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Smith & Wesson’s M&P Goes Long
by Michael Humphries
For a cynic, the introduction of yet another AR-pattern rifle these days could be met with a sigh of indifference. As with the popular M1911, the AR has become so iconic a part of the firearms community that in recent years it seems new models or variants are introduced every week.
Nonetheless, indifference would be a very unwarranted response. This growth in the market is not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, resulting in a broad variety of models at a range of prices for just about every consumer. And this expansion should come as no surprise. As with the M1911, the AR has an impressive pedigree of lengthy military service (in its M16-pattern configuration and variations), lending the platform a great deal of credibility in the minds of American shooters and hunters.
Inspired Move
Even with the variety of makes and models of ARs available, the entry of one particular manufacturer into this market in 2006 made everyone stop and take notice. That company was Smith & Wesson, and the rifle was the M&P15, a semi-automatic styled after the U.S. M4 carbine and chambered in 5.56x45 mm NATO/.223 Rem. Although S&W might at first glance seem to be an odd fit for an AR, it actually makes a lot of sense. With a history dating back to 1852, the company has a long and storied tradition of producing arms for the uniformed services, providing tough and reliable handguns to members of both the law enforcement and military communities since its earliest days.
In fact, the six-shot .38 Spl. revolver we know today as the Model 10 began its life at the turn of the 20th century as the “Military & Police,” a moniker that clearly stated the intended purpose of the design. When the company began work a few years back on a new polymer-frame pistol intended for law enforcement, military and civilian shooters, it decided that it was time to dust off the M&P name for the new line. As a result, when the decision was made to develop an AR line, the M&P branding made for a logical fit.
With the introduction of the M&P15 series, AR enthusiasts were presented with a very appealing option: an AR-pattern carbine produced by one of the most respected firearm manufacturers in the country. In addition, S&W’s large and expansive manufacturing capabilities allowed the company to produce a large percentage of the rifles in-house, affording it a great deal of control over quality. Although S&W relied heavily on a vendor in its earliest production, the firm now has its own dedicated M&P rifle line in its Springfield, Mass., plant.
A Familiar Friend
Smith & Wesson’s initial M&P15 offerings were relatively straightforward adaptations of the basic 5.56x45 mm NATO AR platform. Recognizing that the 16-inch-barreled M4 Carbine-style with a flat-top upper receiver was clearly the most popular with consumers, S&W focused on this general configuration. Initially, three models were offered, including the basic M&P15 with a carry handle attached to the upper rail and round polymer handguards. The M&P15A was similar, but with no carry handle and a Troy back-up rear sight instead attached to the rail. The M&P15T was equipped with a Troy Industries MRF (modular rail fore-end) system and front and rear Troy folding iron sights.
Operationally, the M&P15s were traditional direct-gas-impingement system (DGIS) carbines, in which gas is tapped off the bore at the gas block/front sight assembly forward of the handguard and vented back through a tube above the barrel. Although some criticize this system for dumping hot gases directly into the action causing fouling, this is the system that has been employed in U.S. military M16-pattern rifles since the 1960s.
The upper and lower receivers of the M&P15s are produced from 7075-T6 forgings made at the S&W factory in Springfield, Mass. The barrels are manufactured from 4140 steel and feature the familiar M4-style step-down contour. And those M&P15 parts not produced by S&W itself or an affiliate are acquired from reputable vendors and undergo thorough inspection before going into the rifle.
Expanding Horizons
Quickly gaining a reputation for extremely high quality (and impressive accuracy), the M&P15 series took off. This should come as no surprise considering the rifles’ generally reasonable pricing and their backing with the full S&W lifetime service policy. As the series grew in popularity, S&W developed the broad and thorough stable of variants available today. Some are reasonably priced, such as the M&P15OR (optics ready) carbine that features no iron sights and is designed for the consumer to put an optic on the rifle. Others are more radical adaptations such as the M&P15VTAC, a competition-ready AR carbine developed jointly with Viking Tactics.
The company was not tied to making only 5.56x45 mm NATO models. S&W developed one of the more unique ARs available with its M&P15R chambered for the affordable Russian 5.45x39 mm round. Externally a basic M&P, this carbine is much less expensive to shoot than a comparable 5.56x45 mm NATO variant. S&W also offers complete M&P15R uppers as well.
