Smith & Wesson M&P15-22

easy
Shop tier 2
high confidence
Rimfire Rifle
rimfire
blowback
training
ar pattern ergonomics

field strip ~2 min · reassembly ~3 min · detail strip ~20 min

Before you begin Verify this firearm is unloaded. Remove the magazine or empty the cylinder or tube, lock the action open, and check the chamber both by sight and by touch. Keep the muzzle in a safe direction and remove all live ammunition from your work area.

Smith & Wesson safety notice · 2019 · open M&P15-22 Consumer Safety Alert and Inspection Procedure. Affected: All models of M&P15-22 rifles and pistols manufactured before February 1, 2019. Hazard: On two recently produced firearms the breech face counterbore depth was out of specification; the closing bolt can crush the case rim and fire the round without the trigger being pulled (e.g., when dropping the bolt on a loaded magazine, with the selector on safe or fire), potentially causing multiple discharges. What the maker asks: Stop using the M&P15-22 until the bolt is inspected and replaced if necessary. Either inspect the bolt yourself with the free bolt inspection gauge (P/N 3012155) following S&W's instructions/video, or send the bolt to S&W for free inspection and replacement; S&W covers shipping and replacement. Owners outside the US use authorized warranty centers. (Smith & Wesson — Consumer Firearm Recalls: M&P15-22 Consumer Safety Alert — Smith & Wesson smith-wesson.com [2])

Smith & Wesson limits owner disassembly The maker's own procedure goes as far as: Field strip only: upper and lower receivers separated, bolt assembly and charging handle out.. S&W tells owners never to disassemble beyond the manual's field strip. Its service policy excludes damage from not following the disassembly instructions. (Safety & Instruction Manual For M&P15-22 Rifle — Smith & Wesson, p. 30 assets.contentstack.io [1])

Specifications

Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson
Origin: United States
Category: Rimfire Rifle
Action: Blowback
Calibers: .22 Long Rifle
Capacity: 25+1 with the standard magazine
Production: 2009–present (in-production)
Also known as: M&P 15-22 Sport

Model-specific safety

Never dry fire this rifle while it is disassembled. S&W states damage to the firearm may result — on a rimfire the firing pin strikes the chamber mouth with nothing to stop it.
This rifle looks like an AR-15 but is a dedicated blowback rimfire. Its bolt, buffer, and internals are not AR-15 parts and do not interchange.
Because it is blowback, there is no bolt cam pin and no rotating bolt. Do not apply AR-15 bolt disassembly steps to it.
A .22 LR case in the chamber is small and dull. Use a light and a finger.
The receiver halves separate on takedown pins like an AR, but the bolt assembly is retained differently — do not force it.

Under spring tension

Recoil/action spring
Magazine spring

Easily lost parts

Bolt assembly guide rods · Takedown pins

Dry fireAvoid dry firing this firearm without snap caps. Use snap caps. Rimfire dry fire can peen the chamber mouth.

Tools

No tools required for the field strip.

Shop difficulty

Shop tier 2 Tier 2 — moderate among rimfire rifles, for the full job: strip to the parts that get coated and put it back together working. AR-15-pattern .22 with a polymer upper and lower: stripping the lower means the usual AR detents and springs (pivot and takedown pin detents, selector detent, magazine catch, bolt catch) and a hammer/trigger group on pins, plus a blowback bolt. Conventional AR traps (spring-loaded detents held while pins go in) and S&W does not publish a parts list.

No sourced part count yet.

Bench time: about 40 min to strip, 60 min to rebuild (estimate). AR-pattern strip: upper/lower separation, bolt and charging handle, lower parts (trigger, hammer, disconnector, selector and detent, bolt catch, magazine catch, pivot and takedown detents), buttstock and sights; rebuild longer for the spring-loaded detents.

What comes off for coating

Upper: charging handle, bolt/carrier, recoil spring and guide, handguard, front/rear flip sights
Bolt: firing pin and spring, extractor, plunger and spring
Lower: takedown and pivot pins, detents and springs, hammer and trigger pins, hammer, trigger, disconnector and springs, selector, detent and spring, bolt catch roll pin, catch, plunger and spring, magazine catch, button and spring, buttstock and buffer retainer — roll-pin punch, vise block

Special tools

Pivot-pin detent tool or razor blade — Pivot pin detent and spring
Roll-pin holder punch — Bolt catch roll pin
Lower receiver vise block — Holding the polymer lower

Known pain points

S&W limits owners to what the manual shows; any further service must be done by a qualified gunsmith, and a parts list is only available on request. (both)
Source: Safety & Instruction Manual For M&P15-22 Rifle — Smith & Wesson assets.contentstack.io [1] — “ANY MAINTENANCE, ADJUSTMENT OR SER- VICE NOT SPECIFIED IN THIS MANUAL MAY AFFECT THE SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF YOUR FIREARM”

Fit or check on rebuild

Hammer/trigger pin retention and screw torque on the polymer lower — Over-torqued fasteners strip polymer; pins must be retained.
Sight re-zero — Sights removed for coating.
Function check: safety, trigger/sear release, disconnector and feeding with dummy rounds — Standard after any detail strip; a mis-assembled sear or disconnector can double or fail to fire.

