Telling the truth about an AR 15 semi automatic rifle

Dear reader:

I must be upfront with you, I am not a gun enthusiast. I was not raised around guns and, except for circumstances involving personal protection, I would rather not have them around me.

That said, I decided to educate myself about rifles in light of the gun rights debate that has intensified since the elementary school shootings in Connecticut last month. Before we sanctimoniously say, "I see no reason to own an AR 15", let's straighten out the facts.

Firstly, the definition of an assault rifle is 'a rapid fire, magazine fed, automatic rifle designed for infantry use.' This does not describe an AR 15.

courtesy of hedgeco.net

A semi automatic rifle,  the AR 15 is the civilian equivalent to the military M16 (a fully automatic rifle) with a huge exception: it cannot fire automatically. Did you know that the AR 15 has been available for civilian purchase since 1963 and that it is the most popular gun used in America today with more than one half of said users claiming they use it for target practice?

Where the M16 can shoot continuously, machine gun style, with only one pull of the trigger,  the AR 15 is capable of only one shot per trigger pull. Many people purchase semi automatic rifles that look like military assault rifles but they are incapable of automatic fire and are actually at the low end of power among rifles. The AR 15 shoots a sporting round .223 Remington, or slightly more powerful .45 MM round. The .223 is used for target shooting, varmint hunting, and occasionally deer hunting. The .223 round is actually less powerful than most deer hunting cartridges. This means that had a more traditional looking hunting rifle been used in the Connecticut school killings, potentially it could have caused even more carnage.

courtesy of bigfivesportinggoods.com

The above pictured rifle has the exact capabilities of an AR 15 yet it looks like the rifle my grandfather owned (or one used by the Calgary in Civil war times). A blog reader posted, "the coward (in Connecticut) could have used a pink semi automatic .223  (like the one pictured above) with fluffy bunnies on the side and caused the same devastation ."  Since I have no problem with my neighbor owing a standard looking rifle (or pistol for that matter), why then would I take issue if she chooses to own an AR 15? 

Some people think the "AR" stands for assault rifle. ArmaLite first built the rifle for the United States Armed Forces. They eventually sold the design to Colt who have registered the trademark name "AR 15."

In the midst of the heated debate about gun rights, it is important to ferret out the truth about guns and not get caught up in the hype the media (and some politicians) attempts to sensationalize. Politicians and those opposing  gun rights are demonizing AR 15 semi automatic rifles, purposely misconstruing facts, to further their political agenda of gun control.

Although I do not foresee a time when I would own an AR 15 rifle,  I am against the government telling me I cannot own one. It worries me when politicians threaten to take away my rights guaranteed by our Constitution. That said, dialogue about how to prevent tragedies like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School is necessary and one can only hope that some solution(s) (like better background checks) can be found.

I'll admit to not being an expert about this subject. Should any of my web based research be incorrect, please tell me because I want the facts, not propaganda.