Eliminating caliber markings/standardizing markings on the lower is likely the decision of bean counters. It allows them to assign receivers as production needs or demand dictate without having to worry about caliber/model markings. Looking at pix of current production, the lowers almost all appear-but might not be-the same. Current ones pictured mostly seem to have integral trigger guards. That was not always the case. Careful search shows that SKU 11511 still has the hinged trigger guard.
I don't recall if our issue M&P15's had caliber markings, but the lowers were forged (had the forging company chop* on them-and the uppers) and had the hinged trigger guard. There were several threads on here about the differences between the Sports and other versions. IIRC, someone noted that the product descriptions at the time identified the Sport lower as machined from a billet, rather than a forging.
* There are lists around of the various forging "hallmarks" for folks who are trivia driven. Off the top of my head, a stylized A is Anchor Forge, a cardinal is Cardinal Forge, a hollow square is Brass and Aluminum Forging Enterprises (I think) and the list goes on. Some 10 or so years ago there were only 5 or 6 companies doing the forging. There have been many more, some of them only did sub-contract work for Colt or FN.
Last edited by WR Moore; 10-01-2020 at 12:41 AM.
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