Regular readers have been following the aftermath of the recent Navy Yard Shooting in Washington D.C. Predictably, the media and the political left (I know: one-in-the-same) immediately latched onto the idea that the killer used an AR-15 of some kind, and despite assurances by the FBI that no such rifle was involved, have continued to inveigh against it.
The AR-15 has been called a high-powered rifle, a gun made for murder, and an entirely new firearm hybrid has been invented: the “AR-15 shotgun.” Professional anti-gun shock troops in the media and Congress have implied that the AR-15 and all of its variants are uniquely dangerous and commonly used in mass shootings and crime. This is, of course, nonsense. Rifles of all types are used in no more than 3% of all shootings, and rifles like the AR-15, an even smaller portion of that tiny slice of the pie.
The AR-15 has been demonized, and will continue to be disparaged because the anti-gun movement has, for decades, worked to convince the public that any gun that looks like a machinegun (actually, a submachine gun) must be a fully automatic weapon. One of the oldest tactics of these anti-freedom forces is to ban any gun, type of gun or accessory possible in that hope that such bans will be a foot in the door to eventual total bans of firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens.
With this in mind, I present a basic AR-15 primer in the hope that facts are the best antidote to lies. Anti-gunners often call the AR-15 a “high-powered” rifle, or an “assault weapon.” Both are entirely false. The AR-15 fires a rifle cartridge of intermediate power at best, and there is no such thing as an “assault weapon,” which is entirely an invention of anti-gun organizations and the media.
For an understanding of the relative size of the cartridges mentioned herein, here is a photo of four of the most common contemporary cartridges. From left to right, the .22 Long Rifle, the 9mm, the .223, and the .308.
Battle Rifles: After WWII, the Army sought a replacement for the M1 Garand, a large and heavy rifle, firing a true high-powered cartridge, the .30 caliber 30.06. This–a high-powered, full-sized cartridge–is the defining characteristic of the battle rifle. Because of the power of these long-range cartridges, battle rifles tend to be heavy, weighing in the ten-pound range, and have been historically made of steel and wood, which has been replaced with plastics in the modern era. The M1 was the first generally issued semiautomatic battle rifle.
M1 Garand Battle Rifle
General George Patton called the Garand “the greatest battle implement ever devised,” but it did have drawbacks. Loaded, the weapon commonly weighed more than 11 pounds, and its magazine, loaded by metal clips, held only 8 rounds. The 30.06 is also a physically large and heavy cartridge, limiting the number of rounds a soldier can carry. The Garand remains the only widely available firearm that is actually fed via a clip, which term is commonly misused when one actually means “magazine.”
FN FAL Battle Rifle
As the nature of war changed and it became obvious that engagement ranges would be far shorter than in the past, European armies and the British, tried to convince the US Army to design and standardize an intermediate cartridge, which would allow far more rounds to be carried for the same weight and amount of space as a high-powered rifle cartridge. There is evidence that the Army entered into a sort of agreement that if the British and European nations would accept the .308–while still a high-powered cartridge, smaller and lighter than the 30.06–the US military would purchase the excellent FN-FAL semiautomatic rifle in .308 caliber. Unfortunately, the “not invented here” syndrome took over and the US reneged on the deal and adopted the M-14, which was essentially an M1-Garand in .308, with a flash hider and a removable 20-round box magazine. This more or less forced NATO to accept the .308.
M-14 Battle Rifle
This was the rifle that initially accompanied our troops in Vietnam. Its unsuitability as a general issue rifle for counter insurgency warfare, particularly fought in a jungle environment, quickly became obvious. The need for a lighter weapon capable of fully automatic fire–battle rifles are too light to be controllable in full-auto mode–and firing a smaller cartridge became obvious.
StG44, the first assault rifle
credit:www.geocities.ws
Assault Rifles: The first true assault rifle was the German StG-44, first introduced near the end of WWII. It was this rifle that was the inspiration for the ubiquitous AK-47, the most widely produced assault rifle in history. True assault rifles have these characteristics:
(1) Shoulder fired
(2) Gas operated (with a few well-known exceptions)
(3) Single-operator fired
(4) Removable magazine fed
(5) Firing an intermediate cartridge
(6) Full automatic capability (and semiautomatic)
Eugene Stoner, working for the ArmaLite Company (hence “AR”), developed the forerunner of the AR-15, the AR-10, in the mid 1950s. Like the AR-15 that followed it, it was made with aircraft grade aluminum and plastics, and had a very futuristic appearance. Unlike the AR-15 it was chambered for the .308 (finalized as the 7.62 NATO) cartridge. It competed against the M-14 and the FN-FAL in Army trials, but the Army adopted the M-14 and the AR-10 was scaled down to become the AR-15, which would ironically require the kind of intermediate cartridge the British wanted. A more detailed history of the development of the AR-15 can be found here.
