Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 Review

Mrgunsngear · October 18, 2012, 04:06 PM

Like many of you I tried the 22LR AR conversion kits but found they have a few drawbacks: the diameter of the 22LR bullet in a 5.56 chambered AR leaves something to be desired in the accuracy department, reliability is spotty depending on the rifle/ammo, and if you fire enough rounds through your converted AR the gas tube can become somewhat clogged (a couple 5.56 rounds quickly rectifies the problem but just noting it for those that may be unaware).

Due to the reasons above, I started my search for a dedicated 22LR upper but found that most were pretty close in price to some of the dedicated 22LR ARs on the market. So rather than just having a dedicated upper, I just went for it and got the M&P 15-22. I've been glad I did ever since.

Here's a quick run-down of the pros/cons of the rifle:

Pros:
-All controls function just like the AR platform making weapon manipulation drills realistic
-Comes with a 25 round mag that's easy to load. Spare mags are reasonably priced ($20-25 most places)
-Stock and grip are interchangeable with common AR accessories if you want to swap them out
-Has been 100% reliable with the recommended ammo
-Is more accurate than conversion kits
-Comes standard with a polymer 1913 rail for adding accessories
-Good sights; rear sight is dual aperture
-Uses a proven operating design (very similar in function to the 22/45 pistols by Ruger)
-Cost. The rifle can be had for under $400 most places and every 500 rounds you're saving over $100 in ammo cost vs the 223/5.56 platform
-Barrel is made of carbon steel
-Weight. The rifle weighs 5.5lbs
-Has a case deflector to keep brass out of the face of left handed shooters

Cons:
-Cost. I know it was a pro as well but buying a complete gun for around $400 is still more than a $120-150 conversion kit would be
-The upper/lower aren't interchangeable with other mil-spec AR uppers/lowers. I don't think it's a big deal but more versatility is better than less in my opinion
-While the polymer seems durable thus far, it's still polymer not aluminum/steel

Here's a video of my wife and I running a few rounds thought it followed by a demonstration of disassembly/assembly procedures and a discussion of the pros/cons of the rifle:

M&P 15-22 HD Video Review Link

In summary, this gun is a winner for Smith & Wesson. Compared to its' competitors it's a more realistic training rifle for the AR platform that performs well in all areas. Reliability is great, cleaning is a breeze, and new shooters will love this rifle.

Crow Hunter · October 18, 2012, 04:13 PM

I love mine.

I have it set up to mirror my 5.56 rifle with a Primary Arms red dot and a spacer to get it to the proper lower 1/3 cowitness.

I shot it in direct competition to my Marlin 39a and it was just as accurate and easier to shoot.

I am going to get another one here shortly and mount a rimfire magnified optic on it as a fun plinker/squirrel sniping rifle.

Aaron1100us · October 18, 2012, 05:35 PM

I love mine too. I have it set up with a simple red dot, forward grip and flip up sights. Accurate to 100 yards so far.

Sent from my PB99400 using Tapatalk 2

Mrgunsngear · October 19, 2012, 08:18 AM

Quote:

I have it set up to mirror my 5.56 rifle with a Primary Arms red dot and a spacer to get it to the proper lower 1/3 cowitness.

I've put the Bushnell TRS 25 on mine with a UTG medium riser as well---works like a champ.

JWT · October 24, 2012, 04:05 PM

Have a Primary Arms red dot on my 15-22 and find it nothing but fun to shoot. I've put thousands of rounds of Gederal and CCI Blazer ammo through it without a single malfunction. Great little gun.

shiyfire · October 24, 2012, 09:11 PM

They are fun
I have one for myself and my son has one.
we have a blast with them.

Marquezj16 · October 26, 2012, 09:49 PM

Awesome review.

I love mine. I changed out the sights to Magpul and have had different scopes on it, red dots and magnified scopes. Right now I have a 3-9x Burris rimfire scope on it. Almost like cheating when shooting with it.

