Interestingly, the curved front sight wings perfectly cup the illuminated circular reticle of a Leupold MK4 CQ/T optical sight when installed, providing an exact target index and head position for instant, both-eyes-open engagement. Probably not a coincidence. Like the rail/forend system, the M&P15T battle sights are constructed from machined aircraft T6 aluminum with stainless-steel parts and mil-spec black hard coat anodizing (Teflon impregnated) and black oxide stainless. Total weight for the M&P15T Tactical package is 7.5 pounds. The other two versions weigh about a half-pound less.

The M&P15T features a Troy Industries modular rail forend with removable black synthetic rail covers.

They Really Can Run
For review, Smith & Wesson provided initial-production samples of the standard M&P15 and M&P15T tactical versions, which arrived at PASA Park during December 2005's bitter cold snap, with midday temperatures not rising above 10 degrees and a continuous 25-mph north wind blowing sleet and snow. After properly "winterizing" both rifles by treating their internal parts to nothing but a very light wiping with a very lightweight gun oil, I gathered every variety of .223 ammunition I could drag out of inventory and embarked on a function review--38 different individual loads in all. (The review protocol is detailed in the accompanying sidebar.)

After more than 2400 rounds of mixed commercial ammunition of every grade and every bullet weight you'd want to put through an AR15, with no additional maintenance, no cleaning, just an occasional shot of light gun oil onto the bolt, there had been exactly zero stoppages of any kind, under weather conditions than can only be described as extreme. Okay, that's reliable. Then, in late February 2006, in more moderate weather, I obtained an M&P15A from S&W and applied the same protocol. Again, zero stoppages or malfunctions.

At this point, I decided to see how their accuracy performance was standing up. I had already checked the accuracy of the original two samples when I first received them. Both delivered minute-of-angle groups with the loads they liked.

Another key feature of the M&P15T is the Troy Industries flip-up front sight.

So, with temperatures warmed and winds no longer violent, I set up each gun in turn with a Leupold VX-III 6.5-20X Long Range scope with Varmint Hunter's Reticle and selected six review loads carrying bullets that I know to be accurate performers at the velocities involved and that were within the weight range considered appropriate with a 1:9 twist. I gave all guns a thorough cleaning, removing all accumulated fouling from their bores, and fired a series of groups at 100 yards and 200 yards using a TangoDown ACB-4 bipod at the benchrest. The results are listed in the chart. All three were still MOA shooters with their preferred loads.

S&W M&P15 FUNCTION/RELIABILITY TEST
Two 30-round magazines of each load listed below were fired through each rifle, using only the magazines supplied with the guns. That's 2280 rounds each--no cleaning or maintenance. Then, five 30-round magazines were fired through each rifle, loading one round each of 30 different loads from the following list arranged at random. Next, each rifle was given standard field-strip cleaning, and fired with 2500 rounds of Winchester (USA) 55-grain Ball ammo. Finally, each rifle was fired for accuracy at 100 yards and 200 yards with six different loads (90 rounds at each yardage). Total number of rounds fired through each rifle: 5020.
RESULTS
MISFIRES:	0
BAD EJECTIONS:	0
MISFEEDS:	0
MAGAZINE PROBLEMS/ISSUES:	0
CYCLIC RATE ISSUES:	0
OUT OF BATTERY:	0
AMMUNITION USED
1. Black Hills 40-gr. Ballistic Tip	20. Golden Bear 62-gr. HP
2. Black Hills 40-gr. V-Max (remanufactured)	21. Hornady 40-gr. VX Moly
3. Black Hills 50-gr. V-Max	22. Hornady 50-gr. TAP
4. Black Hills 50-gr. V-Max (remanufactured)	23. Hornady 60-gr. TAP
5. Black Hills 52-gr. HP	24. Hornady 75-gr. TAP
6. Black Hills 52-gr. (remanufactured)	25. Hornady 75-gr. BTHP Match
7. Black Hills 55-gr. SPT	26. Master Cartridge 55-gr. SP
8. Black Hills 55-gr. SPT (remanufactured)	27. Master Cartridge 55-gr.Nosler Ballistic Tip
9. Black Hills 60-gr. V-Max	28. Remington 50-gr. AccuTip-V Boattail
10. Black Hills 60-gr. V-Max (remanufactured)	29. Remington 55-gr. Powr-Lokt HP
11. Black Hills 68-gr. HP	30. Remington UMC 55-gr. FMC
12. Black Hills 68-gr. HP (remanufactured)	31. Winchester 40-gr. Ballistic Silvertip
13. CorBon 40-gr. JHP	32. Winchester USA 45-gr. JHP
14. CorBon 55-gr. BlitzKing	33. Winchester 50-gr. Ballistic Silvertip
15. Federal 55-gr. Sierra GameKing	34. Winchester 53-gr. HP
16. Federal 55-gr. Trophy Bonded	35. Winchester 55-gr. PSP
17. Federal 55-gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip	36. Winchester USA 55-gr. Ball
18. Federal 69-gr. Sierra MatchKing	Winchester 55-gr. Ballistic SilverTip
19. Federal 77-gr. Sierra MatchKing	38. Winchester 64-gr. Power-Point Plus

Finally, as winter wore on into spring, I turned all three M&P15s over to some of my fellow shooters at PASA Park along with a stack of cases of Winchester FMJ ammunition, and we proceeded to run another 2500 rounds through each gun over a three-month period of rapid fire weekends, using only the original magazines as supplied. Still no malfunctions--after more than 5000 rounds each. I guess Tom Taylor was right about these guns just keep running and running and running.

I'm persuaded. I can't tell you that the Smith & Wesson M&P15s are the most reliable or most accurate regular-production AR15 rifles ever made, but I can tell you that I have never fired any other standard-production AR15 rifles that were any more accurate or reliable; and I've been shooting AR-type rifles since the U.S. Army first stuck an M16 in my hands way back in 1968. I can also tell you that I'm keeping the M&P15A set up with that Leupold varmint scope. It's just about the best lightweight walk-and-call predator and coyote rifle I've ever had.