Equally radical are the new M&P15PS series of piston-operated rifles. These 5.56x45 mm NATO carbines, configured in the M4 style, employ a proprietary gas piston system that addresses the complaints lodged against the DGIS carbines and rifles. Rather than dumping gases and fouling into the action, the PS system’s gas piston transfers energy from gas tapped off the bore to the bolt carrier, keeping it and the interior of the action cleaner and cooler. While the PS variant features a set of specially designed round polymer handguards, the PSX variant employs a modified Troy Picatinny rail fore-end.
Another equally innovative addition to the line is the M&P15-22, a .22 Long Rifle rimfire variant with all the standard controls of the center-fire M&P15. The result is an affordable little carbine that would make for an excellent training tool that is cheap and easy to shoot. Also, when equipped with the company’s 25-round magazine, it is just plain fun to shoot (as I discovered for myself on a recent visit to the Smith & Wesson Academy). The company’s Performance Center has even dabbled with the M&P15, developing some interesting rifle-configured variants with 20-inch barrels, which are designed to wring out even more accuracy potential from the platform.
An Enhanced Standard
One of the most recent additions to S&W’s AR line is the M&P15-MOE, with the “MOE” standing for “Magpul Original Equipment.” Magpul has made a name for itself with its smartly engineered products for ARs and other military-style rifles.
Magpul Industries Corp. was begun with a simple but clever attachment for an AR-15/M16 magazine designed to help users quickly extract it from a rifle or a pouch. In a short time the company’s product line grew to include magazines, stock sets, slings and rifle sights.
The M&P15-MOE from S&W is equipped from the factory with Magpul’s MOE Grip, MOE handguard, MOE buttstock and polymer PMAG magazine. In addition, the M&P15-MOE flat-top upper receiver has Magpul’s new MBUS polymer folding back-up sight. The rifle is offered in two variants: standard with black MOE components and another with flat-dark earth MOE components.
I had the opportunity to try out the flat-dark earth M&P15-MOE at an S&W writers’ event held at Gunsite Training Facility in Paulden, Ariz. We went through an abbreviated version of the school’s carbine course, which was designed to give us an opportunity to put the handy little carbine through its paces. The M&P15-MOE was fitted with Trijicon’s TA11-G 3.5x 35 mm ACOG sight and Crimson Trace’s MVF-515 modular vertical foregrip with integrated white LED light and red laser units. Throughout the three-day course we ran several such carbines through a full range of CQB and defensive-style shooting drills.
During the event, the DGIS M&P15-MOE carbines were not cleaned or lubricated, all in an environment that is extremely dry and dusty. I personally ran several hundred rounds of ammunition through the M&P15-MOE without a single malfunction. Accuracy of the rifle also proved to be astounding, with snap shots at 25 yards impacting within a roughly 3-inch-diameter ring.
Hands On
Needless to say, I came away from the Gunsite course very impressed with the M&P15-MOE. Once I arrived home, I put in a call to S&W and requested that a test sample MOE be sent to me for a more traditional evaluation for this article. The carbine that arrived was just as I remembered from Arizona. The fit and finish of the M&P15–MOE were excellent, with a deep black anodizing on the aluminum upper and lower receivers and a dark black/gray phosphated finish on the steel parts. The 16-inch barrel of the rifle, fitted with a standard A2-style birdcage flash suppressor/brake, featured a 1:9-inch rate of twist.
The quality of the Magpul MOE parts was excellent. Light and sturdy, the stock set, rear sight and magazine all featured a matching flat-dark earth color. The MOE pistol grip, a simplified version of the company’s MIAD modular grip, featured horizontal grooves on its front and rear faces, with a pebbled surface on it sides. A polymer floorplate on the grip allowed access to a storage area inside.
The MOE stock was a slightly simplified version of Magpul’s CTR stock. The six-position collapsible unit was practically the same as its CTR sibling, except for the exclusion of the tension lock. The A-frame style stock was topped with a rubber buttpad. In particular, I was very impressed by the MOE handguard on the M&P15. Vaguely reminiscent of FAL handguards, the two-piece unit was hand-filling and extremely comfortable, with numerous cooling vents.
