I've cleaned my guns numerous times but today after I cleaned my m&p 15 and m&p40 I noticed this retaining clip laying on the ground, not sure if it came from my gun or not , can anybody confirm that this goes to the sport 2 or maybe the pistol?

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It came from your AR. It's a C-clip used to hold the ejection port cover...."dust cover" to the layman....pin in place. If you look on the ejection port cover pin, toward the muzzle end, you will see a small channel machined in the pin the c-clip fits in. The delta ring assembly keeps the pin from moving too far forward (toward the muzzle). The c-clip prevents the pin from sliding out toward the butt. You need to reinstall it or sooner or later it will slide to the rear and the ejection port cover will become dislodged.

Here's a pic of the clip installed on the ejection port cover pin, shows you where it goes.



The pin needs to be installed in the ejection port cover before the c clip is installed. Your pin is probably still installed and holding your ejection port cover in place. Just push the pin as far forward (toward the muzzle) as it will go, reinstall the clip, done.

I use needle nose pliers to hold the clip and push it half way on. Then a sharp hand push with a punch resting on top of the c-clip to seat it. Be careful the clip has a tendency to spring off and fly into oblivion. It's so small finding it can be a chore, and while a replacement pin is a .50 cent part, the shipping will be $9, lol.

Awesome thank u!

Why is it that when I see a missing dust cover C-clip thread come up, it's always about the Sport II?
That's one of those things that makes you go, "Hmmmm......."

Because Sport II owners are more likely newcomers to the platform and less likely to recognize the what and why of issues than the owners of a more specialized and expensive M&P15. I'm fairly sure that the parts in question are identical across the board.

Well I just checked the ejection port cover pin and the c clip is still there, anywhere else on the rifle this could be from?

The pic in the OP is an e-clip not a c-clip. Here is what the c-clip looks like for the dust cover pin:


I can't think of anywhere in an AR15 that uses an e-clip. Here's a parts break down. There are a lot of parts so, I may be missing something:


Neither is it from an M&P 40:

__________________
Freedom isn't free.

On the rifle.....no. Maybe that clip is from some other weapon/project you were doing in the same area?

It might be from the M&P. I don't own a single M&P so I am not familiar with them.

I'm beginning to think it didn't come from either gun, but just happened to be on the floor in my work area

Do you have anti walk trigger/hammer pins installed on the AR? Some anti walk pins use the e clip to secure the pin. If the rifle is stock it doesn't have them. Anyway, just a thought. Probably just an orphan clip like you suspect.

Nope all stock, I'm not gonna worry about, thanks anyway guys.

Do you have any add-on items - like lights or sights?

I know someone that lost a similar clip off a Streamlight TLR-1...

Have a good weekend,
Bob S.

Bad choice of words I guess, sorry u wasted time posting pics!

Does the captured guide rod on your .40 have a clip like that on it. I don't have mine close to look at it, and I honestly don't know how it wouldn't be noticed if it came off, but thats the only thing I could even think of.

You wouldn't happen to have a Bersa Thunder that you cleaned in the same area, would you? There is an e-clip that retains the trigger bar. I have lost mine a couple of times, so I bought a bagful of replacements.

Nope, just the 15 and the 40.

I am not trying to be a smart aleck, but it looks exactly like the clip from my staplegun. I lose a clip at the range now and again.

I gave you a "like" for your effort in locating and posting the parts list, Rastoff.
I think some folks are guilty of not really knowing what the "like" button means as far as a "thank you" goes.

A missing C clamp is probably more common that most of us realize. I had a new M&P MOE that I was shooting and when I got home to clean, the dust cover was hanging, the C clamp was missing, fell off or was never on. Smith sent an evolope with 6 or 8 in it.
I have to agree though, it doesn't look like the C clamp on the dust cover.

Just put it aside, and sooner or later, if it came from you rifle, it will show itself.