This entry crossposted at Gun Nuts Radio under Smith & Wesson MP-15 .22 LR
While I was stymied in my search for information on the new Colt/Umarex .22 LR carbine, I headed over to the Smith & Wesson booth to check out revolvers, 1911s, and their M&P-15 series of AR style rifles. While over there, I noticed that they had an AR15 enclosed in glass and surrounded by .22 LR ammo. Needless to say, the camera immediately came out.
From SHOT SHOW 2009 |
Make sure you click all pictures to view them in their full glory. According to the placard posted next to the carbine, it’s a “dedicated .22 LR platform”, which I take to mean that it’s not going to be interchangeable with your existing AR uppers and lowers – it’s a .22 first, foremost, and all the time.
From SHOT SHOW 2009 |
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Information on this carbine is pretty scarce right now – I’m planning on swinging by the S&W booth today to see if I can scare up anything on MSRP and planned release date. There isn’t anything included in their press kit about this rifle, which leads me to believe that it’s so new that they just threw it up there for SHOT SHOW 2009.
Smith & Wesson’s M&P-15 rifles have gained a pretty healthy following in the black rifle community. If you’re looking for a dedicated .22 LR training platform that will integrate with your other tactical accessories (like that new Crimson Trace vertical grip) then you probably won’t go wrong with the S&W MP15 .22 LR.
So Colt has a new .22 and S & W has one. Is their any chance the magazines are interchangeable?
The rifle under glass was an obvious rapid-prototyped gun, but they do claim last shot bolt hold open, which is nice.
A S&W rep told me they hope to have them out by July.