New from Smith & Wesson is the M&P 15-22 - a dedicated .22 LR AR that's perfect for plinking and training. (Photo: James Tarr)

Sure, .22 LR conversion kits for AR-15-type rifles, and .22 rifles that to one degree or another resemble AR-15s, are nothing new, but Smith and Wesson went two steps beyond with the M&P 15-22.

Looks, Feels Real

Chambered in .22LR, this rifle from any angle looks exactly like a standard AR-15 in .223, with an A3-style flattop upper receiver, except for the size of its ejection port.

It's a dedicated platform, designed solely around the .22LR. The M&P 15-22 sports a quad rail around its 16-inch barrel, which on our sample had a plain muzzle, but the Smith & Wesson reps stated the company would offer a bolt-on flash hider for a "pre-ban" look.

It has a standard six-position collapsible stock. It also comes with clamp-on front and rear iron sights no different in appearance than that on any other AR-15. This is deliberate: The folks at Smith & Wesson wanted to make their product as close to the real thing as possible. That's why the charging handle works, the bolt locks back on an empty magazine, the safety functions the same as on any .223 AR, and the 25-round magazines fill the entire magazine well.

Smith & Wesson cut both cost and weight by using polymer upper/lower receivers and a polymer forend. (Photo: James Tarr)

Maybe you want to clamp on an Aimpoint and an LMT SOPMOD stock so it has the same look and feel as your .223? Go right ahead. For use as an identical training platform, either at an individual level or for police departments, this is significant.

That's all great, but what truly makes this rifle a game-changer is the price. In this writer's opinion, Smith & Wesson will nearly obliterate the .22 LR conversion-kit industry, as the MSRP on this rifle is a mere $499. Yep, under $500 retail.

How can Smith & Wesson offer a complete "AR" in any caliber for such a price? Both the upper and lower receivers are made of polymer, as is the quad rail and buffer tube. Not only is polymer cheaper to manufacture than metal, but it makes the entire rifle lighter.

A straight blowback design, the M&P 15-22 feeds from 25-round detachable box magazines. (Photo: James Tarr)

Test Observations

Over the course of an afternoon, we had the opportunity to put several cases of ammo through three different 15-22s using half a dozen proprietary magazines. Two of the rifles were factory stock with clamp-on iron sights, one wore aftermarket MagPul furniture and a Trijicon Reflex sight. One of the magazines was found to have nosediving issues, and was quickly set aside, but other than that, each gun ran trouble-free.

The magazines are easy to load and fill the entire magazine well, and one quick glance at either side will reveal how many rounds remain. The rifles were more than accurate to hit small-bore rifle targets out to 50 meters - at least when we were doing our jobs.

If you're concerned about the polymer receiver, don't be. The rifles were solid enough in our hands that at first we didn't realize the receivers weren't aluminum. Also, Glock doesn't seem to be handicapped by the use of plastic in its offerings.

M&P 15-22 Specification

> Caliber: .22 long rifle
> Safety: external thumb
> Capacity: 25
> Weight: 5 pounds
> Barrel length: 16 inches
> Twist: 1 in 15 inch
> Total length: 31 inches (stock collapsed)
> Stock: 6-position collapsible
> Sights: Rear aperture, post front (A2 style, detachable)
> MSRP: $499