Hello Kitty AR-15 assault rifle

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.kitty rifle small1

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.

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Erich Vieth

Erich Vieth is an attorney focusing on civil rights (including First Amendment), consumer law litigation and appellate practice. At this website often writes about censorship, corporate news media corruption and cognitive science. He is also a working musician, artist and a writer, having founded Dangerous Intersection in 2006. Erich lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his two daughters.

This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. Avatar of Brynn Jacobs
    Brynn Jacobs

    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.

    1. Avatar of Erich Vieth
      Erich Vieth

      Thanks for the clarification, Brynn.

  2. Avatar of NIklaus Pfirsig
    NIklaus Pfirsig

    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.

    1. Avatar of Erich Vieth
      Erich Vieth

      Niklaus: Can’t the civilian versions of many weapons be converted by the user to military version that DO have rapid-fire?

    2. Avatar of Brynn Jacobs
      Brynn Jacobs

      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”]:

      This is a an auto sear made before 1986 and registered (tax paid) with the BATF as a machinegun. Currently (Nov-2003) they sell in the $7500 – 8500 price range and require an additional $200 transfer tax to own. This is the only type an individual can use to make an AR15 full auto. To obtain one, an individual (non FFL/SOT) would have to live in a state that permits ownership of full auto firearms and complete a BATF form 4 in duplicate with fingerprints, pictures, and a CLEO certification. The auto sear itself is legally the same as a complete transferable machinegun – it is legal to own and use, provided the paperwork is filed with BATF and you receive an approved form 4. The registered auto sear requires installation of M16 (full auto) fire control parts (trigger, disconnector, selector, hammer, and bolt carrier) in the semi automatic host rifle. Normally, even possession of an M16 part with an AR15 is a felony – it doesn’t even have to be installed in the gun! If you own a registered DIAS however, possession is permitted as long as you are the legal owner of a registered DIAS.

      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.

  3. Avatar of Brynn Jacobs
    Brynn Jacobs

    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.”

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