M-16, credit: dkpw.co.uk
It was the Air Force, not the Army, that initially adopted the AR-15, designated the M-16, for base security, in the iconic triangular hand guard configuration. The initial flash hider had a multi-pronged, open end, which was quickly found to catch on foliage, and was replaced with a closed end design as depicted here. Eventual redesigns of the rifle resulted in the round hand guard and the heavier barrel now standard on the military family of weapons. The .223 civilian cartridge was standardized as the 5.56mm NATO cartridge. While the cartridges have essentially the same dimensions, there are some caveats regarding their use, most particularly, it is entirely safe to fire .223 cartridges in weapons chambered for 5.56mm, but the opposite may be unsafe in some circumstances. Those interested can find more detailed information here.
The Civilian AR-15: The AR-15 is the best-selling rifle family in America. However, it is not an assault rifle, and certainly not a non-existent “assault weapon,” which is best defined as any firearm anti-gun forces want to ban on any given day, particularly if it is black or scary-looking to the uninformed. The standard military rifle has a barrel of approximately 20”, but the most popular civilian configuration resembles the military M-4, which is a short-barreled, fully automatic carbine with a collapsing stock. Civilian equivalents are not fully automatic firearms, and have barrels of no less than 16” to conform to federal law.
This AR-15 rifle is one of mine of original Colt manufacture. It is representative of the modern sporting rifle, which is easily adapted to a variety of configurations to meet a variety of needs. Among the non-factory accessories I’ve added (stock to muzzle) are a Magpul stock, a single point sling attachment, a folding rear sight, a trigger guard enlarger, a Magpul plastic magazine, a red-dot type sight, a fore end with four accessory rails, a laser sight, and a slightly modified flash suppressor.
Visible on this left side view is a Sure Fire flashlight in a quickly removable mounting.
This photo provides a better view of the laser sight and its activation pad.
This photo provides a better view of the flashlight. It is activated via a momentary button on the rear of the flashlight that falls easily to the thumb of the supporting hand. I’ve found this less cumbersome than using a wire and pressure pad.
It is possible to own a fully automatic weapon, but ownership requires onerous federal permissions and requirements, including exhaustive background checks and payment of a large tax. While the US government may not carefully vet its own employees carrying top secret clearances–the Navy Yard killer’s clearance was renewed only a few months before his shooting rampage–it absolutely vets any citizen that wants to own a fully automatic weapon. Such weapons are expensive indeed, and it’s a very safe bet that any AR-15 seen anywhere is semi-automatic.
Popular Features: The AR-15 family is one of the most versatile rifles ever invented. Because it is highly accurate and has very low recoil, it is useful for target shooting and competitions. Because it is lightweight and has excellent ergonomic features, it is suitable for men, women and even children. Even so, the AR-15 can be cheaply and quickly adapted to the individual without the time consuming and expensive ministrations of a gunsmith.
Anti-freedom forces often claim that the collapsing buttstocks of the AR carbines are somehow dangerous or sinister. In fact, these stocks collapse all of about 3.5” inches. These carbines are not useful as concealed weapons, and are not so used by criminals. Their real purpose is to allow quick and easy adjustment of the length of pull for people wearing thick clothing, tactical gear such as bullet resistant vests and load bearing equipment, and people of shorter stature. This easy adjustability makes AR carbines very user friendly for women and children. Technically, the tube on which they slide contains the rifle’s recoil spring and buffer, part of the design, with the gas action, that produces such light recoil.
The AR-15 is easily broken down and reassembled for cleaning, as illustrated here:
One merely pushes a pin through the lower receiver to allow the hinged upper receiver to open. Pulling back the charging handle removes the bolt group. The pin is retained in the lower receiver to prevent its loss, an important feature in a military design. The bolt group breaks down into just five primary parts, all of which makes cleaning rapid and relatively easy. All the disassembly required for normal cleaning can be accomplished with nothing more than the point of a bullet.
AR-15 Bolt Group
The AR-15 is also uniquely suited to hunting. The .223 is suitable for small game up to and including animals the size of a coyote. The rifle’s rugged construction and corrosion-resistant finish help to prevent rust while eliminating shine. Its light weight is also a positive factor for the hunter.
