"M&P" stands for "Military & Police" and is used to pay homage to the Smith & Wesson .38 Military & Police revolver.[2] According to the company, the .38 Military & Police, now known as the Model 10 revolver, has been in continuous production since 1899, and over six million units have been produced."[3]
The M&P15 was introduced at the 2006 SHOT Show in two varieties: the M&P15 and the M&P15T.[4] Both are basically the same rifle, chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO, with the T-model featuring folding sights and a four-sided accessories rail fore end. They include the standard direct impingement gas system. In order to decrease cost on the original design, both the dust cover and forward assist were omitted. These rifles were initially produced for Smith & Wesson by Stag Arms, but marked and marketed under the Smith & Wesson name.[4] Currently, Smith & Wesson makes the lower receiver in-house, while the barrel is supplied by Thompson/Center Arms, an S&W company acquired in 2007.
Smith & Wesson's total rifle production has increased through the years since it entered the rifle market. In the past, the company had marketed rifles and shotguns made by other manufacturers, but had not manufactured a long gun in house since World War II to fulfill a British military contract. Smith & Wesson made this entry into the long gun market because it was estimated in 2007 as a $1.1 billion market, 80% larger than the U.S. handgun market.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
Direct impingementShort-stroke gas piston
In May 2008, Smith & Wesson introduced their first AR-15 style rifle in a new caliber, the model M&P15R, a standard AR platform rifle chambered for the Russian 5.45×39mm cartridge.[11] This was due to the availability cheap surplus Communist Bloc 5.45mm ammunition and AK-series weapons.[11] It had a 16-inch barrel, 6-position collapsible stock and a stainless-steel 30-round magazine. However, few shooters wanted an expensive AR-15 clone in a non-standard caliber that needed special magazines.[11] As a result, the model was abandoned in 2011 due to poor sales.[12]
Design
The rifle model is based on the Colt AR-15. Smith & Wesson offers the M&P15 semi-automatic rifles in different configurations, tailored to specific shooting applications and styles. The rifle has different models that come chambered in 5.56mm NATO/.223 Remington, .22 Long Rifle, and 5.45×39mm. The barrels come with either a melonite lined or chrome-lined 4140 steel rifling, and 7075 T6 aluminum receiver with a hard-coat black anodized finish.[13]
The Standard model has an adjustable CAR-15 stock and comes with 10-round or 30-round magazine. The Compliant model (designed for the California market) has a CAR-15 stock fixed in the open position (with an overall length of 33.75 inches) and comes with 10-round magazines.[14]
The Smith & Wesson Performance Center target shooting version has an 18-inch bull barrel threaded to take any AR-15/M16-style compensator, a free-floated forend, integral Picatinny rail system and ships with a 10-round magazine.[11]
Variants
Smith & Wesson announced their first short-stroke gas piston action rifle, the M&P15 PS and PSX in January 2009.[15] The M&P15 Sport and M&P15 Whisper were released in 2011.[16] The M&P10, a version of the AR-10, was introduced in 2013.[17] The M&P15 Sport II was introduced in 2016. It includes additional features of a forward bolt assist and dust cover not found on the original M&P15 Sport model.[18] The M&P15 Sport III was released in 2024. It features a free float handguard and mid length gas system, both not found on previous models.[19]
^ abc"Smith & Wesson Enters Long-Gun Market with M&P15 Rifles" (Press release). Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. January 18, 2006. Retrieved 15 November 2014. We are entering the $1 billion market for long guns...We believe the features of these tactical rifles make them strong contenders in the military and law enforcement markets. We also believe that our M&P rifle series fills a tremendous gap in the marketplace by delivering high-quality, feature-rich tactical rifles that will be readily available in commercial channels.
^Sears, Steven M. (June 11, 2007). "Load Up". Barron's. The company's biggest opportunity is the "long-gun" market, which includes shotguns and rifles. Entering this $1.1 billion market, 80% larger than the U.S. handgun market, could be a good catalyst for the stock, says Cai von Rumohr, a Cowen & Co. analyst.
