No weapon draws the ire of the anti-gun crowd quite like the AR-15. It's been described in recent reports from respected publications like the New York Times, PBS, Washington Post, and Al Jazeera as the weapon of choice for mass murderers in the United States. While it's true the AR-15 has been used in a mass shooting or two, these reports are overstating the problem a bit.
The truth is that, in a lot of ways, the AR-15 is kind of like the pit bull of guns.
iStock/NickBiemans
Mr. Worldwide!
Despite what the above photo may imply, I'm actually referring to the dog. They've both at various times been characterized as nothing more than killing machines that no clear thinking American would ever want in their home, but just as pit bulls are really just good boys and girls, the AR-15 is ... just another gun. Sure, it looks scarier than most, and it's definitely the weapon of choice if you're looking to kill from a long distance but also on kind of a budget, but beyond that it isn't any more or less dangerous than most other guns.
Contrary to popular belief, it's not an assault rifle. People who use that term are thinking of automatic weapons like the M16. Those guns include a selector switch with an "automatic" setting. When that's engaged, the gun will continuously fire for as long as you hold down the trigger, just like in motherfucking Rambo.
First Blood
1168 Comments