Just bought a new S/W MP 15-22. Have never had an AR before but I heard a lot of good things about this gun so I bought one at a local gun dealers. Now that I have it, I am looking for different attachments. I want things like a scope (probably red dot), a fore grip, sling, barrel mount laser, and anything else that would make this gun even more fun to shoot. My uses are strictly target. Just wondering if anyone has any good experiences with these attachments and what brands are the best. Any advice would be helpful.

My recommendation, based on experience....

shoot it AS IS for a while. At least a few hundred rounds. Get to know it, learn what you like / don't like. Do this BEFORE you trick it out.

I did this with my first AR - not an S&W, but the process is the same.

In the end, I've added magpul furniture (no quad rail as I want to keep it light), bipod for distance shooting at the range, and a EOTech Red dot with cheapy 3x magnifier, which i remove for closer-range shooting.

"Just" a target / fun gun. The wife likes it too, so I made some decisions on accessories that also make her feel comfy with it. It's mine first, and she'll default to anything I do, but also keeping her in mind, since we like to shoot together.

But, again, shoot a few hundred rounds through it with the iron sights and stock furniture, trigger, grips, etc. BEFORE you decide to do anything.

It will save you heartache and anguish in the future, I promise.

EDIT - for clarity, my current AR is a 223/556 model, not a 22, but the recommendations still apply.

Hope that helps!

Oh, also - have a clear picture / vision for what you want this to be. You mentioned target gun, which is a great start, but will this be shorter range or longer range? Do you care if you weigh it down with whiz-bang gizmos like lasers and flashlights? Will those actually enhance the experience, or do you just want it to "look" cool?

In other words, the attachments you buy should not be random, but rather support your overall goal and vision for your AR.

For example, I wanted to keep mine as a fairly light weight range fun gun, so I didn't want to add an aluminum quad rail. I didn't need the slight increase in accuracy, since it's not a competition gun, so I didn't need to free-float the barrel. I wanted to be able to comfortably support it for longer-range (to me, anyway!) target shooting (100-200 yards), so I added a bipod. Mine came with a cheapy red dot, which I liked (and my wife really likes), so I wanted a more reliable and proven one.

Have a goal. Again, shooting it at the range, in the field or in the woods (safely and legally!) will help you land on a vision for what you would like to have.

Both posts are good advice.

Don't be buying stuff on a whim but do some research on why some people perfer scopes, some red dot, cuz there is a difference.

I like my red-dot on my Zombie rifle but like my scope for hunting and longer shots. Sides that, Zombies are like a sitting duck!!

I bought a couple of things that I ended up buying twice cuz I hadn't done my research and learnt myself a lesson!

Lots of good vendors on this site, too!

And read the manual, and the threads here about cleaning and damaging the upper by not properly clamping the barrel if you plan to replace flash suppressor or hand guard. Remember search is your friend. and will cover most of what you are looking for.

Sound advice from the above post.

You still don't.

I have both though, and I must say that I shoot my M&P15-22 a lot more than my AR15. It's cheaper, not as loud, & more fun.

Use the iron sights that came with it, and shoot metal spinning targets. That's a recipe for fun, right there.

Be sure to look through this thread...M&P 15-22 Picture Thread...lots of nice rifles, and good ideas too.

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KICK BRASS!

If you replace the pistol grip and adjustable stock with something heavier it will feel like less of a toy. I took my CTR Stock/MOE+ Grip off my 15-22 to put on my spike's lower and I'm kinda regretting it lol. The factory A2 Grip/Stock make the rifle really light.

The MOE+ Grip fit with no issues or modifications needed for the take down detent spring.

Wise words!

Nearly all magpul parts are made to be drop-in replacements. I'm sure someone has run across an exception, and if so I hope they share, but that was magpul's strategy...replace directly with relative ease.

The one that had issues was the MIAD Grip. It was made for the ar15 not 15-22.
The MIAD grip has some issues with holding in a detent spring. Taking the back strap off the grip makes the detent spring/pin fall out of the takedown pin slot.. You are better off going MOE(+) or MOE K from my personal experience.

I would add to your list a few extra magazines. . . the S&W factory 25 round with load assist buttons are much better than the 10 round mags. Also try to find a mag loader like the Quickie Loader. If you get the 10 S&W 10 round mags without load assist buttons - you can buy metal buttons that attach . . .forgot the name of the brand they are on the web.

UR M&P 15-22 is a lot like UR Harley. Ride it hard a lot before U spend a lot changing it. After a couple 2000 rounds add a low power scope to stretch it out 100 yards and shoot it some more. It runs hard and U need to shoot it hard. Then start the rebuild. A bolt release of course will help it run fast.