Opinion of Smith & Wesson M&P 15

[dvdcrr]

Does anyone have any experience with the M&P 15 that U would care to share?
Here is a model I am looking at: NOS:
https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/archive-mp-15

[2damnold4this]

Several friends have them and they seem to work just fine. Neither has the carry handle sight as they use red dots with a Magpul MBUS rear sight.

[Erno86]

My S&W M&P 15 - 5.45x39 upper...fits just as tight to my Rock River lower --- As compared to my 5.56x45 Rock River upper.

[dontcatchmany]

I also have the M&P 15 R 5.45x39. and bought it several years ago long before S&W discontinued it.

Health issues have kept me from firing it in about 4 years (same with other long guns), but I had put approximately 5,000 rounds through it when my shoulder could support a long gun.

The M&P 15 R has been flawless and is/was quite accurate. I am glad I purchased it! Exceptional weapon.

[veprdude]

They started adding models with fewer options over the years- no forward assist, etc. but I think overall they are a good value. Can't speak of new 2019/2020 models but the fit and finish of mine from 2012 was excellent.

[Ignition Override]

Perfect reliability in my (former) M&P 15, about 500 rds. total used.

This was my only AR and was later traded for a very different type of rifle, however, that M&P is an excellent product which I would recommend to anybody who prefers ARs.

[batmann]

I had an early version of the MagPul and it was a very good rifle. The only issue I had was it didn’t like steel case ammo. I later traded it for a POF piston.

[imashooter]

Good value.

[Normana]

Have two of them. 22 LR and 300 Blackout. The 300 handles subsonic Hornady just fine.
N

[kilotanker22]

I owned a M&P Sport when they first came out. Excellent rifle. Never had a single malfunction as I recall and it would shoot damn near everything under an inch at 100 yards. It particularly liked the M855 round.

I had a couple thousand rounds through that rifle before selling it off.

[ms6852]

I bought one a few years ago, the M&P II sporter that was California compliant. Which at that time it was only the bullet button mag release and 10 round magazine. Even though I lived in Texas, this was going to be my RV rifle for when I visited family and the national parks in California.

This is a good functional rifle very lightweight and is perfect for a home defense weapon. The collapsible stock is great for tight places and very accurate. Smith and Wesson make a good AR and spends money where it needs to to keep costs down for the consumer so it won't have a lot of bells and whistles unless you want to bay for it.

I have mine set up with a Vortex Spitfire 3X prism site and shoot it up to 200 yards but the reticles are marked up to 500. You are going to get a lot of different recommendations and in all honesty it is a personal preference and how much you want to pay. I have since removed the bullet magazine release and converted it into a non California compliant rifle.

Depending on your style of shooting as a plinker or target shooting this may suit your needs. Just remember that most basic AR's and not so basic AR's shooting 1.5 to 2 moa groups is normal. You want to shoot smaller groups than you need to up the entry and spend more money. So Rock River Arms, BCG, and other manufacturers are aviailable. The M&P is a good firearm. The one you have on your link is good but be advices that if you decide later on to ad a red dot or scope , it will not make for a great cheek weld as it is to high. If you want to shoot small groups at long distances you may consider a flat top so that you may mount a scope and have backup iron sights (BUIS).

[riffraff]

My experience with SW is they tend to design great quality for the $$, better than most, but then screw it up along the way in some form - ie one rifle I got from them was put together wrong in two areas and 3 months later after I returned it they shipped me a partially new one, had to do another background check at an FFL to pickup the same rifle.. customer support will always make you whole again but when something similar happened to me with Ruger they had a completely new/packaged rifle to me in 2.5 weeks from when I shipped it..

As far as that rifle, it has nice touches, better than most similar ARs you find.. but IMHO a flat top with an iron sight is a stupid rifle - iron sign with an integral carry handle (not an add on like the model you reference) has merit as a rugged iron sight rifle... a rail atop the gas block and a flat top has merit for an optic with backup sights.. or a free float similarly is ideal for optic and accessories, but not a flat top with an iron sight as they aren't good for much really other than maybe a carry handle sight (which is better done as an integral handle).

[osbornk]

Mine has been great with no issues. I have had it several years.

[SDF880]

Sport 2 and very happy with it from day one! No issues!

[kymasabe]

The s&w is a fine rifle, reliable, will serve you well. Hopefully the carry handle is removable and opens up space for future sights, red dots/ optics.
As a starter rifle, its got a good base to build upon. It wont be very long before you replace the handguard, stock, grip, trigger guard, and eventually the trigger. But when you do, you'll have a solid rifle beneath it all.

