2 Brand New M&P15 Sport II FTF

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Niner9er

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Hi everyone. A little disappointed with my recent S&W experience. Just picked up 2 brand new M&P15's on sale, and both have failure to feed issues, one of them after I took my first shot.

I picked them both up, stripped and cleaned them with Ballistol, which is also apparently a lubricant, and then went to shoot. I shot Federal XM193 FMJBT. The casing was dented near the bullet, seemingly getting jammed on the feed ramp and getting crushed by the BCG. I've checked the mags, I've used 6 different mags and still get the FTF. I also shot some Remington .223 and same thing happened about 3 times out of 60 rounds, on both rifles.

I love my M&P9C, never had an issue. But, I can't help but be disappointed that 2 brand-new rifles, some of the most recommended AR-15's on the market, have a FTF issue from factory.

Any ideas or similar situations?

Thanks all.
 
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Some BCG's are shipped with a little "O" ring around the extractor spring.

This is somebody's idea of a reliability enhancement! It isn't necessary and can cause FTF'S! Ask me how I know this!

Remove the little "O" ring and test by releasing the bolt with the release and let it fly. :)'s
 
I've had nothing but 100% functioning in my bnib MP Sport II OR/CT R/G Dot model. Didn't clean it before it's first range trip either. I use ONLY P Mags, and only brass 223/556. Love mine!
 
Took them shooting again today in still got FTF. Only using the mags that came in the box with the rifles, I've tried .223 Soft Point, FMJBT, still getting the FTF issue. Recently picked up a 3rd and have yet to shoot, needless to say I'd rather spend a couple hundred more to get a working rifle out of the box...
 
Niner9er said:
Took them shooting again today in still got FTF. Only using the mags that came in the box with the rifles, I've tried .223 Soft Point, FMJBT, still getting the FTF issue. Recently picked up a 3rd and have yet to shoot, needless to say I'd rather spend a couple hundred more to get a working rifle out of the box...
Click to expand...

So why did you buy a third one if the first two are garbage?

I've had nothing but excellent service from my M&P 15 rifles; I've got four of them. One of them has over 5k rounds through it and I've yet to have any issues with it or any other.

Contact S&W and get them to give you shipping labels and send the rifles back in for warranty repair. They will make it right.
 
Ktyhawk said:
So why did you buy a third one if the first two are garbage?
Click to expand...

The first two I bought on sale, then a week later it went on an even bigger sale so I bought a third. I figured that at least one of them has to function well out of the box given this guns reputation, and I couldn't pass up the deal given the uncertainty of future gun laws in this country.

I shot again today, 60 rounds through each rifle. This time I used Gen 3 magpul mags instead of the Gen 2 the rifles come with. One rifle had 1 FTF and bent the cartridge, but otherwise functioned flawlessly. The other had 4 malfunctions almost in a row on the first mag, but it wasn't the same FTF that bent the round. This time, the round was in the barrel half way and the bolt open enough to that I could see the end of the cartridge. So, the round had fed, but not enough for it to fire when I pulled the trigger. I cleaned and lubed before shooting as I have previous times, not sure why my BCG seems to have so many issues.

Strangely, the same rifle had no malfunctions whatsoever on the second mag, using the same 5.56 NATO ammo. Im at a loss of what I could be doing wrong here. Why would I get 4 malfunctions in a row on one mag, then none with the second mag? I'll probably just let S&W take care of it.

Thanks
 
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jjfitch said:
Some BCG's are shipped with a little "O" ring around the extractor spring.

This is somebody's idea of a reliability enhancement! It isn't necessary and can cause FTF'S! Ask me how I know this!

Remove the little "O" ring and test by releasing the bolt with the release and let it fly. :)'s
Click to expand...

I don't see an O-ring on the BCG of any of the three I bought, but thanks for the suggestion
 
Ballistol is not the best choice of lubricant (that's assuming it's even a lubricant at all) for an AR, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if that is what is causing, or at least contributing to the malfunction of your AR's. Do yourself a favor before sending them in, and get a GOOD, REAL lubricant like Wilson Combat Ultimate, Lucas Extreme Duty, M-Pro, Tetra, etc. Not an 'all-in-one' cleaner/lubricant/protectant. My absolute favorite that I've been running in all of my AR's and semi-auto firearms for years is Machine Gunners Lube from Sprinco. After years of using the latest and greatest firearm lubricants, I've never had any reason to even consider anything else after using this stuff.

https://www.sprinco.com/mgl.html

IjUgDEOl.jpg
 
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Niner9er said:
I don't see an O-ring on the BCG of any of the three I bought, but thanks for the suggestion
Click to expand...