But the AR-15 is not limited to the .223 cartridge. Because its upper receiver can be easily removed and replaced, a number of additional calibers have been invented that greatly expand the usefulness of the AR-15 family. All that is required is a cartridge that will fit the dimensions of the AR magazine well, a properly designed magazine, and an upper receiver chambered for the new cartridge. Uppers chambered in pistol calibers from .22 LR to 9mm and .45 ACP are available as are rifle cartridges as large and powerful as the 450 Bushmaster, 458 SOCOM and the 50 Beowulf. A general (not complete) listing of the current calibers available for the AR platform is here.
As previously noted, innumerable accessories have been invented for the AR-15, and more are being marketed all the time. These accessories, such as red dot sights, laser sights, flashlights and more make the AR family excellent choices for home defense and personal defense where the size of a rifle is not prohibitive.
The standard 30 round magazine is also a popular feature. This reduces reloading on the range–more time for focusing on marksmanship–and is an essential feature for competition shooting. Anti-freedom advocates call such magazines “large capacity,” and claim they are uniquely dangerous, demanding magazines of ever-smaller capacity. The truth is the magazines of any magazine fed firearm can be changed in a few seconds. Even in the very few mass shooting situations where AR-type rifles have been used, smaller capacity magazines would have made no real difference. This has been recognized by more and more law enforcement agencies that have begun replacing their shotguns with AR-type carbines with standard, 30 round magazines.
The recent Obama gun and ammunition shortage has affected the AR-15 market as well, however, prices of firearms are once again starting to come down to more or less normal levels, and I’ve recently seen basic AR-15 carbines in the $600.00 range. Ammunition remains somewhat scarce and expensive. Before the latest run on ammunition, 1000 rounds of .223 could easily be found in the $300.00 range, but it is now as expensive as $1000 per 1000 for some kinds of ammunition. However, there are signs that the ammunition market has begun to normalize once again.
Additional Reading: Other, related articles readers might find useful are a long gun primer article I posted some time ago, an article on magazine capacity, an article on the reality of the Clinton gun ban (which dealt with “large capacity” magazines), an article on the Smith and Wesson M&P 22-15, a .22LR caliber AR-15 clone, and an article on the laser sight depicted in this article.
Final Thoughts: Virtually everything the media and progressive anti-freedom forces have said about the AR-15 is false. It is a common semi-automatic rifle of intermediate power. Most common hunting rifles are far more powerful.
Contemporary M-16
credit: captblackeagle.blogspot.com
The Supreme Court, in its Heller and McDonald decisions made clear that the Second Amendment applies to the weapons most commonly and usually used for self defense. The court specifically mentioned handguns, the most common action type being the semiautomatic. The AR-15 semiautomatic rifle family is the most common and usual type of rifle used for self-defense, marksmanship training, competition, home defense and hunting, among other lawful and reasonable pursuits. No doubt, it too enjoys the protection of the Second Amendment, at least with the current Supreme Court.
Another factor in the success and popularity of the AR-15 is the number of former members of the military that purchase civilian-legal versions of their service weapons. This is long been an American tradition, and an essential part of our culture, regardless of how the effete, self-identified elite might wish to deny it.
Few firearms of any kind are so versatile. The AR-15 is not only useful for self-defense at short and long ranges, it is also a highly accurate precision rifle out to 300 yards and more.
Finally, the Second Amendment exists not to protect hunting, target shooting or any other pursuit, but to enable citizens to overthrow a repressive government should it become necessary. Progressives love to accuse anyone recognizing this essential truth of history of being radical and dangerous, but danger lies in trying to destroy any portion of the Constitution, not in defending it.
True radicals claim that weapons like the AR-15 could never be useful in resisting a modern army. This reveals nothing so much as their ignorance of history. In addition, if AR-15s are so ineffective, why are they so determined to ban them?
They realize that as long as honest men and women possess arms, they can never establish their utopia on Earth. They want to do away with firearms in the hands of law-abiding patriots not to ensure the safety of innocents, but to ensure their safety in imposing tyranny.
That’s more than enough reason to appreciate, and own, an AR-15.
Stately McDaniel Manor 
I see no flaws with the AR-15, it is a superior weapon imo, it’s the users that have some deficiencies some times so let’s ban those troubled-users.
