folding sights and a four-sided accessories rail. At its debut, the M&P15's suggested retail price was $1,200, while the M&P15T retailed for $1,700. Their current line consists of four models, ranging in price from $1,049 to $2,200. These rifles were first produced by Stag Arms, but marketed under the Smith & Wesson name. Currently Smith & Wesson makes the lower receiver in house while the barrel is supplied by Thompson/Center, a S&W company.
In May 2008, Smith and Wesson introduced their first AR-variant rifle in a caliber other than 5.56x45mm NATO. The M&P15R is a standard AR platform rifle chambered for the 5.45x39mm
cartridge. In 2009, they released the M&P15-22
, chambered for the .22 Long Rifle
cartridge
.
Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...
's version of the AR-15
AR-15
The AR-15 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. It is manufactured with the extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials....
rifle with which Smith & Wesson reentered the rifle market in January 2006.
History
Smith & WessonSmith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...
is a gun manufacturer and long time supplier of law enforcement and personal-defense firearms. The "M&P" stands for "Military & Police," and it puts this line of 5.56mm (.223 Remington) 16-inch semi-automatic carbines in the forefront of Smith & Wesson's continuing century-plus tradition of duty-oriented M&P firearms that date back to the world's first .38 Special revolver in 1899 the S&W .38 Hand Ejector Military & Police.
Variants
Unveiled at SHOT Show 2006, the rifle debuted in two varieties; the M&P15 and the M&P15T. Both are basically the same rifle, chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO5.56x45mm NATO
5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge...
, with the T model featuring folding sights and a four-sided accessories rail. At its debut, the M&P15's suggested retail price was $1,200, while the M&P15T retailed for $1,700. Their current line consists of four models, ranging in price from $1,049 to $2,200. These rifles were first produced by Stag Arms, but marketed under the Smith & Wesson name. Currently Smith & Wesson makes the lower receiver in house while the barrel is supplied by Thompson/Center, a S&W company.
In May 2008, Smith and Wesson introduced their first AR-variant rifle in a caliber other than 5.56x45mm NATO. The M&P15R is a standard AR platform rifle chambered for the 5.45x39mm
5.45x39mm
The Soviet 5.45×39mm cartridge is a rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It was introduced into service in 1974 for use with the new AK-74 assault rifle. It gradually supplemented then largely replaced the 7.62x39mm round in service....
cartridge. In 2009, they released the M&P15-22
Smith & Wesson M&P15-22
The Smith & Wesson M&P15-22 is a .22 LR variant of the Smith & Wesson M&P15. In contrast to the original AR-15, it is blowback-operated, rather than direct impingement. It is intended for recreational shooting and hunting. It is made with a polymer upper and lower receiver, rather than the...
, chambered for the .22 Long Rifle
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
.