[Henry400]

Originally Posted by dvdcrr

Does anyone have any experience with the M&P 15 that U would care to share?
Here is a model I am looking at: NOS:
https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/archive-mp-15

I have an M&P 15 MOE that I like very much. But it's different than the one you posted. Differences are co-branded lower (S&W and Magpul), mid-length gas system, and a 1:8 5R barrel. It also doesn't have the carry handle. It's a nice, light shooting, lightweight tack driver. I'm not a big fan of the trigger, it's a bit heavy. My son's Ruger 556 MPR has a better trigger, as does my Noreen BN36X3. It's also got more felt recoil than the Ruger. All in all, it's a good rifle, and backed by Smith and Wesson's lifetime service.

[Ignition Override]

The superb M&P (like mine) is what I've recommended to my brother, but as to what he would gain when he finally buys an Aero-Precision, frankly I have no idea.

The "Mil-Spec" designation seems to be a rather misleading term, but that is only my impression.
Such descriptions seem to convince certain people that one brand of AR is More mil-spec than another? I don't know.

[veprdude]

Mil Spec. Hmmm. My M&P15 PS (Piston) was supposed to have MP barrel, bolt, etc. All I see is MP on the bolt. Barrel is 1:9 and the piston system is obviously not mil-spec.

Mil Spec is Mil Spec. MREs are also Mil Spec. It's just a bar that things are measured to.

[lunger]

Have one of original Sport models . Never had any issues. Had a red dot on it for a while, but have gone to a carry handle sight.

[COSteve]

I have 3 ARs, 2ea NIB RRAs including a 16" LAR15 Elite CAR A4 (mid-length gas) Carbine and a 20" LAR15 A4 Rifle I got back in 2004 as well as a NIB 16" S&W M&P15 MOE Mid MAGPUL® Spec Series™ (mid-length gas) Carbine I got to replace my RRA carbine when my son 'liberated' it from me in 2013.

I picked the S&W model because with the Magpul MOE items, it closely resembled what I'd done over the years to my RRA carbine and I liked the light weight irons only design I was familiar with (my A4 rifle is equipped with a scope for longer range shooting). The S&W works just fine, however, it suffered from a GI type trigger while both of my RRAs came with their excellent NM trigger set so after a few months, I got a RRA NM trigger for my S&W too. At the same time I replaced S&W's overly long flashhider with a GI A2 version as well.

Compared to my RRAs which are great examples of the AR in terms of reliability and accuracy, the S&W holds up well now that I've swapped out the trigger for a decent one and replaced the large S&W flashhider. The Magpul MOE items on it compare with my CTR buttstock and MOE handguard on my RRA so I can't speak to the quality of the basic M&P 15's plastic. Further, both of my carbines are mid-length gas carbines while the M&P 15 is a shorter carbine length so there's that difference as well.

Bottom line, I would consider another S&W M&P15 MOE Mid MAGPUL® Spec Series™ if they still made it if I was in the market for another AR.

[riffraff]

Originally Posted by Ignition Override

The superb M&P (like mine) is what I've recommended to my brother, but as to what he would gain when he finally buys an Aero-Precision, frankly I have no idea.

What you potentially gain if you went with the typical Aero "enhanced" stuff is a free float handguard that attaches with 8 torx, which is a fairly high end feature (guards that bolt on versus clamp) only a handful of manufacturers offer and their lowers I think are more or less as good as anything on the market (talking the features and casting, not the mil spec trigger which is just that)..

The mil spec Aero lowest end stuff, ie non free float uppers and lowers without a cast trigger guard, nothing gained and I'd rather have the SW.

What I think differentiates Aero enhanced from say DD, other than the name and maybe how they QC a rifle before it goes out the door, is the trigger and the barrel and that is about it. Put a good trigger and a sub moa chrome lined CHF barrel in there and you have a really high end rifle with Aero IMHO and the main reason why is how they designed and built their upper and lower receivers. SW doesn't offer anything like that.

[Wag]

I've had one for six years and I enjoy it a great deal. With an Aimpoint PRO red dot sight on it, it does exceptionally better than I ever really expected. Not sub-MOA, but definitely very good group sizes. I wouldn't hesitate to hunt coyote-sized game at 100 yards.

--Wag--

['88Scrat]

I've got the MP-15 Mid-MOE edition with good 'ol iron sights. I really like it! It's what I used to complete the basic and advanced rifle class with at my local range. Sadly I don't think they make the model I have anymore...