Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport III 250th Anniversary 5.56 NATO 16" 30rd Rifle

The M&P15 Sport has been the default first AR for a lot of shooters, and the Sport III is the version that finally gave the line the features people were bolting on anyway. A free float handguard with M-LOK slots replaced the old plastic drop in, the gas system moved to mid length for a softer impulse and longer part life, and the muzzle comes threaded so a brake or a can has somewhere to go. The barrel is 16" with a hard nitride treatment inside and out, which is the coating that keeps rimfire grade cleaning habits from ruining a bore.

This particular rifle wears the 250th Anniversary designation, marking the country's 250th year. Mechanically it runs like the Sport III it is built on - a semi auto 5.56 NATO carbine that also eats 223 Rem, fed by a 30rd magazine, with a receiver flat topped for optics and a handguard long enough to run a hand well forward. The controls are standard AR-15, so every sling, light, grip, and trigger on the market fits without adapters. For a first rifle, a truck gun, or a training carbine that will not be babied, it is about as low maintenance as the platform gets.