Smith & Wesson M&P15R: 5.45×39mm AR-15 announced
S&W have announced the M&P15R, an AR-15 chambered for the 5.45×39mm. The idea being you can save costs by shooting the cheaper round instead of 5.56mm.
The product spec sheet says the launch date was “May 1, 2008″, yet the website says coming soon.
M&P15R. No surprises if you have seen an AR before 
It will also be available as a complete upper.
It ships with one 30 round 5.45×39mm magazine.
Specs:
Model: M&P15R
Caliber: 5.45 x 39 mm
Capacity: 30 Rounds
Action: Semi-Auto
Barrel Length: 16”
Barrel Twist: 1 in 8”
Front Sight: M4 Post
Overall Length: 35” Extended ,32” Collapsed
Stock: 6-Position Collapsible
Weight: 6.5 lbs.
Barrel Material: 4140 Steel
Receiver Material: 7075 T6 Aluminum
Finish: Hard Coat Black Anodized
Chromed Comp: Barrel Bore, Gas Key
Bolt Carrier, Chamber
Another photo:
When I interviewed Magpul they were planning on releasing a 5.45×39mm conversion kit for the Masada so that trips to the range would cost less. I wonder if Bushmaster is going to follow through with this with the ACR.
Press release after the jump
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts — Smith & Wesson Corp., the legendary 156-year old firearms maker, announced that it has introduced the M&P15R, a new addition to the company’s M&P tactical rifle series. The new AR-15 style rifle is capable of firing the economical 5.45 x 39mm ammunition and is available as a high quality semi-automatic rifle or as a complete upper receiver assembly kit.
Based on a combat-proven design, the M&P15R incorporates the standard features found in all Smith & Wesson M&P rifles. Engineered to meet the needs of recreational shooters and AR-15 enthusiasts, the M&P15R features a flat-top receiver and an M-4 style post front sight. The rifle is standard with a 16-inch barrel with a twist rate of 1 in 8 inches. Reliability features of the gas-operated rifles include a chrome-lined gas key, bolt carrier and barrel. A six position collapsible stock allows the M&P15R to accommodate a variety of shooting positions. The rifle measures 35 inches in length when fully extended and measures a compact 32 inches with the stock collapsed.
“The M&P15R offers AR-15 enthusiasts as well as those shooters who are looking for a less expensive option when heading to the range, a high grade semi-automatic rifle for recreational use,” said Tom Taylor, Vice President of Marketing from Smith & Wesson. “The new rifle, which is chambered in the less expensive 5.45 x 39mm, will allow consumers to spend more time on the range for less cost. The M&P15R will also be available as a complete upper receiver assembly, allowing those who already own an M&P Series rifle or one of the many other variants, the opportunity to change calibers with ease.”
The black anodized rifle is manufactured with a durable upper and lower receiver made from 7075 T6 Aluminum. A single stage trigger with a 7 lb. trigger pull is standard, as is the A2 Birdcage compensator. The M&P15R is designed to accommodate a variety of optics or a traditional back-up iron sight. The rifle is shipped with a 30-round magazine and has an unloaded weight of 6.5 pounds.
The M&P15R joins a comprehensive family of Smith & Wesson products designed and manufactured to meet the needs of firearms sports enthusiasts worldwide. Other models include the M&P15, M&P15A, M&P15T, M&P15X, M&P15OR, M&P15ORC and the M&P15FT rifle. In addition, the Smith & Wesson Performance Center is also manufacturing a high-end extension to the M&P Rifle Series, the M&P15PC.
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Huh… well that’s interesting. I was just thinking about getting a Polish Tantal to shoot the cheaper ammo as shooting my AR is getting far to expensive. I’m spending $200 a month on ammo and I’m using the cheap Serbian stuff.
Maybe I’ll excelerate my plans to buy second AR instead. The question remains, will it function with the really cheap steel cased surplus 5.45×39
Hi Jesse, they are advertising it as a way to save money so I would assume that it would function fine with the cheap steel cased ammo.
I shot a .30 Russian CAR-15 quite a while back and recall the spring noise in the stock tube being REALLY distracting. I haven’t shot a 5.56 AR-15 so I don’t know if that is normal for the rifle, but it certainly was present in the .30 variant.
For whatever that is worth.
Will this rifle be a POS like their 5.56 rifle is?
i have the ar15 smith and it wont cycle cheap ammo .i tried wolf wont run through .dont have any problem with lake city,and yes it a little more but groups well..
I’m waiting to hear from someone who just got an upper to see how it handles the steel cased stuff. After all, isn’t it pretty much the only way it’s going to be cheap to shoot? Old Russian/Romanian stock ftw! Just rcvd 6k rounds and it came in under $830 shipped. Conversely, my last 2k of Lithuanian .308 was $1063 shipped…
I’d consider buying a complete rifle if they’d produce a reliable 5,45 in with the rail setup like the T so I can use a decent set of BUIS’s. Personally can’t stand the ole A frame M16 style front sight. Yuck!
the ar 15 smith wont cycle steel cased ammo ,at least myupper wont..
I have the new 5.45×39 it will shoot the steel case just fine but you cannot change the trigger to a light weight it will not fire at all!! that is the only thing i do not like about it. i am going to try the jp ass and use the hammer and spring that came with the gun . we will see how it works.
Went to a machinegun shoot last weekend and had the opporunity to shoot an m-16 with a smith 5.45 upper. It worked great. We were shooting russian steel case ammo and the rifle never missed a beat. I put also 1000 rounds through the rifle my self and the owner of the rifle did the same. I had so much fun with it that I bought one of the uppers myself.