M&P 15-22 Magazine Loading

chuck s · Nov 29, 2009

S&W M&P15-22 Magazine Loading

The M&P15-22 is sensitive to loading the magazine and will have stoppages if not loaded correctly. The owners manual specifies pulling the magazine follower down just enough to push one round into the magazine and up against the back wall of the magazine. Tedious, but it's always faster to unload magazines downrange than load them!

The windows on the magazines will show incorrectly loaded cartridges.

Note the even alternating cartridges in the magazine on the LEFT. This is the correct loading. Only visible for seven of the first ten rounds. Check often. Note the displaced cartridges on the right.

In the photo below look at the 4th and 5th cartridges (visible) in the magazine on the RIGHT. Just above the first ridge in the magazine. These are the same two as in the first photo, just pushed a little deeper in the magazine so they show better. Note the even alternating cartridges on the left, the same magazine in the earlier photo.

Attention to magazine loading will greatly assure reliable semi-automatic feeding in this lil' carbine.

–– Chuck

rbert0005 · Nov 29, 2009

I would venture to say that the staggering of the rounds has little or no effect on the reliability of feeding.

I find that if I do not take some care in getting the rim of the rounds BEHIND the little track in the mag it will certainly fail. Yes there is a small track in there. I think it's a guide.

Bob

chuck s · Nov 29, 2009

Test fire the magazines loaded like the one on the right yourself. Causes stoppages on mine.

-- Chuck

maxicooper · Nov 29, 2009

rbert0005 said:
I would venture to say that the staggering of the rounds has little or no effect on the reliability of feeding.

I find that if I do not take some care in getting the rim of the rounds BEHIND the little track in the mag it will certainly fail. Yes there is a small track in there. I think it's a guide.

Bob

chuck s said:
Test fire the magazines loaded like the one on the right yourself. Causes stoppages on mine.

-- Chuck

It causes some mulfunctions, not all, but many times.

Mostly the rounds stuck in the mag and FTF.

This morning, 7 mags of CCI standard velocity and a full mag of Federal Lightning (walmart bulk). Not a hickup.

Steel15-22 · Nov 29, 2009

loading mags

YOU HAVE TO STAGER THE SHELLS!!!!!

In my 15-22 if the rounds are not stagered it will have a failure. Since my gun has come back from its fedex ride this has been its only problem.

If the shells are not loaded properly it will have a FTL, the shell will be sticking straight up and stuck in the front part of the mag. It is stuck in there tight and once removed everything is fine. Not a good thing but this happened 3 times out of about 400 rounds yesterday.

Hopefully SW will improve there mags soon.
Still 3 out of 400 failures in any 22 is not bad IMO.

Dukeno1 · Nov 29, 2009

I agree with you Chuck. Thanks for taking the time to photograph the mags. I was just showing my father today how the rounds need to be staggered when looking through the rear window of the mag. I have only had one hiccup with my rifle and it happened a few weeks ago. Stovepipe with the round sticking staight up out of the mag as reported by others. I had loaded that mag without paying much attention so I believe that caused the issue. I purposely tried to load a few rounds incorrectly today by pulling the follower down too far. I got the same result as your mag photo on the right. I did not try to fire the mag loaded that way...(thought about it but didn't want to cause problems with a rifle that has been stellar so far).
Today I put another 250 rds through it varying the fire from single, to rapid fire, to several shot bursts. Worked flawlessly once again. Today I tried some new ammo...the Winchester 555 pack from Dick's Sporting Goods. They worked great..no issues. So far I have ran CCI's, Federal Bulk Pack, and the Winchesters. I have managed to and probably will continue to shun the Remington.

chuck s · Nov 30, 2009

I picked up a Winchester 555 pack from Dicks on Saturday. $7.49 in their "second box 1/2 pricing." Glad to know they work!

-- Chuck

chuck s · Dec 7, 2009

Wanted to add onto this thread just to keep some of the information together.

During a range "ammo check" session yesterday I had a lot of difficulty loading Federal 40gr Target ammunition into the magazine and getting the rounds to line up as shown above. These rounds are significantly longer than some of the others I've been using and seemed to hang up on the magazine when loading it. Happy to say they all shot very well. Just took a lot of attention to load them.

