VERY Concerned - First Post too...:(

[vzdude]

So I buy a NEW, Never fired M&P 15 last week. Flat top with the birdcage front site, no rear sight. Looks great, looks new, so I buys it. Get it home and started the first "injection" of what I now find most AR addicts do, looking for add on accessories ! LOL Anyhow, in my quest for wisdom, I noticed that there is no S & W Logo in the stock ( 6 Position ), and that there is no information at all on the barrel! Called S&W 3 times now, and no one can track my serial number down. The first time I called, I had the ser # of the other rifle the guy had for sale. The CSR said it looked weird when he pulled the number up, .....it wasn't a rifle.....maybe an upper? He couldn't tell. Well.....poor cell service and got disconnected. Called back with the correct number of the rifle I purchased, and this guy says it cannot be found anywhere! In fact.....he says that there are NO rifles with my starting serial numbers!!!! I gotta get to the bottom of this, so I calls a 3rd time. This guys wasn't of much help either, but he did say that there are 0 , zero, nadda markings on a S&W M&P barrel. Can anyone help figure out just what in the world kinda mess I have here?

 

[vzdude]

Ser # SW 148XX

also a very low number so I called STAG too - they also had no info.

 

[armaliter]

Vzdude welcome to the forum. Look on the box and see if the serial # matches the gun? And yes there is supposed to be markings on the top of the barrel "5.56 NATO 1/9". Did you buy from an FFL or private party?

 

[christcorp]

I just bought an M&P15OR on christmas eve. Bought it from a BBS. (Big Box Store - Sportsman's Warehouse). It did have the S&W cartouche on the 6-position stock. It also had the S&W and M&P markings on the lower receiver. I know this gun came from the factory, because this store buys that many rifles; plus they DON'T have a permit/license in colorado to sell used guns. The reason I'm commenting is because of the comment you said the S&W guy said; that their barrels have NO MARKINGS on them. They may not have a S&W marking on it, but mine and others I've seen, have the caliber marked on it. Now, it is possible that S&W outsources the barrels and so they meant there wasn't any S&W markings.

It is odd however that the serial number you have can't be found by S&W. FWIW, my s/n is also 5 digits, and it starts with 15XXX. So, your serial number isn't that far off.

 

[vzdude]

Good to know, thanks to both of you!I did buy it from a private individual so I am guessing that I have some sort of "Frankenfifteen" ! LOL I am sending pics to S&W tonight when I get home, and hopefully get to the bottom of it all. If that is the case, I'm gonna trade to upper for a left handed one anyhow. That was what I really wanted in the first place.

 

[vzdude]

The other concern, after talking to the lady in records, wasn't the 5 digits as much as the SW - Maybe it is a SM ? I dunno.....My mind is getting numb from reading all the hub-ub! LOL

 

[ken158]

So, without any markings, why do you think it is a S&W? Post some pics here and the guys will get to the bottom of this!

 

[vzdude]

Well....one CSR @ S&W said they do not mark the barrels of the M&P15's. Kind of a blanket statement, but I haven't found anything to counter it. Pics will be coming in about an hour. I have to drive home, but it is 1st on the priority list!

 

[vzdude]

Other info that may be relative, the BCG is marked WIB and WID .

 

[MPDC]

To the best of my knowledge AND in agreement with my owners manual, S&W marks its BBl.s for 556 Nato or 223 to identify the chambering of that weapon.

It does sound like you may have an S&W upper (Buds sells them and lists them right at the top of their S&W listings) and a no name lower. However, the bbl. sounds questionable without a caliber marking.
My December pruchased M&P15OR has S&W markings on the buttstock, the receive (both sides) and M&P 15 on the selector side. Serial number has capital SN followed by 025XX.

It was purchased new in box from Bud's and delivered through my local FFL dealer/range with scanner stickers that agreed with the box..

 

[alaskavett]

Did you get a receipt with a serial # and ID from this person? If not contact them and tell them you need it for insurance reasons(and you will if you add a rider) to your home owners. My real concern is that with the #'s not making sense that there is a REAL problem. Kyle

 

[Dragon88]

Post a picture of the markings on the lower receiver. This is ridiculous, playing 20 questions with markings on the barrel and stock and such. Your lower receiver must be marked with the manufacturer by law and that tells you what firearm you have.

Unless the lower receiver is correctly marked as such, you do not own and did not buy a S&W M&P 15. If the lower is labeled correctly, but other parts don't match a new M&P 15, then you still got taken, just in a different way.

When you buy a firearm from an private party, you get what you pay for. Anything could have been done to this "new" rifle before it got to your hands.

 

[vzdude]

Here are the pics as promised. My biggest concern is the lower and why S&W can't find the numbers. The upper - yeah, probably some Oly or someone who isn't proud enough to put their name on it at least! LOL It was a deal at 735$ I thought.

 

[MPDC]

Well, obviously my serial number is lots lower but my receiver doesn't have the 5.56 etching, the S&W logos are not white and match on both sides and my bbl. definitely says 5.56 Nato. I may have an earlier production model and cosmetic changes do occur but I understand why you are skeptical. Incidently, mine was appx.$825 including shipping but no sights were included.

 

[Tbat]

Vzdude, look under the handguards for barrel markings. Perhaps it is a Rock River upper or some such on a S&W lower. The forge mark on the upper receiver is the same as that on my complete S&W MP15's, but Rock River uses the same upper receivers as well some other AR15 manufacturers. Like Christcorp said, my S&W barrels do have the caliber marked on them towards the front sight, and is visable without removing the handguards.

 

[vzdude]

Nothing anywhere on the barrel at all. NADA, ZIP, ZERO. Had hand guards off twice, was going to take the gasblock off, but figured there surely wasn't anything under there..........Looked at several others and the M&P for the majority of them are all white. It is etched too, not some cheesy sticker. Again......I'll probably end up getting a Lefty upper , so my major focus is , for now, is the lower legit? I sent some photos to a lady at S&W as well, so hopefully there will be some answers tomorrow! If the upper is legit as well, Great! , but until then, is the upper a 5.56, .223 , NATO, WTH can I safely shoot out of it? Hopefully you can see my concerns! LOL

 

[Tbat]

The laser etching on the right side of my S&W MP15 lowers are different. Some really stand out, others may be faint. There was a thread a little while back where a guys lower didn't have the laser etching on the right, but I think that S&W did at least recognize the serial number, lol.

 

[turbo38gn]

bought a new in the box MP15-ORC last year, looks about the same as mine marking wise, cept my lower doesn't have the 556 under the model 15 etching. my serial number started with 356XX, so I think your's is an older unit. How about if it's a lower receiver that was build upon... they sell just the receivers..

and my barrel has the 1\9 556 on it..

 

[vzdude]

so.....turbo.....no markings at all on ur barrel either?

 

[christcorp]

Some things that catch my eye.
1. Caliber under the model number. That's almost against common sense. Why? Because you can put a different caliber upper on just about any lower and it will work. e.g. 6.8 spc.
2. Every serial number I've seen prefaced the number with SN to stand for "Serial Number". Not saying that they didn't preface it with SW to stand for "Smith - Wesson". My serial number is 15xxx so it's not to much higher than the original posters.
3. No caliber on the barrel or upper at all. How do you know what caliber it is?