This is Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's. How tiers are rated. Forum reports are owners' experience, not specifications.

Procedures

Clear and Make Safe

Clear & Make Safe

Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger.
Press the magazine release and remove the magazine.
Removed at this step: Magazine
Pull the charging handle fully rearward and lock the bolt back.
Inspect the chamber and magazine well with a light and physically confirm the chamber is empty.
WarningRimfire cases are small and easy to miss.
Place the selector on SAFE and remove all live ammunition from the work area.

Field Strip

Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure and put on safety glasses specified for firearms use. S&W asks for them every time.
Confirm the magazine is out and the rifle is not loaded.
Push the top of the bolt release to make sure the bolt is in the forward position.
Push the takedown pin — above and behind the trigger — in from the left of the lower receiver, and pull it out on the right until it comes to a positive stop.
TipOne pin, not two. S&W's field strip leaves the front pivot pin alone and the receivers hinged.
Pivot the lower receiver down and away from the upper receiver.
TipExpect some initial resistance as the parts separate; that is normal.
Pull the charging handle to the rear and remove the bolt assembly, which comes out together with the charging handle.
WarningNever dry fire this rifle while it is disassembled. S&W states damage to the firearm may result — on a rimfire the firing pin strikes the chamber mouth with nothing to stop it.
Removed at this step: Bolt assembly Charging handle
Clean the chamber, bore, bolt face and receiver interior. Rimfire fouling accumulates fast.
Stop here. S&W directs any maintenance beyond this to a qualified gunsmith using genuine Smith & Wesson parts.

Reassembly

Wipe the metal parts with a cloth dampened with good gun oil, remove the excess, and leave a light film inside and out.
Assemble the charging handle onto the bolt BEFORE the bolt goes back into the upper receiver.
TipThis is the order that trips people up. The charging handle does not go in separately afterwards.
Orient the bolt as the manual shows and partially insert the charging handle into the upper receiver slot before sliding the bolt in.
Slide the bolt and charging handle fully home in the upper receiver.
Pivot the lower receiver back up to the upper and push the takedown pin fully home from the right.
Cycle the action several times by hand, confirm it returns fully to battery, and perform the function check.
WarningNever dry fire this rifle while it is disassembled. S&W states damage to the firearm may result — on a rimfire the firing pin strikes the chamber mouth with nothing to stop it.

Patent drawings

not under copyright

Drawings from US patents on this design. A patent shows the invention as the inventor filed it; the firearm that shipped can differ in detail, and later production often does. Use them to see how the parts relate, not as a parts reference or a procedure. Per the USPTO, the text and drawings of a patent are typically not subject to copyright; each patent here was checked for a copyright notice.

US Patent 8,141,287 — Lightweight, low cost semi-automatic rifle

Jason R. Dubois · assigned to Smith & Wesson Corp. · filed 2009-12-28 · granted 2012-03-27. Full patent (USPTO)

The M&P15-22 rimfire rifle as a whole: upper and lower receivers, barrel and handguard, bolt group, action group and magazine, in sectional and exploded views.

Why this is the Smith & Wesson M&P15-22’s patent: listed on the maker’s patent-marking page — Virtual Patent Marking | Smith & Wesson — Smith & Wesson smith-wesson.com [4]: “8,141,287 M&P®15-22 rifles”

**US Patent 8,141,287, Sheet 2 of 9 — FIG. 2** The patent: “FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the rifle shown in FIG. 1.” Drawn for the patent, as filed; the production firearm may differ in detail. US Patent 8,141,287 — Lightweight, low cost semi-automatic rifle, Sheet 2 of 9 — United States Patent and Trademark Office. Source. US patent drawing, not subject to copyright.

**US Patent 8,141,287, Sheet 3 of 9 — FIG. 3** The patent: “FIG. 3 is a rear perspective exploded view of the rifle shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.” Drawn for the patent, as filed; the production firearm may differ in detail. US Patent 8,141,287 — Lightweight, low cost semi-automatic rifle, Sheet 3 of 9 — United States Patent and Trademark Office. Source. US patent drawing, not subject to copyright.