Shooters Plus · October 27, 2012, 11:18 AM

Great review. Enjoyed the pics also.

mySig229 · October 27, 2012, 12:48 PM

Great camera work. :-)

Mrgunsngear · October 27, 2012, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Great camera work. :-)

I take it you liked the angle?

hemiram · October 28, 2012, 05:31 AM

I have a 15-22 Pistol. I got it for a great price on Gunbroker, brand new. It was like $140 less than anywhere else I had seen, and so I jumped. It's a lot of fun. I have a red dot/laser combo scope on it and it's amazingly accurate. I never even thought of buying one until a friend bought both the 15-22 pistol and a rifle, and I decided to grab a pistol when I found one cheap. Great guns. I don't see any real problems with the polymer parts used in it, since it's a .22 gun. My friend's guns have been shot a lot with zero issues.

mySig229 · October 29, 2012, 02:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plouffedaddy

I take it you liked the angle?

Very much. Got any non YouTube approved videos? Lucky man

Marquezj16 · October 31, 2012, 05:43 AM

It seems like after I read a review of the M&P 15-22, I get the urge to take it to the range. This is my no pressure fun gun. I can dump 25 rds and have a big smile on my face.

Mrgunsngear · October 31, 2012, 06:26 AM

Quote:

It seems like after I read a review of the M&P 15-22, I get the urge to take it to the range. This is my no pressure fun gun. I can dump 25 rds and have a big smile on my face.

I think that's what this gun is all about. Everyone has fun; completely inexperienced shooters aren't intimidated, and it's cheap to shoot.

Crow Hunter · October 31, 2012, 07:10 AM

I liked mine so much.

I just got another one this past weekend.

In camo.

I am going to set this one up with a magnified optic and use it on pesky tree rats!

They are addicting.

Mrgunsngear · October 31, 2012, 12:25 PM

Those rats will never see you now that you have the camo one!

AdrianVall · October 31, 2012, 09:12 PM

I reaaaaaaaaaaally want one of those! Great review! Really appreciate it.

October 18, 2012, 04:06 PM	#1
Mrgunsngear Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2011 Location: Carolina Posts: 3,415	Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 Review Like many of you I tried the 22LR AR conversion kits but found they have a few drawbacks: the diameter of the 22LR bullet in a 5.56 chambered AR leaves something to be desired in the accuracy department, reliability is spotty depending on the rifle/ammo, and if you fire enough rounds through your converted AR the gas tube can become somewhat clogged (a couple 5.56 rounds quickly rectifies the problem but just noting it for those that may be unaware). Due to the reasons above, I started my search for a dedicated 22LR upper but found that most were pretty close in price to some of the dedicated 22LR ARs on the market. So rather than just having a dedicated upper, I just went for it and got the M&P 15-22. I've been glad I did ever since. Here's a quick run-down of the pros/cons of the rifle: Pros: -All controls function just like the AR platform making weapon manipulation drills realistic -Comes with a 25 round mag that's easy to load. Spare mags are reasonably priced ($20-25 most places) -Stock and grip are interchangeable with common AR accessories if you want to swap them out -Has been 100% reliable with the recommended ammo -Is more accurate than conversion kits -Comes standard with a polymer 1913 rail for adding accessories -Good sights; rear sight is dual aperture -Uses a proven operating design (very similar in function to the 22/45 pistols by Ruger) -Cost. The rifle can be had for under $400 most places and every 500 rounds you're saving over $100 in ammo cost vs the 223/5.56 platform -Barrel is made of carbon steel -Weight. The rifle weighs 5.5lbs -Has a case deflector to keep brass out of the face of left handed shooters Cons: -Cost. I know it was a pro as well but buying a complete gun for around $400 is still more than a $120-150 conversion kit would be -The upper/lower aren't interchangeable with other mil-spec AR uppers/lowers. I don't think it's a big deal but more versatility is better than less in my opinion -While the polymer seems durable thus far, it's still polymer not aluminum/steel Here's a video of my wife and I running a few rounds thought it followed by a demonstration of disassembly/assembly procedures and a discussion of the pros/cons of the rifle: M&P 15-22 HD Video Review Link In summary, this gun is a winner for Smith & Wesson. Compared to its' competitors it's a more realistic training rifle for the AR platform that performs well in all areas. Reliability is great, cleaning is a breeze, and new shooters will love this rifle. __________________ Mrgunsngear Youtube Channel