You wouldn't see it. It's under the extractor and goes over the spring. I've never heard of one causing problems, though.
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Hey... I have 3 M&P 15 rifles and have never had one single FTF.

I also use Ballistol sometimes, but mostly to flush out a brushed barrel.

Ballistol is a great product, but perhaps not the only thing one should use.

After cleaning, I, and perhaps most, directly oil wear parts with their
favorite gun oil. In limited situations, I use gun greese.

Lots of great helpful stuff out there to understand where and how to apply lubes on an AR.

Stripping and cleaning a new or range used rifle means you have done the right thing to start.
I'd suggest re-trying one of them after applying regular
gun oil.
 
Sixgun_jjr said:
Hey... I have 3 M&P 15 rifles and have never had one single FTF.

I also use Ballistol sometimes, but mostly to flush out a brushed barrel.

Ballistol is a great product, but perhaps not the only thing one should use.

After cleaning, I, and perhaps most, directly oil wear parts with their
favorite gun oil. In limited situations, I use gun greese.

gun oil.
Click to expand...

Ok, I'll try using just oil instead of CLP. I only used Ballistol because of the YouTuber Hitchcock 45, he claims to have only used ballistol on his AR15's for over a decade, and I watched him use it on a Sport II and then fire with no malfunctions.

Going to clean and just apply oil and report back on how the range trip went.
 
There is a segment of products that do triple duty...

Cleaning, Lubricating and Preserving.

They do these fairly well, but in my mind the oil
aspect feels a bit lite. In automotive thinking the
thickness or viscosity of the oil is quite important.

Why?

Heavier oils keep metal parts from rubbing together
better.

So, my thoughts are that a new gun is many mechanical
parts that haven't been working as a team so much yet.

Hitchcock 45 is a legend, but many of his guns are not
new.

I tend to watch and listen to Jerry Miculek, a pro
shooter with many championships to his name. Additionally
he shoots a S&W PC M&P 15. He preaches running and keeping
the rifle "wet".
 
Update

Just an update on the situation.

Sent my rifle in over a week ago, and S&W responds saying the RMA is going to take 5-6 weeks, not including shipping. I hate to say I'm rather regretting spending money on this brand. 66% of sport II's are malfunctioning and need to be RMA'd. If you want a self defense rifle that works out of the box, DO NOT choose Smith and Wesson. Spend a little more to get exponentially more quality. Love my M&P9, but the M&P15's have been nothing but a major dissapointment.
 
I’m skeptical. These are usually very good rifles.

Lose the ballistol. It sucks. Where do you live? It’s winter. If you are shooting in the frozen north you lube your gun different then a person in Texas.

I live in Florida and I lube with heavy viscosity lube. I like Slip 2000 EWL, ALG very thin grease, Breakfree LP (not CLP), and Weaponshield. These guns throw the hot gasses into the action which demolishes thin lubes. I always run thick viscosity lube, in my climate, in these guns for best results.

Gen 3 PMAGs are the best. Use those.

What ammo? I break guns in with hot ammo. Either M193 or 62 grain green tips.

If you live up north you may have had too much of the wrong lube on the gun which would have gummed up in cold weather and slowed the action down. If you live in the south you may have under lubricated the gun.
 
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Niner9er said:
Just an update on the situation.

Sent my rifle in over a week ago, and S&W responds saying the RMA is going to take 5-6 weeks, not including shipping. I hate to say I'm rather regretting spending money on this brand. 66% of sport II's are malfunctioning and need to be RMA'd. If you want a self defense rifle that works out of the box, DO NOT choose Smith and Wesson. Spend a little more to get exponentially more quality. Love my M&P9, but the M&P15's have been nothing but a major dissapointment.
Click to expand...

Did S&W tell you 66% are being returned for repair? If not where does that number come from?
 
bubbatime said:
I’m skeptical. These are usually very good rifles.
Click to expand...
x480




Yeah, something is going on here. These rifles are known for their reliability. I find it hard to believe that 2 in a row have this same issue. I'd be thinking maybe a PMag defect or bad ammo or something first.
 
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Niner9er said:
66% of sport II's are malfunctioning and need to be RMA'd.
Click to expand...

I, too, would like to know where this number comes from... Between myself, some friends, and some friends at the Lodge, we own, collectively, around 20 Sport IIs... Not a single one has gone back to the mothership...
 
Count another one to the 'no problems' ledger. I have about 400 rounds through mine with none of the issues the OP describes. Although, i have only shot brass, mostly Federal and some Wolf Gold. I actually have several S&W firearms (rifles and pistols) and have not had any firearm related issues with any of them. Maybe just lucky, but I think not.
 
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