Smith & Wesson M&P15-22 .22 LR Camo AR-Pattern Rimfire Semi-Automatic Rifle

This is an interesting...

This is an interesting rendering of the .22LR in the AR platform. It basically gives the owner a family-oriented "bug out" rifle that anyone in the family can easily learn to shoot, and provide substantial fire support in a zombie-fied, post-apocalyptic world! It's also a very nifty semiautomatic .22LR that gives the Ruger 10/22 a run for its money! At 5.5 pounds my 10 year old can easily handle it, and run function drills. Being a CA compliant model the retractable stock doesn't, which means as delivered it's a bit too long for a child, however it's not hard to find any number of YouTube videos that show how to remove the fixed stock and replace it, or even simply shorten it and return it to fixed configuration. Being a .22LR the rifle is not subject to the CA "bullet button" mandate. The rifle is definitely light, being of polymer construction for upper, lower, stock, and quad rail. The removable sights are typical "mil-spec" style that could be found on any full-caliber AR pattern rifle. S&W chose to craft a modified lower receiver magazine well that is physically too short to accept 5.56 magazines, and includes an internal "ledge" that prevents the use of any mags other than S&W. This isn't as bad as it sounds however...in fact, it's pretty great, since S&W mags are regarded as the best on the market. So much so that an entire aftermarket exits to adapt S&W 15-22 mags for use in "full size" AR-15's. The advantage to the M&P is that the mag system incorporates a genuine, working, reliable bolt hold open function which is really nice on a .22LR, and really, REALLY nice on a .22LR that might be pressed into "survival service." The mags work...they feed reliably, and they lock the bolt back reliably. While Californians are restricted to 10 round mags, restricted "long" mags are available at reasonable cost that can be modified to hold the full 25 rounds IF the day ever comes when one might really need such. However, for most, 10 round mags are just fine. The "buffer" tube is a molded extension off the lower receiver which cuts weight and works absolutely fine. Again, the aftermarket is full of ideas on how anyone can adapt the stock, and it's worth noting that the aftermarket feeds the demand for modifications and parts for such. The M&P 15-22 a serious contender to the 10/22 based on aftermarket exposure. As for the internals....the lower contains parts equal to those found in a full size AR-15, albeit a lightened hammer. The bolt assembly appears very much like the aftermarket conversion bolts but is different. It incorporates a rubberized impact buffer, and is simple to disassemble - not that one really ever needs to do so. This is one of those .22's that can be shot a lot and cleaned whenever one feels like it...pretty much. Being a "CA compliant" model the barrel is without a flash hider...no big deal unless one is a slave to the "look-alike" compulsion. Again, the aftermarket has a solution to that if one desires, but it works just fine as is. It comes with a standard mil-spec pistol grip, and will accept the entire range of aftermarket custom grips. The fore end is a "quad" rail, held in place by an S&W proprietary barrel nut. Should one desire to change rails....yep, you guessed right, the aftermarket has all the tools and instructions on how to remove the barrel nut and go from there. As is, the OEM rail accepts all standard Picatinny mount systems...only reason to change it is to ramp up the "cool factor." Shooting....again, S&W has produced a dedicated .22LR that will, and is, giving Ruger their first serious competition! I fed an entire 500 round brick of "expensive" Aguila SuperMax 40 grain through the gun without a single stoppage! This is the ammo that makes CCI Stingers look weak! The M&P handled it just fine.. Considering all it brings to the table, the S&W M&P 15-22 is an excellent value! As for durability, the rifle is well built and will likely last a lifetime if cared for. For those who like to run over their rifles with cars, maybe they break it (maybe not considering how resilient polymers are), but just the same, running over an aluminum receiver is equally likely to permanently damage the gun. This is a great back packing, backwoods, "survival" rifle, or survival rifle "trainer".