**US Patent 8,141,287, Sheet 6 of 9 — FIG. 6** The patent: “FIG. 6 is a rear perspective exploded view of lower components of the rifle shown in FIGS. 1 through 5.” Drawn for the patent, as filed; the production firearm may differ in detail. US Patent 8,141,287 — Lightweight, low cost semi-automatic rifle, Sheet 6 of 9 — United States Patent and Trademark Office. Source. US patent drawing, not subject to copyright.

**US Patent 8,141,287, Sheet 1 of 9 — FIG. 1** The patent: “FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rifle, according to an embodiment of the present invention.” Drawn for the patent, as filed; the production firearm may differ in detail. US Patent 8,141,287 — Lightweight, low cost semi-automatic rifle, Sheet 1 of 9 — United States Patent and Trademark Office. Source. US patent drawing, not subject to copyright.

Torque specifications

Use a calibrated torque driverValues are the manufacturer's, shown in the unit it gives first; conversions are calculated and rounded. Tighten to the stated value — not "until it feels right" — and follow any sequence noted.

Fastener	Torque	Sequence, notes and the source's words	Where it comes from
M-LOK accessory screws — metal accessory on metal hand guard	max. 35 in-lb 4 N·m · 2.9 ft-lb	S&W: the recoil lugs do most of the work and excessive torque on the nuts is not required; over-torquing can damage the rail or hand guard and leave an insecure mount. Pull on both ends of the accessory to confirm it is engaged. “For attaching metal accessories to metal hand guards: 35 in/lbs. … The installation torque values are not minimums, they are recommended limits.”	Safety & Instruction Manual For M&P15-22 Rifle — Smith & Wesson, p. 40 assets.contentstack.io [1]
M-LOK accessory screws — polymer accessory on metal hand guard	max. 15 in-lb 1.7 N·m · 1.2 ft-lb	S&W: the recoil lugs do most of the work and excessive torque on the nuts is not required; over-torquing can damage the rail or hand guard and leave an insecure mount. Pull on both ends of the accessory to confirm it is engaged. “For attaching polymer accessories to metal hand guards: 15 in/lbs. … The installation torque values are not minimums, they are recommended limits.”	Safety & Instruction Manual For M&P15-22 Rifle — Smith & Wesson, p. 40 assets.contentstack.io [1]
M-LOK accessory screws — any accessory on polymer hand guard	max. 15 in-lb 1.7 N·m · 1.2 ft-lb	S&W: the recoil lugs do most of the work and excessive torque on the nuts is not required; over-torquing can damage the rail or hand guard and leave an insecure mount. Pull on both ends of the accessory to confirm it is engaged. “For attaching polymer or metal accessories to polymer hand guards: 15 in/lbs. … The installation torque values are not minimums, they are recommended limits.”	Safety & Instruction Manual For M&P15-22 Rifle — Smith & Wesson, p. 40 assets.contentstack.io [1]

Fastener

Torque

Sequence, notes and the source's words

Where it comes from

M-LOK accessory screws — metal accessory on metal hand guard

max. 35 in-lb
4 N·m · 2.9 ft-lb

S&W: the recoil lugs do most of the work and excessive torque on the nuts is not required; over-torquing can damage the rail or hand guard and leave an insecure mount. Pull on both ends of the accessory to confirm it is engaged.

“For attaching metal accessories to metal hand guards: 35 in/lbs. … The installation torque values are not minimums, they are recommended limits.”

Safety & Instruction Manual For M&P15-22 Rifle — Smith & Wesson, p. 40 assets.contentstack.io [1]

M-LOK accessory screws — polymer accessory on metal hand guard

max. 15 in-lb
1.7 N·m · 1.2 ft-lb

“For attaching polymer accessories to metal hand guards: 15 in/lbs. … The installation torque values are not minimums, they are recommended limits.”

Safety & Instruction Manual For M&P15-22 Rifle — Smith & Wesson, p. 40 assets.contentstack.io [1]

M-LOK accessory screws — any accessory on polymer hand guard

max. 15 in-lb
1.7 N·m · 1.2 ft-lb

“For attaching polymer or metal accessories to polymer hand guards: 15 in/lbs. … The installation torque values are not minimums, they are recommended limits.”

Safety & Instruction Manual For M&P15-22 Rifle — Smith & Wesson, p. 40 assets.contentstack.io [1]

Notes: These are the Magpul M-LOK values as S&W's M&P15-22 manual reproduces them (p. 40). S&W stresses that they are limits, not targets, and that the nylon thread-locking patch on the screws can slightly affect a torque wrench reading. Without a torque wrench, the manual (p. 42) describes approximating them with an L-shaped hex key: 35 in-lb is about 15 lb at the end of a standard 2 5/16" key using its long arm; 15 in-lb is about 6 1/2 lb there, or the maximum force achievable by hand on the short arm.

