Things to Know About a Smith & Wesson AR15

The AR-15 designation refers to the design for a switchable semiautomatic /automatic assault rifle introduced in the late 1950s by the ArmaLite Corporation. When the AR-15 design was adopted by the United States armed forces, the military rifle was officially designated M-16. Many firearms manufacturers today produce semiautomatic-only clones of the AR-15 platform for sale to civilians. Because Colt Industries owns exclusive rights to the AR-15 trademark, however, these weapons cannot be advertised as AR-15s. The Smith & Wesson Corporation markets its civilian semiautomatic AR-15 clone under the designation "M&P15." The Smith & Wesson M&P15 is designed for civilian recreation, home protection, law enforcement and competitive target shooting.

  1. Caliber

    • Like the M-16, the Smith & Wesson M&P15 fires the 5.56mm NATO round. Ammunition is fed from a 30-round Magpul PMAG box magazine (where legal.) Muzzle velocity of a standard 55-grain full-metal-jacket round is 3,240 feet per second.

    Barrel

    • The barrel length of the M&P15 is 16 inches, shorter than the 20-inch M-16 barrel and equivalent to its contemporary military carbine variant, the M4. The barrel is 4140-grade steel coated with Melonite. A birdcage flash suppressor is threaded on the muzzle.

    Receiver and Stock

    • Smith & Wesson manufactures the receiver in-house from fully forged 7075 T6 aluminum. A Picatinny-style accessory rail on the upper receiver accommodates scopes or night-vision equipment. The lower receiver has a single-piece nonremovable trigger guard, oversized for operation with gloves. The fiber-reinforced telescoping stock adjusts to six positions.

    Sights

    • The rear sight on the M&P15 is an adjustable, dual-aperture variety and the front sight is a standard adjustable A2 post sight. Both front and rear sights are designed for easy removal, facilitating installation of aftermarket sights.

    Dimensions

    • With the stock collapsed, overall length of the M&P15 is 32 inches. Its length with stock fully extended is 35 inches. The M&P15 weighs 6.5 pounds.