October 18, 2012, 04:13 PM	#2
Crow Hunter Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2012 Posts: 1,078	I love mine. I have it set up to mirror my 5.56 rifle with a Primary Arms red dot and a spacer to get it to the proper lower 1/3 cowitness. I shot it in direct competition to my Marlin 39a and it was just as accurate and easier to shoot. I am going to get another one here shortly and mount a rimfire magnified optic on it as a fun plinker/squirrel sniping rifle. __________________ I am no longer participating in gun forums. Good luck.

October 27, 2012, 11:18 AM	#8
Shooters Plus Member Join Date: October 6, 2007 Location: MS Posts: 84	Great review. Enjoyed the pics also. __________________ www.shootersplus.com Guns for Sale! Glock, Colt, Ruger, Sig Sauer, Springfield, Smith & Wesson, HK and many more! Wilson Combat 1911 parts and accessories

October 31, 2012, 07:10 AM	#15
Crow Hunter Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2012 Posts: 1,078	I liked mine so much. I just got another one this past weekend. In camo. I am going to set this one up with a magnified optic and use it on pesky tree rats! They are addicting. __________________ I am no longer participating in gun forums. Good luck.

October 31, 2012, 12:25 PM	#16
Mrgunsngear Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2011 Location: Carolina Posts: 3,415	Those rats will never see you now that you have the camo one! __________________ Mrgunsngear Youtube Channel

October 18, 2012, 05:35 PM	#3
Aaron1100us Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2011 Posts: 235	I love mine too. I have it set up with a simple red dot, forward grip and flip up sights. Accurate to 100 yards so far. Sent from my PB99400 using Tapatalk 2

October 24, 2012, 04:05 PM	#5
JWT Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2007 Location: Southern Arizona Posts: 3,888	Have a Primary Arms red dot on my 15-22 and find it nothing but fun to shoot. I've put thousands of rounds of Gederal and CCI Blazer ammo through it without a single malfunction. Great little gun.

October 24, 2012, 09:11 PM	#6
shiyfire Member Join Date: March 28, 2000 Location: KY. Posts: 29	They are fun I have one for myself and my son has one. we have a blast with them.

October 26, 2012, 09:49 PM	#7
Marquezj16 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2011 Posts: 2,088	Awesome review. I love mine. I changed out the sights to Magpul and have had different scopes on it, red dots and magnified scopes. Right now I have a 3-9x Burris rimfire scope on it. Almost like cheating when shooting with it.

October 27, 2012, 12:48 PM	#9
mySig229 Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2011 Posts: 120	Great camera work. :-)

October 28, 2012, 05:31 AM	#11
hemiram Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2005 Location: Toledo, ohio Posts: 762	I have a 15-22 Pistol. I got it for a great price on Gunbroker, brand new. It was like $140 less than anywhere else I had seen, and so I jumped. It's a lot of fun. I have a red dot/laser combo scope on it and it's amazingly accurate. I never even thought of buying one until a friend bought both the 15-22 pistol and a rifle, and I decided to grab a pistol when I found one cheap. Great guns. I don't see any real problems with the polymer parts used in it, since it's a .22 gun. My friend's guns have been shot a lot with zero issues.

October 31, 2012, 05:43 AM	#13
Marquezj16 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2011 Posts: 2,088	It seems like after I read a review of the M&P 15-22, I get the urge to take it to the range. This is my no pressure fun gun. I can dump 25 rds and have a big smile on my face.

October 31, 2012, 09:12 PM	#17
AdrianVall Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2010 Location: West Palm Beach, FL Posts: 144	I reaaaaaaaaaaally want one of those! Great review! Really appreciate it.