In a Nutshell
With features and functions just like those of its “bigger brothers,” the Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 rifle makes a dandy AR trainer or small-game gun. It is simply a hoot to shoot!
Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 Sport Pros & Cons
Pros
- Light and handy
- Great training aid
- AR-style modularity
- Inexpensive to shoot
- Accurate
Cons
- Trigger pull is long and gritty
- Only one sling attachment point included
Specs & Features
Specs
- Caliber: .22 LR
- Action: Semi-auto, blowback
- Barrel Length: 16.5″
- Length: 33.75″ extended, 30.5″ collapsed.
- Width: 2″
- Height: 7″
- Weight: 4 lbs 13 oz
- Capacity: 25 rounds
Features
- 10” M-LOK with 2” M-LOK rail included
- Full Picatinny top rail
- Magpul MBUS front and rear sights
- 6-position adjustable stock
The world of .22 LR rifles has never been larger or more varied. From inexpensive bolt actions to high-dollar competition guns, you can get just about anything you want where .22s are concerned.
Naturally, with both .22 LR and AR-15 rifles being so popular, the two collided. Smith and Wesson introduced their take on the .22 AR, the 15-22 Sport, way back in 2009.
After getting one to review, I can see why shooters are still snapping them up — it’s a heck of a rifle and has become my new favorite AR-type rifle.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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How We Tested the Smith & Wesson Sport 15-22
For this evaluation, our reviewer, Mike, took the Smith & Wesson M&P Sport 15-22 out to his backyard range. With targets set up at 25 yards, he tested the rifle with 40-grain Fiocchi Range Dynamics, Federal Champion, CCI Mini Mag, and Winchester Wildcat.
While evaluating, he analyzed the gun for its ergonomics, accuracy, reliability, and overall value.
Mike has been shooting for 50 years and is also into reloading and bullet casting.
Background
Introduced in 2009, the .22 LR version of the M&P Sport rifle series was initially designed to be a training aid for law enforcement. But word got out, and shooters looking for an AR-style rifle for training, plinking, and small-game hunting were all over them.
There are 12 different variations of the 15-22 offered today. MSRP ranges from the one we have here at $499 up to $779 for the Performance Center edition. There is, by and large, a Sport 15-22 for just about every taste.
While I will call the 15-22 Sport an AR throughout this review, it is technically just an AR-lookalike in a rimfire caliber. The operating system and lower are completely different from standard AR-15s and are not compatible.
Who Is It For?
This rifle is a good fit in the hands of the small game hunter, rimfire plinker, or competitor with an added optic. I mentioned above how it’s an excellent gun for training or for acclimating new shooters to the world of the AR.
It is extremely fun and cheap to shoot, which opens it up to other markets, as well. Shooters who had no intention of adding yet another .22 to their collection may be pleasantly surprised when they shoot one of these and want one.
Ergonomics: Fit & Feel
Being a left-hander who also has a really short neck, I’ve always found ARs a bit of a (literal) stretch to aim properly. Since this gun is a .22 LR, it allowed me to raise the gun a bit more on my shoulder than I would with a 5.56 or .308 since recoil is non-existent.
The included flip-up Magpul sights were easy to use and adjust, and they needed adjustment. I had to move the front sight post down about 4,000 clicks (it seemed).
Thankfully S&W included the Magpul MBUS front sight adjustment tool. Using this little guy sure beat pushing the adjustment collar down with the nose of a .223 bullet.
All the typical AR controls are there, minus the forward assist (which is not needed). Safety, upper-mounted charging handle, bolt and mag releases, case deflector, 6-position stock, Picatinny rail, and Magpul handguard are all present.
They all work very well. It even comes with a short, 2-inch M-LOK rail that I mounted at 6 o’clock on the handrail at the front — a great place for a light, laser, or bipod.
Glitches
There were a couple of small issues. Being a lefty, the safety lever, when flipped to “fire,” digs a bit into my hand when gripping the rifle. I might have to either shorten or replace it with one of the shorter ambi safeties on the market.
Another area that might require some attention is the trigger. It broke right at 6 lbs, but the pull was long and gritty. I expect the trigger to smooth out some over time, but there are many replacement triggers out there to remedy this.
How Does the Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 Sport Shoot?
I was going to mount a red dot on the rifle for testing but ended up sticking with the iron sights that came with the gun.
I am not the best shot in the room with AR flip-up irons, but I have fun! I set up some targets at 25 yards in my backyard range and took the following ammo with me:
- Fiocchi Range Dynamics 40 gr
- Federal Champion 40 gr
- CCI Mini-Mag 40 gr
- Winchester Wildcat 40 gr
All loads used round-nose bullets — I wanted to keep things as simple and as consistent as I could. Here are the targets:
In my limited sample, the Fiocchi and the CCI gave me the best groupings. I have a bit of trouble with the front sight post and my glasses, but a better shooter would no doubt put the holes closer together.
Why Is the Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 Sport Unique?
S&W is not the only manufacturer that makes a .22 LR AR. Other companies that make this gun include Walther, Tippman, CMMG, Hammerli, and H&K among others.
However, S&W has been making the 15-22 Sport for 15 years now. The design is proven, and the aftermarket is fairly robust. Combined with their long manufacturing history and the experience they’ve gained making centerfire ARs, it is easy to see why this gun is a winner.
