[ad_1]
The Allen mall shooting on May 6 was the 199th mass shooting of 2023, marking the most recent incident in which a gunman chose to use an AR-15 style rifle during the tragic event.
Referred to as the “most popular rifle in America” by the National Rifle Association, it has become a staple across the nation, with many believing the AR-15 symbolizes a commitment to the Second Amendment—as evidenced by the numerous lawmakers that have sported the firearm as a pin.
Originally advertised decades ago as a sporting or hunting rifle, its reputation has largely become associated with mass shootings. At least 10 of the 17 deadliest mass shootings in America saw the gunman use an AR-15-style rifle, according to The Washington Post.
“Over time, it’s evolved from this thing that was another kind of product on the market to this sort of ubiquitous stature,” Danny Michael, the Robert W. Woodruff Curator at the Cody Firearms Museum, tells TIME.
What is the AR-15?
The AR-15 is a semi-automatic self-loading rifle first produced in the mid-1950s. Experts vary in their description of what AR stands for (there’s discrepancy about whether it stands for the company that designed the firearm, “ArmaLite,” or if it’s in reference to the “ArmaLite rifle”), but all countered against the misconception that it stands for “assault rifle.”
Read More: Raising Children in America Means Living in Fear That They’ll Be Shot
Whether the AR-15 is considered an assault weapon has become a heated debate. The National Shooting Sports Association does not classify the AR-15 as such, instead listing it as a modern sporting rifle. Experts like T. Logan Metesh, a firearms historian, tell TIME that historically, an assault rifle was defined as a fully-automatic fire rifle and that today, an assault rifle is defined as a “firearm capable of selective-fire,” which he says precludes the AR-15 from being in that category.
But Michael says the definition of an “assault weapon” is more legislative than technical, meaning the criteria varies based on the law. In states like California and under the federal government’s 1994 assault weapon ban, the AR-15 is categorized as such, per the Giffords Law Center.
ArmaLite originally marketed the AR-15 to the military, but was unsuccessful, leading the company to sell the patent to manufacturing company Colt in 1963, according to Metesh. The rifle was marketed to civilians as a hunting and sporting rifle by Colt, though the “big core concepts” that designers worked on was creating a firearm that was “lightweight and modular,” Michael says.
The M16, a military rifle used during the Vietnam War, was adapted from the AR-15. But the AR-15 differs in that it was marketed as a semi-automatic rifle, whereas the M16 can also be a fully-automatic weapon and release a burst fire.
A young boy shoots an AR-15 and other weapons during the “Rod of Iron Freedom Festival” on October 12, 2019 in Greeley, Pennsylvania. The two-day event billed itself as a “Second Amendment rally and celebration of freedom, faith and family.”
Spencer Platt—Getty Images
Why is the AR-15 so popular?
The AR-15 has no doubt become a staple for gun owners, as recent estimates show that there are some 20 million of these rifles across the U.S.
Much of the popularity of the AR-15, which one expert describes as a Lego set, is due to its modularity. “It’s gotten to the point today where the design has a lot of refinement to it, so pretty much any feature of the rifle is configurable to some degree,” Michael tells TIME.
Others say that price definitely plays a key role in its high demand. The cost of an AR-15 varies depending on quality, but they are typically priced at $400 and up. That’s not to say that an AR-15 cannot cost thousands, but by comparison, a pistol may cost around the same price despite its much smaller size and capacity.
Metesh also attributes part of its rise in popularity to the boom of sales seen once the patent for the gun expired in the 1970s. “Once Colt no longer held the exclusive rights to manufacture AR-style firearms in the United States, dozens of other companies jumped at the opportunity to start making and selling these rifles to the public,” Metesh says.
Read More: How ‘Stand Your Ground’ and Similar Laws Work
Is the AR-15 the leading firearm used in mass shootings?
Steve Lindley, program manager of Brady United Against Gun Violence, a gun violence prevention organization, says he would hesitate to call the AR-15 the “weapon of choice for mass shooters,” but still describes the AR-15 as a “weapon of war.”
That does not deflect from the fact that mass shooters often utilize an AR-15, likely for the factors mentioned above.
Besides the Las Vegas shooting, which was carried out from a long distance, “mass shootings are relatively close up,” Lindley says. He says the AR-15 has such a strong capacity that gunmen “don’t really need to aim, they just need to shoot at the crowd of people.”
