Smith & Wesson Issues M&P15-22 Consumer Safety Alert

Smith & Wesson has announced a M&P Consumer Safety Alert for their M&P15-22 rifle. It covers all guns and all models manufactured prior to February 2019. It involves the head-spacing on the bolt face, and if not correct, the gun could slam-fire.

Now, I know a lot of folks have these wonderful little rifles. I love my Smith & Wesson M&P15-22. Of all the guns I’ve shot over the years, this one has become one of my favorites for play. I’ve shot competitively with it and I’ve shot Rifleman plenty of times using cheap, bulk Federal .22 ammo.

It has brought smiles to plenty of others, young and old, over many thousands of rounds fired.

I’ve loaned it to friends and to Appleseed shooters at events where I instructed (at least prior to Appleseed declaring the rifle non grata.) Other times, I’ve let young people shoot it to get a taste of what it’s like to shoot America’s favorite rifle.

Yes, including the young woman in the top photo. She had never shot anything except a single-shot rifle. Her dad brought her out to the DeWitt County Sportsman’s Club annual Zombie Shoot. She went through the rifle stage with her little Cricket. Afterwards, I asked her dad if he thought she would like to borrow my M&P15-22 and give it a try. He smiled and she jumped up and down shouting “Yes, Daddy!”

With a range officer right behind her, she loved shooting it. While her trigger discipline needed a little improvement after she shot through the magazine and the bolt locked back, her muzzle control remained excellent despite her very excited state. And then we gently corrected the trigger faux pax.

S&W will pay to have you ship them the bolt for them to inspect or you can order a free bolt inspection gauge and check it yourself. First up, here’s the inspection video, three minutes long:

And the written alert with more links. Courtesy Smith & Wesson…

IMPORTANT! M&P15-22 CONSUMER SAFETY ALERT AND INSPECTION PROCEDURE

DESCRIPTION – Please Read This If You Have A M&P15-22 Rimfire Firearm.

PRODUCT AFFECTED:
ALL models of M&P15-22 rifles and pistols manufactured before February 1, 2019.

STOP USING YOUR M&P15-22 UNTIL IT HAS BEEN INSPECTED AND YOUR BOLT REPLACED (IF NECESSARY).
Smith & Wesson has identified two M&P15-22 firearms from recent production on which the breech face counter bore depth was not within manufacturing specification. In those firearms, the lack of depth may allow the bolt, upon closing, to crush the rim of the case, causing the round to fire, cycling the bolt, and potentially resulting in multiple discharges without depressing the trigger. This issue can occur in the following two scenarios:

1) With a loaded magazine in the firearm and the bolt locked to the rear, depressing the bolt release to allow the bolt to drop freely may ignite the round as the bolt closes without engaging the trigger and with the safety selector in either the safe or the fire position, and may also result in multiple discharges.

2) With a loaded magazine in the firearm, bolt in the closed position and a round in the chamber and the safety selector in the fire position, depressing the trigger will cause the round to fire normally, however as the bolt cycles, the next round may be ignited by the bolt crushing the rim of the case as it closes, causing multiple discharges.

We believe that these are isolated incidents, however, any unintended discharge of a firearm has the potential to cause injury. Therefore, we have developed this inspection procedure to ensure that all products in the field are safe to use. We are asking customers to perform the following procedure and to refrain from using their M&P15-22 until the bolt has been inspected and replaced as necessary.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCT INVOLVED:
The out of specification condition has been found only in bolts that were recently manufactured. While our investigation suggests that the incidents are isolated, we have established this inspection procedure as a precautionary matter to ensure that all M&P15-22 firearms in service meet our design specifications. We are asking consumers of all M&P15-22 firearms manufactured before February 1, 2019 to inspect their bolt for this condition.

REMEDY/ACTION TO BE TAKEN:
The bolt from your M&P15-22 must be inspected to determine whether it exhibits the condition identified in this notice. To determine whether your firearm is affected by this condition, please inspect your firearm by following the inspection instructions provided here.
DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTION MANUAL | VIEW INSPECTION VIDEO

CLICK HERE FOR FAQ FACT SHEET – Questions and Answers Re: M&P15-22 Safety Alert!
If you are uncomfortable in conducting the bolt inspection outlined here, or are unsure whether the condition described in this notice applies to your bolt, please send your bolt to Smith & Wesson for inspection and replacement if necessary.