Ah the media, it always amused me when they referred to ‘ light sniping’. As we all know, ‘sniping’, light or heavy, has the potential to really f**k up your day. A very long time ago, I owned a Garand, it was an Augusta arsenal rebuild for the Korean war, but never went. But my mate could cycle a bolt action Lee Enfield faster, I guess it was just me!!! It took a nice bayonet, although my dad used to say, “if you’re close enough to use a bayonet, you’ve been running the wrong way”.
I ended up trading it for $250 and a KaBar. I wish I’d known that Patton recommended it: I’d never have bought it. I’ll never own a Garand again: that’s the LAW here.
KEEP THE 2nd AMENDMENT ALIVE!
I know I’m singing to the choir.
As I recall off the top of my head, NATO standardised on a 7.62 millimetre calibre (different from a similar calibre Warsaw Pact round and not quite interchangeable with it, though I have heard that the Warsaw Pact made some efforts to be able to fire NATO ammunition from their guns in case any got captured – see your own remarks about similar issues with smaller calibres). Is this effectively the same? In this area, subtle differences can seriously affect usability.
That’s at best a half truth. The AK 47 drew on a number of sources of inspiration, including not only the German efforts but also previous Soviet work.
Wrong, though maybe you’re deliberately defing the others out out – but that just makes an empty tautology that doesn’t cover some very real and effective weapons. A number of assault rifles used other systems, most famously the (German) Heckler & Koch G3 and the (French) FAMAS “clairon” (“bugle”), which used roller and lever delayed blowback respectively and which worked far better in field conditions though with a certain weight penalty, and also those and others (like the British SLR) used larger calibres. I believe Pedersen’s “hesitation delay” as used in an interwar Remington pistol offers real possibilities, too.
Wrong. Because they don’t have a distinct piston rod but use “direct impingement” for their gas operation, they can be re-assembled fairly quickly from parts and broken down again very quickly after use, which along with availability made them popular in certain circles. A typical IRA hit used a team much like this:-
– A spotter, to point out the target.
– A gunman, to do the work proper.
– A courier to bring the weapon to the scene after assembling it just before, often but not always placing it in a pram with a (real) baby.
– A courier or two to take the used weapon’s parts away afterwards.
– A getaway team, as required.
The gunman would simply approach the target, picking up the weapon on the way, firing it, breaking it up afterwards and dropping it off with the second couriers right after that; it was all over in seconds, with nothing overt and obvious to indicate anyone’s involvement after the event.
Do not ask me how I know this; “I do not recall” (but my great-uncle Leopold is in the history books…).
Let me get this straight: disassemble the weapon, reassemble prior to use, etc. etc. Gee that worked really well on ‘bloody Sunday’ when the Paras shot the shit out of those bog trotters..
How about Gibraltar? When 3 dumb Micks found themselves smiling into faces that weren’t smiling back. They’re bombers that’s it. Just like Mudslums.
What P.M’ Lawrence wrote about was how the IRA would conduct a hit.
The Paras & bog trotters that you refer to was a mass-shooting carried out by the Paras on unarmed civilians. The rioting of the Paras was initially covered up, but
================================
Bloody Sunday (Irish: Domhnach na Fola)—sometimes called the Bogside Massacre—was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which 26 unarmed civil-rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army. Thirteen males, seven of whom were teenagers, died immediately or soon after, while the death of another man four-and-a-half months later was attributed to the injuries he received on that day. Two protesters were also injured when they were run down by army vehicles.[4] Five of those wounded were shot in the back. The incident occurred during a Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march; the soldiers involved were members of the First Battalion of the Parachute Regiment (1 Para).
Two investigations have been held by the British government. The Widgery Tribunal, held in the immediate aftermath of the event, largely cleared the soldiers and British authorities of blame—Widgery described the soldiers’ shooting as “bordering on the reckless”—but was widely criticised as a “whitewash”.
The Saville Inquiry, chaired by Lord Saville of Newdigate, was established in 1998 to reinvestigate the events. Following a 12-year inquiry, Saville’s report was made public on 15 June 2010, and contained findings of fault that could re-open the controversy, and potentially lead to criminal investigations for some soldiers involved in the killings. The report found that all of those shot were unarmed, and that the killings were both “unjustified and unjustifiable.” On the publication of the Saville report the British prime minister, David Cameron, made a formal apology on behalf of the United Kingdom.
==================================
.It was was a mass shooting, just as the Navy Yard or a school shooting. It was just that the out-of-control shooters were masquerading as ‘good guys’.
.