The polymer rear sight of the MOE was also quite clever. As compared to a steel or aluminum back-up sight, the polymer Magpul MBUS was significantly more affordable and lightweight. Featuring a dual aperture, the windage-adjustable unit was spring-loaded and could be released to pop up by pressing down on either of two ambidextrous levers on the base of the sight assembly.
The included flat-dark earth PMAG was also quite impressive. Sturdily constructed of thick polymer, the PMAG featured a clever dustcover that snapped over the open mouth of the magazine for storage. In addition, the dustcover could snap over the baseplate of the magazine to prevent loss as well as act as a “magpul” to help pull the magazine clear of the rifle.
Range Time
I fitted the rifle with the Trijicon TA11-G ACOG sight and Crimson Trace laser/light MVF-515 I had used at Gunsite. The 3.5X ACOG, with its green “donut” circular reticle powered by both tritium and fiber optics, proved to be a good fit for the M&P15-MOE. The Crimson Trace MVF-515 also proved to be a nice addition to the rifle, offering excellent ergonomics as well as instantaneous access to white light, a red laser, or both.
Once I had inspected the rifle and properly lubricated it, I headed to the range with a selection of Black Hills, Federal and Winchester ammunition. The M&P15-MOE proved to be a pleasure to shoot. Perceived recoil was mild, and the handling characteristics were excellent. Through the course of several hundred rounds, there was not a single malfunction.
Accuracy of the carbine was quite good, averaging around 1 3/4-inch groups with all three types of ammunition, and it showed a clear preference for the 43-grain load with one sub-m.o.a. group. This accuracy was particularly impressive considering that the rifle had a somewhat heavy 8 pound, 8-ounce trigger pull and a relatively low-powered 3.5X optic.
The M&P15 line from Smith & Wesson has quickly taken the AR community by storm, and with good reason. Exhibiting excellent quality, unbeatable brand recognition, varied offerings, and impressive performance, any one of the M&P15s should make for an ideal addition to the AR enthusiast’s collection.
And you can add me to that list.
Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson; (800) 331-0852; www.smith-wesson.com
Action Type: direct gas-impingement, rotating bolt, center-fire semi-automatic rifle
Receiver: 7075-T6 aluminum
Barrel: 16", phosphated 4140 steel
Rifling: six-groove, 1:9" RH twist
Magazine: detachable box 30-round PMAG
Sights: MBUS folding peep aperture rear, fixed winged post front
Trigger: two-stage; 8 lbs., 8 ozs.
Stock: Magpul MOE: length of pull, 10¼" to 13½"; drop at heel, 3/4"; drop at comb, 3/4"
Overall Length: 32½" to 36"
Weight: 6 lbs., 8 ozs.
Accessories: hard plastic case, 30-round magazine
Suggested Retail Price: $1,406
Watch Mark Keefe's video review.
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Self-Defense Pistol 101
by Richard Mann
The “keep it simple, stupid,” or KISS, principle applies to most things in life. Training with a defensive handgun is no different. To employ a handgun effectively in a defensive situation, you must be able to get it into play smoothly and deliver accurate hits before the attacker injures or kills you.
And the only realistic way to accomplish that is to practice the skills you could reasonably be expected to use in a life-or-death situation before it occurs. They include drawing the handgun, hitting the target, moving, using cover, reloading and clearing a malfunction. The following is a 100-round training regimen, consisting of five drills, that takes all these skills into account. Become proficient with them now, and you will be better-prepared for the dark day when trouble comes to call.
The Dot Drill (24 shots)
I strongly believe that most defensive handgun practice should start with the gun holstered. This lets you practice your draw stroke or handgun presentation more frequently. When practicing basic skills most shooters draw the handgun only once and burn through an entire magazine before they holster again, if at all, which wastes precious opportunities to practice handgun presentation.
Position a target with six 2-inch circles at between 5 and 7 yards. Shoot one shot at each circle, drawing the handgun from the holster before each shot. The goal is to fire one shot at each circle and hit each target once. This is not a speed drill, but rather it’s an accuracy and gun-handling drill to help you establish a foundation for gun presentation, sight alignment and trigger control. Conduct this drill four times at the beginning of every trip to the range.