Materials and factory finish

As stated by Smith & Wesson. Prep, masking and cure depend on these; a polymer or aluminium part, a nitrided or anodised finish, and a blued steel part are each a different job. Variants with other finishes may exist — check the maker's page for the exact SKU on the bench.

Component	Material	Factory finish	Where it comes from
Receiver (upper/lower) M&P15-22 Sport, 16.5in, SKU 10208	POLYMER	—	Smith & Wesson M&P15-22 Sport — product specifications, SKU 10208 — Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. smith-wesson.com [3] “FRAME MATERIAL … POLYMER”
Barrel M&P15-22 Sport, 16.5in, SKU 10208	1137 CS	—	Smith & Wesson M&P15-22 Sport — product specifications, SKU 10208 — Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. smith-wesson.com [3] “BARREL MATERIAL … 1137 CS”
Whole firearm M&P15-22 Sport, 16.5in, SKU 10208	—	BLACK The maker states this for the firearm as a whole, not for a named part.	Smith & Wesson M&P15-22 Sport — product specifications, SKU 10208 — Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. smith-wesson.com [3] “COLOR/FINISH … BLACK”
Grips M&P15-22 Sport, 16.5in, SKU 10208	POLYMER	—	Smith & Wesson M&P15-22 Sport — product specifications, SKU 10208 — Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. smith-wesson.com [3] “GRIP … POLYMER”

Function check

After every reassemblyPerform these checks on a verified-unloaded firearm. If any check fails, the firearm is not safe to fire — stop and see a licensed gunsmith.

Verify the rifle is unloaded with no magazine inserted before each step.
Cycle the charging handle and confirm the bolt returns fully into battery.
Charge the rifle, place the selector on SAFE, and press the trigger. The hammer must not fall.
Move to FIRE and press the trigger. The hammer should fall.
Confirm the magazine seats, locks, and drops free.

Maintenance

Lubrication points

Bolt body and guide rods
Receiver interior where the bolt rides
Hammer and sear pivots

Cleaning notes

Rimfire fouling is waxy and heavy. Clean the chamber and bolt face regularly and keep lubrication light so unburned powder does not build into a paste.

Suggested inspection interval: roughly every 500 rounds. This is a general guideline, not a manufacturer specification.

Wear parts to inspect

Extractor · Action spring · Magazine followers and feed lips · Firing pin

Common issues

Symptom	Likely cause	What to do
Failures to feed or fire	Dirty chamber, or inconsistent bulk ammunition	Clean the chamber and try a different ammunition brand.
AR-15 parts do not fit	This is a dedicated rimfire, not an AR-15	Order M&P15-22-specific parts.

Similar manual of arms

Sourcing

Confidence: high — Cross-checked against a primary source such as the manufacturer's manual or an issuing military technical manual.
Verification: Checked against the manufacturer manual
Last updated: 2026-10-29

References

Every source this page draws on, with its web address so you can read it yourself. Numbers in brackets elsewhere on the page point here.

[1] Safety & Instruction Manual For M&P15-22 Rifle — Smith & Wesson manufacturer manual primary source
https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltb61dcb3c40854cd9/blt484b89d2ae4eeadd/65d518a7bdb22a85b5c23612/M&P1522_Rifle_113022_3005746.pdf (checked 2026-09-15)
[2] Smith & Wesson — Consumer Firearm Recalls: M&P15-22 Consumer Safety Alert — Smith & Wesson website primary source
https://www.smith-wesson.com/safety/recalls (checked 2026-10-03)
[3] Smith & Wesson M&P15-22 Sport — product specifications, SKU 10208 — Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. website primary source
https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/m-p-15-22-sport (checked 2026-10-03)
[4] Virtual Patent Marking | Smith & Wesson — Smith & Wesson website primary source
https://www.smith-wesson.com/company/virtual-patent-marking (checked 2026-10-13)

Notes: CORRECTED on 2026-09-15 against the factory manual. The entry described an AR-pattern strip using both takedown pins and fully separating the upper from the lower. S&W's procedure uses the single takedown pin above and behind the trigger and leaves the receivers hinged. Reassembly gained the ordering that actually matters — the charging handle is fitted to the bolt before the bolt goes into the upper, not separately afterwards — and S&W's caution never to dry fire this rimfire while it is disassembled. Rated medium pending confirmation of bolt assembly removal detail against the factory manual; the important safety point — that this is a blowback rimfire and not an AR-15 internally — is well established.

Found something wrong? Corrections are the most valuable contribution to this project. Open an issue with the model, the step, and a source.