Duty Arms Index
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Which police departments use the Smith & Wesson M&P15?

Short answer: 34 agencies in the index currently issue the Smith & Wesson M&P15, including Detroit Police Department, Orange County Sheriff's Department, Milwaukee Police Department and Iowa State Patrol. 26 carry it as their primary patrol rifle (13% of agencies with a sourced primary patrol rifle), the #3 patrol rifle family in the index. 4 more agencies list it as previously issued and no longer carry it. See the most common police patrol rifle for the full ranking.

Data coverage: Based on 34 agencies in the Duty Arms Index with a current, sourced Smith & Wesson M&P15 entry, any role except SWAT/tactical-unit listings (every M&P15 entry, incl. the short-barreled M&P15 SBR). Shares are of 200 agencies with a sourced primary patrol rifle. Counts include only current entries with a public source; agencies not yet in the index, or without a sourced entry for this item, are not counted, so treat shares as a picture of the Duty Arms Index, not of every agency. Data last updated Oct 10, 2026.

34
Agencies issuing it
26
As primary patrol rifle
15
States
4
Previously issued (dropped)

How agencies issue it

Each agency counted once, under its highest role for the M&P15.

  • Primary duty26 (76.5%)
  • Other / authorized8 (23.5%)

By agency type

  • Local police25
  • Sheriff's office5
  • State police / highway patrol4

Variants and generations

As named in each agency's source.

Agencies that stopped issuing the Smith & Wesson M&P15 (4)

Agencies with a sourced previous M&P15 entry and no current one, newest change first (year shown where the source dates it), with the patrol rifle they carry now. Most common replacement: American Defense Manufacturing UIC (1), then Daniel Defense DDM4 V7 S (1).

AgencyPreviouslyCarries now
Junction City Police DepartmentKS · until 2026Smith & Wesson M&P15Daniel Defense DDM4 V7 S
Austin Police DepartmentTX · until 2025Smith & Wesson M&P15SIONICS Weapon Systems Patrol Three
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police DepartmentNVSmith & Wesson M&P15American Defense Manufacturing UIC
Massachusetts State PoliceMASmith & Wesson M&P15not yet sourced

Smith & Wesson M&P15 agencies by state

Every agency with a current, sourced M&P15 entry, largest first. Each links to its loadout, sources and history.

Frequently asked

Which police departments use the Smith & Wesson M&P15?
34 law enforcement agencies in the Duty Arms Index currently issue the Smith & Wesson M&P15, including Detroit Police Department, Orange County Sheriff's Department, Milwaukee Police Department and Iowa State Patrol. 26 of them carry it as their primary patrol rifle. The list covers every M&P15 entry, incl. the short-barreled M&P15 SBR.
How common is the Smith & Wesson M&P15 in police service?
26 of 200 agencies with a sourced primary patrol rifle (13%) issue the Smith & Wesson M&P15 as that primary, making it the #3 patrol rifle family in the index, behind the Colt AR-15 and Colt M4 Carbine.
Which states have the most agencies using the Smith & Wesson M&P15?
California (14), Minnesota (4), Kansas (2) and North Carolina (2). Agencies in 15 states have a sourced M&P15 entry. State counts follow where the index has the most sourced agencies, so they are not a census.
Which agencies stopped using the Smith & Wesson M&P15?
4 agencies list the M&P15 as previously issued and no longer have a current M&P15 entry, including Junction City Police Department, Austin Police Department and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The most common replacement is the American Defense Manufacturing UIC (1 of them).

Compare the M&P15

Who uses other patrol rifles

Colt AR-15 · Colt M4 Carbine