Have there been any attempts to ban the AR-15?
In 1994, Congress passed the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, a federal assault weapons ban that prohibited the manufacturing of more than 100 firearms for civilian use, including the AR-15. That ban sunset in 2004, as Congress failed to secure sufficient votes to renew.
Since the early 2000s, there have been calls by prominent Democrats to renew a similar ban. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who is credited as the politician behind the assault ban, introduced the Assault Weapons Ban of 2023 in late January. No progress has been made on the bill.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) wears a rifle shaped pin at a hearing with the House Oversight and Reform Committee on February 1, 2023 in Washington, D.C.
Anna Moneymaker—Getty Images
Some states, including Washington, California, and New Jersey, have restrictions on assault weapons that impact the possession of firearms like the AR-15. And in Texas, state lawmakers on Monday advanced a gun control bill that would increase the legal age to purchase an assault-style weapon to 21.
President Biden also showed his support for an assault weapons ban on multiple occasions, including a 2019 New York Times op-ed, and most recently after the shooting in Allen, Texas on May 6. “Once again I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines,” he said in a statement. “I will sign it immediately.”
More Must-Reads From TIME
[ad_2]
Source link
Hello there! I just wish to give you a big thumbs up for the great information you have got right here
on this post. I’ll be coming back to your web site for more soon.
I’m not sure exactly why but this website is loading extremely slow for me.
Is anyone else having this problem or is it a problem on my
end? I’ll check back later and see if the problem still exists.
We are a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community.
Your site offered us with helpful information to work
on. You have done an impressive job and our whole
neighborhood will be thankful to you.
Thanks for some other fantastic post. The place else
may anybody get that type of info in such a perfect manner of writing?
I have a presentation next week, and I’m at the look for such information.
Ahaa, its nice dialogue concerning this post here at this weblog, I have read all that,
so at this time me also commenting at this place.
Aw, this was an incredibly nice post. Taking the time and actual effort to create a top notch article…
but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and don’t manage to get anything done.
I just like the helpful information you supply in your articles.
I’ll bookmark your weblog and take a look at again right here frequently.
I’m fairly sure I will learn many new stuff proper here!
Good luck for the next!
Appreciate the recommendation. Let me try it out.
In fact no matter if someone doesn’t know then its up to other users that they will help,
so here it occurs.
It’s difficult to find experienced people about this topic, however, you seem like
you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
What’s up to every body, it’s my first pay a quick visit of
this weblog; this blog carries amazing and actually good stuff for readers.
This piece of writing will help the internet people for building up new webpage or even a weblog
from start to end.
I really like what you guys tend to be up too. This sort of clever
work and exposure! Keep up the fantastic works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to my blogroll.
I go to see day-to-day a few websites and blogs to read articles, however this web site offers feature based
articles.
Hi there I am so glad I found your website, I really found you by error,
while I was browsing on Digg for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say cheers for
a incredible post and a all round interesting
blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have
time to go through it all at the minute but I have book-marked it and also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to
read a great deal more, Please do keep up the great
jo.
With havin so much written content do you ever run into
any problems of plagorism or copyright infringement?
My website has a lot of exclusive content I’ve
either authored myself or outsourced but it appears a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my
authorization. Do you know any solutions to help
prevent content from being stolen? I’d truly appreciate it.
I do accept as true with all of the concepts you have presented on your
post. They’re really convincing and will
definitely work. Still, the posts are too brief for starters.
May you please lengthen them a little from subsequent time?
Thank you for the post.
пайдалы қазбалар жана ма 4 сынып,
пайдалы қазбалар қмж 4 сынып орыс тілінде неше әріп бар,
қазақ тілінде неше дыбыс бар
лучшие рестораны в павлодаре, кафе в павлодаре для русских автодом газ садко некст 4х4
цена, садко некст двигатель
I loved as much as you will receive carried out right
here. The sketch is tasteful, your authored subject matter stylish.
nonetheless, you command get bought an nervousness over that
you wish be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come more formerly again since exactly the
same nearly a lot often inside case you shield
this hike.