The Failure Drill (24 shots)
Il Ling New, an instructor at Gunsite, is one of the best firearm instructors I know. She believes practicing head shots at between 5 and 7 yards is a great way to stay sharp. Why? According to New, “The idea is to become absolutely confident in making that shot, at least at that distance, every time, under all conditions and on demand. If I can do that, I am well-equipped to deal with bad things that may happen to me. Vital zone shots at 15 yards should be easy if one can do head shots at seven yards.”
I agree, but to maximize training opportunities I like to incorporate head shots with torso shots in what’s called a failure drill. The failure drill presents the problem that you have engaged an attacker with two shots to the torso and they have had no effect. To stop the attack, you transition to the head as a target and fire one shot.
Position a silhouette target at between 5 and 7 yards. At the signal, draw your handgun and fire two shots in quick succession to center mass. Then, immediately fire one shot to the center of the head. You’ll have to slow down to make the head shot count. Something between three and four seconds is commonplace. Perform this drill eight times during each practice session to establish your average time. Work toward a goal of completing the drill with no misses in less than three seconds.
New also stresses the importance of practicing head shots from every position you can think of; not just while standing square in front of the target. You can do the same with the failure drill.
The 45 Drill (25 shots)
Even a disciplined shooter’s reaction to a stressful situation can be chaotic. The first few times police officers and good competitive shooters are subjected to close-quarters, force-on-force training, a common reaction is to point their handgun at the threat and to pull the trigger until they run it dry. The same response has been observed in gunfights. Adrenalin surges prompt the shooter to thrust the gun forward and pull the trigger fast and repetitively.
We cannot simulate the stress levels you’ll experience in a life-and-death encounter, but we can simulate your reaction. This is why I believe the adrenalin dump drill is important. If your reaction is going to be to shove the handgun toward the target and start yanking on the trigger, then learn how to do it effectively. I call my version of the adrenalin dump drill “The 45 Drill,” because the drill has four elements of five—five shots at a 5-inch circle at 5 yards in five seconds.
This is a difficult task for many shooters, especially when drawing the handgun from concealment. If you can successfully perform this drill on demand, under time, with no misses, you should be able to pass any shooting requirement necessary to obtaining a concealed carry license. Practice it five times each training session. At first you’ll probably have several shots land outside the 5-inch circle, and your time will be slow. Slow down your shot cadence even more and strive to get all five shots in the circle. Once you can do this consistently, gradually speed up with the ultimate goal of completing the drill in less than five seconds.
The El Prez—Modified (24 shots)
The likelihood of your being attacked is slim, and the likelihood that it will be by multiple attackers is even slimmer. But the threat of multiple attackers is not the only reason we practice multiple-target drills. Learning to transition from one target to the next, especially when they are set at different ranges, teaches you to obtain a sight picture quickly and to control your shot cadence based on range to the target.
One of the most famous multiple target drills was made so by Gunsite founder Col. Jeff Cooper. It’s called the El Presidente. I’ve modified it through the years as a means to help me evaluate shooters and track skill development. My modifications come from my experience as a police firearm instructor and what I’ve learned from other shooters I respect and trust.
For instance, Sheriff Jim Wilson believes you should learn to shoot from cover. This makes perfect sense; there’s no use standing in the open while the bad guy shoots at you. “Top Shot” winner and former British Army Capt. Iain Harrison likes to incorporate movement, and this makes sense too—a moving target is harder to hit. And, if you stand in one place when you practice, you’ll likely do the same in a fight. Caleb Giddings, “Top Shot” competitor, revolver aficionado and active competition shooter, believes the ability to reload your handgun in a hurry is important. While it’s unlikely a defensive encounter will reach the point at which a reload is necessary, the steps to reloading are similar to those required to clear a malfunction.
This 12-shot drill is somewhat unrealistic, but it does provide the opportunity to evaluate a variety of handgun skills and is a good benchmark to use as an evaluation tool. Place a silhouette target at 3 yards, one at 5 yards, and one at 7 yards. Space them 5 feet apart laterally. Start by standing in front of the right or left target, and at the signal engage each target with two shots working from the closest to the farthest. Then, move laterally about 10 feet to cover, reload and repeat the drill from behind cover.
Completing this drill in less than 10 seconds with all kill zone hits demonstrates a high level of proficiency. Times between 12 and 18 seconds with no misses will be average. Run this drill twice at the end of each practice session. Use it as a standard evaluation exercise and over time you’ll see improvement in each skill the drill targets. Take your total time and add five seconds for every miss. Add the times from both runs together and divide by two to get your score.