In Gibralter,
==================================
The IRA members planned to hide the bomb in a car to kill the band members of the Royal Anglian Regiment (which had been in Derry on Bloody Sunday) that would assemble for the parade. To ensure a parking space in the busy town area, it was necessary to occupy it on the preceding Sunday.
The SAS team was informed that the IRA had already placed their bomb and were ready to detonate it. The three conspirators were stopped as they walked near the Shell filling station in Winston Churchill Avenue, the busy main road leading to the airport and the frontier with Spain.
McCann was then shot as the SAS claimed he made an ‘aggressive move’ towards a bag he was carrying. They stated that they believed he was intending to trigger a car bomb using a remote control device.
After McCann was killed, it was claimed that Farrell made a move towards her handbag and was shot on similar grounds.
Sean Savage had been walking a short distance behind McCann and Farrell and saw them shot. He turned around and started running back towards Gibraltar centre. He was pursued and finally caught up with on Smith-Dorrien Avenue, close by a large beech tree where he was also shot dead.
McCann was shot five times, Farrell eight times, and Savage between 16 and 18 times.
All three were subsequently found to be unarmed, and without any kind of remote trigger.
Components of a bomb, including 64 kg of Semtex, were later found by the Spanish police in a car in Marbella, 74 kilometres (46 mi) away in Spain, identified by keys found in Farrell’s handbag
==================================
The SAS were not really different to a hyped up incompetent SWAT team.
Unarmed people (even completely innocent people) get shot by cops who later claim that the victim made some sort of threatening move.
The dead were shot an impressive number of times. I have not searched to see if they were missed an even more impressive number of times.
.
If the level of your knowledge rose to even a tiny fraction of the level of the vicious bile and hatred that you spew, you would know that your point is completely irrelevant.
Somebody mentioned Po’s Law in relation to yourself in another thread.
“without a clear indication of the author’s intent, it is difficult or impossible to tell the difference between an expression of sincere extremism and a parody of extremism.”
NATO 7.62 x 51…..Warsaw Pact 7.62x 39 …..
“not quite interchangeable”. Oh really? Who’d a thunk it?
Not to mention diameter differences. So is “not quite” the new “not at all, not even a little bit”?
You… you really don’t have any idea of what you’re talking about, do you?
The English wanted to standardize on a .280 round, which is about 7mm. They actually built a few prototype rifles on the design. We turned them down because of generic US Ordinance R&D asininity, and since we were the dominant economic power in the free world, what we said went.
Direct impingement or presence of an operating rod has nothing in the world to do with ease of disassembly or concealability.How the devil did you come up with that?
In fact, the AR platform is a LOT less concealable than other platforms because it uses a big, long recoil buffer tube in the stock instead of a recoil spring around the gas piston, like (say) a FN or an AK. This means it can’t go completely stockless or use a true folding stock absent quite a lot of alteration.
“Gas Operated”.
From Wikipedia:
“The blowback system is generally defined as an operating system in which energy to operate the firearm’s various mechanisms and provide automation is derived from the movement of the spent cartridge case pushed out of the chamber by rapidly expanding powder gases.”
Blowback and delayed blowback are just very simple gas systems, where the cartridge case works as the piston head and thrusts directly against the bolt. The Germans stopped using it for their rifles a decade or so back, and now use a standard gas piston-style weapon . Unless you can come up with a recoil-operated battle rifle or assault rifle that actually saw service, you’re SOL.
BTW, I’ve personally handled, shot, disassembled and cleaned, and/or own or have owned every rifle mentioned in this article (except the Stg 44, though I keep up hope that someone will market a recreation- maybe in 7.62 X 39, so you could afford to shoot it…). In other words, if you’re gonna nitpick as if it means something, try to do so on a topic you actually know something about.
There is an stg-44 in 22 caliber out there. Well it looks the part anyway. Action etc is not even close unless you count the bullet coming out of the barrel. Weight wise it copies the German gun.
DNS: I’ve seen it, and it’s pretty cool. I’m just hoping that, in a world where DSA makes FAL’s and PTR can crank out HK91’s, someone somewhere can get around to doing a worthwhile STG that doesn’t cost what my current car did.
And, as long as I’m wishing, how about a Mauser Broomhandle redo?
If they would make the current stg in 9mm I would buy it in a heartbeat. The 22 is overpriced for what it is, a cheap action in an expensive case.