By The Numbers
Accuracy
4/5
Every type of .22 ammo brand I shot was more than acceptable in terms of accuracy (some more than others). A better trigger would help here.
Reliability
5/5
No stoppages of any kind that were not ammo related.
Customization
5/5
It’s an AR-pattern rifle, so almost many aftermarket items are compatible.
Ergonomics
4.5/5
Typical AR-pattern rifle, designed with the shooter in mind. I did have a bit of discomfort with the safety as lefty. The standard A2-grip and M4 stock aren't the absolute best, but are very easy to upgrade.
Value
5/5
For the price of admission, i'd give 5 ½ if I could. I liked it so much I bought it.
Overall
4.5/5
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Upgrades for the S&W M&P 15-22 Sport
First, magazines. You can get spare OEM 25-round mags to make sure you stay topped off.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Want higher capacity? Brownells stocks 50-round mags to keep you shooting even longer.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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An optic can go a long way toward a more enjoyable and easier shooting experience. The Sig Romeo5 comes with great features while remaining affordable.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Even though .22 LR is small, you still don’t want to make a habit of shooting it without some quality ear protection.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Final Verdict
The AR-pattern rifle has taken over niches that bolt-action and other semi-auto rifles used to rule.
With the 15-22 Sport, I see a rifle that would be good at harvesting my most prolific local fauna, the rattius arboretius (tree rat) — my made-up scientific name for squirrels.
It is also a gun I will let my sons borrow when the time comes to start my grandkids’ AR experience and help them transition to the centerfire AR. The 15-22 Sport just makes for a great, affordable all-around trainer and is a complete win in my book!
What are your thoughts on the S&W M&P 15-22 Sport? Let us know in the comments below! Interested in other options? Check out our article on the 7 Best .22 LR AR-15 Rifles & Conversion Kits!
12 Leave a Reply
I have one of these and it is the least reliable rifle I own, and I just hate the cheap plastic feel of it. Constant cycling issues, even with different ammo types and tried a new mag just to see if the one that came with it was flawed somehow. I much prefer my 10/22 which was cheaper and eats anything I feed it.
Why not just purchase a CMMG 22LR conversion kit, and use your own AR which you are already familiar with, with a better trigger, for 1/3 the cost, and leave more room in your gun safe for another full size rifle?
You could do that, but why gunk up a good barrel? Plus, .22LR shoots much more accurately with a 1/16 twist barrel and you would have to re-zero your rifle every time you switched. Better off just buying a dedicated upper.
Having purchased a Glock 44, I tried 8-9 different types/brands until I found one that worked reliably and produced a good group. (I continue to try different brands/loads of amm7nition to see which is most accurate and reliable. )
If I could suggest anything, why not cite which ammunition worked best for you? I realize that firearms have minor differences in manufacture, but maybe a given brand and load works better than others.
(For example, I purchased two Christensen Ridgeline Scout rifles chambered in 6.5 CM: my gunsmith found that the headspace was different between the two, which made a slight difference in accuracy.)
Wow, as expensive as those rifles are you would think they could keep a decent tolerance.
I agree, but I couldn’t tell you the amount of difference. To be frank about it, my gunsmith and custom ammo loader is one of these precision machinists who gets all anal about 1/10,000ths of an inch in his work — and, in this case, I’m happy about that. Seating the rounds precisely made a difference in velocity (based on match-grade loads he developed for both rifles as a primary test of primer and propellant, done prior to adjusting for headspace — as we had some different options for bullet, case, primer, and propellant, and wanted 20 rounds for each of the different test loads to determine performance). After deciding on the load configuration, he produced 25 rounds for each rifle. There was a difference in velocities, but I don’t trust memory to tell you how much of a difference.
Your comment about keeping a decent tolerance is well-taken. My first question to him after checking the headspace of the two rifles was “WTF?” I asked Christensen about this, and got their standard “Thank you for your inquiry…” no-answer answer. I called them and asked the same question, about two years ago: still waiting for their response. Had this happened with Proof Research rifles, they would have asked me to send them back for inspection… the difference between a niche business and an outstanding business.
Thank you for your info, sounds like they don’t really give a damn?
I’m an ex mechanical inspector so I can get quite anal about those things, but come on for the price they can and should do better.
I have come to the conclusion that their product is not worth the money they charge.
Oh, one final comment.
The impact groups of the two rifles are different, not by much, but still measurable (machine-scored).
Mine runs like a dream in Steel Challenge. A few ammo issues initially (that I put down to 22 ammo being 22 ammo) but changing exclusively to the CCI AR Tactical 22LR ammo tested in the M&P 15/22 and replacing the stock extractor claw with a Tandemkross Talon /Volquartsen Edge one solved them and it has run flawlessly since
I specifically bought this 15/22 for Steel Challenge, it's light, easy to swing around on steel targets and fast to aquire targets with a red dot or irons. After owning this rifle for 8months with a few thousand rounds through it, no faults at all, only ammo issues, which is normal for .22's
Creative try for scientific name of squirrel -- liked it. Sciurus carolinensis (either underlined or in italics as it is a scientific name), Eastern Gray Squirrel, common squirrel in NA.
Looks identical to the H&K 416 .22lr, did S&W have Umarex make their .22 as well?