Here's the four I played with on Sunday. Loss of the extractor stopped the testing right after the first magazine of these Federal 40g.

1. Federal Target 40gr Standard Velocity. Round nose. 0.981" Overall Length.

2. Federal "525" 36gr High Velocity (1260fps on box). Hollow point. 0.973" OAL.

3. Winchester "333" (head stamped Super X) 36gr HV (1280) HP. 0.966"

4. CCI MiniMag 36gr HV (1260) HP. 0.956"

Shorter OAL cartridges loaded much easier than longer.

-- Chuck

chuck s · Jan 1, 2010

Here's a shot of the Federal 40gr Target vs a 36gr HP Winchester Super X cartridge. Just a little extra length on the 40gr. The Federal shoots well, but takes more care in magazine loading.

-- Chuck

straight-shooter · Jan 1, 2010

I shot a 333 box of Winchester Super X yesterday and had a few stick straight up in the mag. It was always the first round if I loaded the mag to full capacity of 25. When I loaded the mag with less than 25 then there was no malfunctions.

Has anyone tried using silicone spray on the inside of the mag ? Once it drys it will still leave a slick surface. Just a thought I was pondering.

ChattanoogaPhil · Jan 1, 2010

I gave my rifle to a shooting buddy and watched him toss in rounds like Rosanne Arnold popping Jelly Beans into her pie hole. No function problems at all.

Other than pulling far down on the Ambidextrous Load-Assist Button (

) and dropping a round totally disoriented into the mag, I'm becoming less convinced that it matters a hill of beans how careful one loads the mag.

Just my anecdotal observations.....

perpster · Jan 1, 2010

chuck s said:
Here's a shot of the Federal 40gr Target vs a 36gr HP Winchester Super X cartridge. Just a little extra length on the 40gr. The Federal shoots well, but takes more care in magazine loading.

-- Chuck

Is that Bill Klinton's 36gr HP Winchester Super X cartridge?

Thanks for posting this info.

tacticool22 · Jan 1, 2010

Does anybody want a loader for their mags? I think I can source a commercial supplier if there is enough interest. How do you want it to work? Other than better than your tired fingers. A little future user input can go a long way to getting the right features built in.

rip3000gt · Jan 2, 2010

15-22-maniac said:
Does anybody want a loader for their mags? I think I can source a commercial supplier if there is enough interest. How do you want it to work? Other than better than your tired fingers. A little future user input can go a long way to getting the right features built in.

I would love one, however can't tell you how it should work cause i never used one

ChattanoogaPhil · Jan 2, 2010

15-22-maniac said:
Does anybody want a loader for their mags? I think I can source a commercial supplier if there is enough interest. How do you want it to work? Other than better than your tired fingers. A little future user input can go a long way to getting the right features built in.

Yes I would. I have had no feeling in my thumb tips since October 2009.

My only suggestion is that the designers maintain the flexibility of the ALAB feature on the 15-22 mag.

tacticool22 · Jan 2, 2010

You had me thinking on that acronym. I don't think you will even need to use the ALAB with the propper loader.

mikehoncho · Jan 2, 2010

15-22 maniac...what's the acronym stand for

tacticool22 · Jan 2, 2010

Ambidextrous Load Assist Button. It's a silly phrase from S&W that some engineer had to have some say about the wording. It's ambidextrous, because you can use either hand. But you really use a thumb and finger of one hand, so it's more of a Single Handed Load Assist Follower Pull Down Pin. SHLAFPDP

mikehoncho · Jan 2, 2010

15-22-maniac said:
Ambidextrous Load Assist Button. It's a silly phrase from S&W that some engineer had to have some say about the wording. It's ambidextrous, because you can use either hand. But you really use a thumb and finger of one hand, so it's more of a Single Handed Load Assist Follower Pull Down Pin. SHLAFPDP

TYVMGS.

that's the acronym for thank you very much good sir

BELT_FED · Jan 2, 2010

there is a video on utube of a speed loader for the ruger mkII pistols which have the alab setup and they work well.. something to that effect would be nice just clip it on like its goin into the gun pull the alabs down and its loaded... just my .02

M&P 15-22 Magazine Loading

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