Broom handle Mauser? No way would the batfe allow it. I have a mares leg that I would love to put a full size stock on as a horse weapon. I can do it if I want to jump through the class 3 weapon hoops and pay the $200 bribe but I refuse. Funny thing that is a popular mod in Canada and perfectly legal. A country that has ridiculous handgun restrictions could care less when it comes to a lever action sbr.
Oops! Sorry Mike was I being racist about the ‘Mick Barretts’? It’s just that I fantasize that Ireland has one neck and I have my hands around it.
While I’m at it Mr.Lawrence: Mike McDaniel is right and you are wrong!
The most successful assault/battle rifle of all time, bar none is the……..AK47. Every 6 year old in Africa has one, and guess what? It fires an intermediate cartridge.
The Israelis now a bit about killing people, and they copied it and called it the Galil. And as for the nonsense about the Warsaw Pact toying with the idea of ammo interchangability. Why would they bother?
A war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact would have gone Nuclear in 48 hours.
A lot of US Army doctrine circa 1980 seemed to be based on the premise that we would somehow head the Russians off at Fulda Gap and win with conventional infantry and armor. I don’t know if our leaders actually deluded themselves into believing that fantasy, or if it was propaganda to reassure the public. But I don’t doubt that a war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact would have gone nuclear very quickly. And the Kremlin surely realized that, whether our leaders understood it or not.
GOA posted a satirical “journalist’s guide to firearms terminology.” It showed an AK-47, an Uzi, an RPG anti-tank weapon, a BB gun, and a car, all captioned “AR-15.” Then it showed a Walther PPK, a Taser, a crossbow, an 1873 single action revolver, and an 18th century single-shot flintlock pistol, all labeled, “Glock.” Unfortunately, that is not much of an exaggeration.
The AR15 shotgun that CNN came up with made me laugh. It goes to show the total ignorance of many in the anti gun crowd.
Lately there have been a couple of attempts to make a somewhat AR style shotgun. One in particular even looks the part. Its called the MKA 1919 and built in Turkey. The resemblance ends with looks. Internally they are piston operated and hold 5 rounds of 12 gauge 2 /34 inch or 3″ shells. Semi-auto. Build quality is fair.
The other “assault shotgun” is what we convert. Its the Saiga model IZ 109. Made in Russia and imported in sporting configuration only. IE no pistol grip. These are excellent built solid Russian arms. Built like a tank and weighing in about the same. Modified piston operation. While the gun looks like an overgrown AK style weapon its function is slightly different. Where the AK style rifles have a long stroke piston the shotguns use a small short stroke puck to slam the bolt carrier rearward. After modification the trigger is moved to the correct spot in the receiver, a pistol grip is added, rails, 6 position M4 style stock, flash guard/door breaching muzzle devise and a 10-15-20 round box or drum magazine is added. These guns are every bit the black and scary looking evil assault weapon when they leave our shop. Fortunately the media hasn’t taken up the battle cry of ban this gun yet. They are commonly used in 3 gun competition and just as a generally fun gun to have. As for home defense, well Joe Biden said buy a shotgun and we couldn’t agree more. I seriously doubt he had this particular model in mind but I know several people who do have them for home protection.
Mike, good article.
I would recommend a change/addition on the term assault weapon. You stated:
…and certainly not a non-existent “assault weapon,” which is best defined as any firearm anti-gun forces want to ban on any given day, particularly if it is black or scary-looking to the uninformed.
“Assault Weapons” are not non-existent IMHO, although not a technical term it has taken on a legal meaning in various jurisdictions. For example, in California ‘assault weapon’ is a legal term with a very specific definition at any given time. The definition does change as the law changes (based on the success of anti-gun forces to enact legislation).
Dear styrgwillidar:
Thanks! I’m not prone to giving the term “assault weapon” any legitimacy because for such a term to have any real meaning, it must apply to a specific class of weapons that actually exist, rather than inventions out of thin air for political purposes, particularly inventions conjured with the intention or rendering all firearm nomenclature nonexistent. In addition, any such class must remain relatively static in specifications. Assault rifles are easily identifiable by clear and obvious criteria. “Assault weapons” change with the political winds and the addition or deletion of cosmetic features not inherent to the design or essential for its function. In addition, they exist–even in law–only in jurisdictions like California. Today’s evil “assault weapon” might be tomorrow’s innocuous semi automatic rifle.
Good point, though.
Not a 12 gauge – and not used at the shooting, but still an ‘AR-15’ shotgun.
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2009/01/26/at-14-the-410-ar-15-shotgun/
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