This fellow thinks that legislators are needlessly worked up over assault rifles like the AR-15 recently used in the Denver movie theater massacre. To give emphasis to his point, he painted his AR-15 in a Hello Kitty motif.
So called “Assault Weapons Bans” such as the now expired 1994 Clinton ban and the one still in place in states such as California seek to ban rifles that our misguided legislators feel have no purpose in civilian hands.
Here again Erich, I think you’re missing the point. The author ostensibly put the rifle together as a way to demonstrate the ineffectiveness of firearm regulation.
California has some of the strictest firearms laws in the U.S., yet the rifle that the author of your link assembled would still be entirely legal under California law. It has no pistol grip, flash supressor, high-capacity magazine or collapsible stock, yet still fires a bullet as easily and accurately as about any other firearm.
Thanks for the clarification, Brynn.
Erich,
The Ar-15 is the Civilian version of the military M-15. One major difference is that the AR-15 lacks a full auto fire mode.
There anti gun people insists that the AR-15 is not suitable for hunting and tend to promote confusion between semi-automatic weapons and side arms with full-automatic weapons such as the M-16. Full-auto weapons are often called “machine-guns”.
One argument classes the AR-15 with assault rifles. Assault rifles are usually full auto weapons with a relatively short barrel and a high cyclic fire rate. the AR-15 doesn’t really fit that category.
Another argument hold that any semi-automatic weapon is not a sporting or hunting rifle. This is another falsehood. Semi-auto rifles are particularly suited for hunting nuisance wildlife and some as coyote/dog hybrids, Wolf/dog hybrids and feral wild pigs, which are dangers to people.
The problem, IMO, is not the gun. The problem is that American culture has lost respect for accountability and responsibility.
In Fahrenheit 911, Micheal Moore (a self-described card carrying NRA member ) looked into the fact that Canada, where almost everyone owns a gun, has a lower per-capita rate of gun related violence than in the US.
Consider too, that Washington D.C., and New York City, have strict gun control and still have high rates of gun related crime.
The problem comes from a near totol lack of responsibility. We are way too willing to claim all credit for success while blaming our falures on someone else.
Niklaus: Can’t the civilian versions of many weapons be converted by the user to military version that DO have rapid-fire?
Erich asks” Can’t the civilian versions of many weapons be converted by the user to military version that DO have rapid-fire?”
Answer: not easily or legally. Regulation of fully automatic weapons generally falls under the National Firearms Act of 1934. This act and some subsequent regulations provide for stiff penalties and onerous transfer rules for such weapons, including parts which would have the effect of transforming an otherwise compliant semi-automatic firearm to one that is fully automatic. See, for example, this part. It would have the effect (combined with some other M-16 [i.e. actual military version] parts and fairly skilled gunsmithing) of changing an AR-15 (civilian version) to fully automatic. Please note the disclaimer information at the bottom of the screen [note: DIAS refers to the name of the part being offered here “drop-in auto sear”]:
Or see also the top Yahoo answers to this query on performing such a conversion.
It’s my understanding that obtaining the license to legally own such items requires a full FBI background check, although I haven’t checked into all the requirements.
A common misconception with those who are not very familiar with firearms is that “machine guns” (i.e. fully automatic weapons) are automatically deadlier simply due to their increased rate of fire. Due to their recoil, such firearms are incredibly difficult to control and aim. As the trigger is held down and the gun cycles rapidly, the barrel tends to “climb”, meaning most shots will be sent above their intended point of aim. I’m not saying this cannot be overcome, and I would still prefer to keep these weapons extremely rare in the civilian population, but they are not the death-lasers depicted in movies.
I should also note that such firearms are so rarely used in crime it is a statistical anomaly. Political scientist Earl R. Kruschke states “approximately 175,000 automatic firearms have been licensed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (the federal agency responsible for administration of the law) and evidence suggests that none of these weapons has ever been used to commit a violent crime. With the exception of two, which were used by law enforcement officers.”