киа карта, kia navigation updater сендер үйге
келесіңдер ме етістік қай шақта тұр,
мақсатты келер шақ мысалдар ленинградтық өренім не туралы, жамбыл жабаев ленинградтық өренім өлеңін
жазды аға мен қарындас туралы тақпақтар, аға туралы
керемет сөздер
You could definitely see your enthusiasm in the article you write.
The sector hopes for more passionate writers such
as you who are not afraid to mention how they believe.
All the time follow your heart.
музыка туралы фактілер, музыка туралы мақала
самый кассовый фильм в мире 2023, самый кассовый фильм в казахстане диски купить, диски алматы r17 қазіргі таңда географиялық ақпарат іздеу үшін көбінесе,
географиялық ақпарат көздері
биологиялық мембрана презентация, мембрана
арқылы енжар тасымалданатын зат шаршының қабырғаларының ұзындығы-b м, қораптың көлемі қазіргі заманғы
телекоммуникациялардың маңызды құрамдас бөлігі, желілер және телекоммуникациялар прокуратура реферат қазақша,
прокуратура деген не
Adquiere medicamentos en España Marcan Walcourt medicijnen kopen in België
нурикамал, нурикамал текст
песни скачать как проверить остаток трафика на
теле2 казахстан, как проверить остаток
трафика на tele2 волькенштейн задачник скачать, сборник задач по общему
курсу физики, волькенштейн решебник
құм қаттылығы, құм мінезі
оралхан бөкей
загрязнение воздуха в балхаше,
причины загрязнения воздуха в усть-каменогорске қолға таңғыш салу,
таңғыш түрлері ncalayer долго запускается, ncalayer не запускается на телефоне алатауды айналып, ұлықпан
жолдасов – алтынай скачать
дәрілік заттардың сіңірілуіне әсер ететін факторлар, дәрілік заттардың фармакодинамикасы
в каких странах сейчас идет война, горячие точки мира война
судың бетке пайдасы, судың пайдасы мәтін еуразия ұлттық университеті факультеттері, еуразия ұлттық
университеті оқу ақысы
жер байлығы ел байлығы 4 сынып, жер байлыгы ел байлыгы туган жердей жер болмас
бумага а4 оптом астана, бумага а4 svetocopy астана
олх петропавловск, одежда, олх одежда автомобиль жолдарының ұзындығы бойынша
жетекші елдер, теміржол жолдары
бойынша көшбасшы елдер
караганда кызылорда поезд маршрут,
44 поезд майор головинский,
гулаг в казахстане mckinsey kazakhstan, mckinsey kazakhstan salary төменгі ағыс, өткізгіш ұлпа
пішіні
центр занятости риддер вакансии, работа в риддере с ежедневной оплатой іс жүзінде химиялық реакция жүрмейтін заттар жұбы, құрамында
112 не берут трубку, 102 не берут трубку хеда караганда инстаграм,
где вкусно и недорого поесть в караганде
приснилось подарили лошадь видео гороскоп лев сегодня таро телема галерея, таро телема значение карт
наталья жильцова академия магического права порядок книг видеть умерших родителей во
сне исламский сонник
1991 жылы 7 қыркүйекте құрылған партия,
қазақстан коммунистік партиясының 1 съезі өтті жанекем текст
скачать, жанекем ремикс скачать наурызбай
батырдың тұлпарының аты, батырлардың аттарының
аты прямые и косвенные доказательства, вещественные доказательства рк
вторая лига расписание, вторая
лига казахстана календарь сено цена за тонну, сено купить гражданская политика
аль-фараби, какие идеи аль-фараби актуальны в наши дни
ашық сабақ кіші топ сөйлеуді дамыту, жаңа технология бойынша ашық сабақтар балабақшада
medicamentos sin receta en Suiza zydus Uzwil Koop medicijnen online zonder recept in Den Haag, Nederland
подработка павшинская пойма вакансии заработок в
интернете курс валют авито работа на дому сызрань поддержка
яндекс такси работа на дому
подработка на дому кингисепп подработка вологда выходные дни
подработка мурманск на авито работа на ватсап удаленно
заработать своими руками женщине дома без вложений
официальный сайт дистанционной работы как
заработать дома своими руками идеи
для женщин без вложений цена режим работы дома
Muchas gracias. ?Como puedo iniciar sesion?
medicijnen kopen voor directe verlichting in Nederland 123ratio San Giuliano Milanese acheter des médicaments en ligne