Other Training Tips
The basis for all marksmanship training is sight alignment and trigger control. Both must be mastered before realistic self-defense training can begin. One of the best drills for learning and sustaining these skills is dry-fire. Some shooters look at dry-fire as pointless. It’s not. The best shooters in the world do it regularly. It’s a very good way to develop hand/eye coordination and kinesthetics or proprioception—the unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself.
Any time you dry-fire, remove all the ammunition from where you are practicing, double and triple check that your handgun is unloaded and be sure that you are working—pointing your handgun—on a safe direction. Using a snap cap is a good idea, regardless of whether your handgun maker recommends one.
Basic dry-fire is nothing more than pointing the unloaded handgun at a target and squeezing the trigger while you keep the sights aligned on the target. You want to execute the trigger pull without disturbing the sights. Handgun-mounted lasers can help tremendously and there are even training lasers designed just for this purpose. If you flinch or snatch the trigger it will show up as a wiggle or jerk of the red dot on the target.
You can also dry-fire all of the drills explained here. However, unlike revolvers that let you experience a real trigger pull over and over, you will have to cycle the slide or cock the hammer of some semi-automatics when dry-firing. This is not an issue for individual shots, but it is not compatible with multi-shot drills. Don’t worry; just go through the motions of the failure drill, the 45 and the modified El Prez. You may not experience a true trigger pull for each shot, but you will still be establishing a foundation that commits to memory the presentation and manipulation of the handgun, movement, and sight alignment.
Becoming proficient with a defensive handgun is no different than becoming a good golfer or typist; proper practice is the key. Iain Harrison told me that he believes a .22 Long Rifle pistol is a great training tool, and he often takes a brick of ammunition to the range. This makes perfect sense; .22 Long Rifle ammunition is very affordable when compared to center-fire defensive handgun ammunition. The handguns also have minimal recoil and muzzle blast, both of which are detrimental to establishing the basics of marksmanship.
I believe one of the best training tools you can acquire is a .22 Long Rifle conversion kit for a semi-automatic handgun or a .22 Long Rifle revolver that is an understudy to the revolver you carry for personal protection. This lets you train at a fraction of the cost, but with a handgun that emulates the one you carry. I’ve run thousands of rounds through a Kimber .22 Long Rifle conversion kit for an M1911 and routinely used it as a practice tool and as a trainer for new shooters. As you progress through your training you need to incorporate shooting with one hand—both left and right. Start this process with the rimfire handgun or conversion kit.
How often should you practice? I’ve said before that, financially, we are all somewhere between a single box of ammo and a bodyguard. Not only are our pocketbooks a constraint, but we also have to operate within time limitations. The correct answer with regard to how much you should practice is simple: as much as possible. Some need more practice than others to develop skills and sustain them. You’ll have to find a balance based on how proficient you want to become and what your pocket book and your watch will allow.
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October 22, 2013Jessica Grayson was driving behind a pickup truck when the truck suddenly stopped in front of her, blocking her lane. A man exited the truck and approached Grayson's vehicle. He began beating on the window and grabbing the door handle in an attempt to get in. Jessica quickly pulled out her Colt .357 revolver. "…I pointed my gun at him and told him to step away from my car or I would shoot him," Grayson explained. The assailant immediately backed away from her vehicle and left. "You hear a lot of stories about guns being used in crime, but they prevent crime every day, too," Grayson said. "What if I hadn't had my gun that day?" (The Advertiser-Gleam, Danville, AL, 6/28/13)
A man attempted to rob a Dollar General store in Evansville, Ind., with what appeared to be a plastic-wrapped gun. Pastor Carl Sanders was approached by the robber and told to get on the ground, but Sanders pulled his own pistol and said, "No, you get on the ground." Police arrived and arrested the robber, and the pastor plans to visit him to help him get his life on track. (14news.com, Evansville, Ind., 10/20/13)
From The Armed Citizen Archives
August 1976: When a man armed with a sawed-off shotgun walked into a St. Louis, Mo., carry-out restaurant and announced a holdup, manager Robert Purvis, working in the rear of the store, grabbed a revolver. Both men fired simultaneously. The robber was mortally wounded. Purvis received a hand wound. (The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Mo.)
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