Former US President Donald Trump was shot during his campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 13. One rally-goer was killed, and two other spectators were injured during this incident. The assassin used an AR-15-style rifle, a weapon that was used in several mass shootings.
The gun which came close to killing Donald Trump was an AR-15. There are said to be as many as 44 million of them in the United States.
— John Simpson (@JohnSimpsonNews) July 15, 2024
It has been used in high-profile mass shootings- in 2022’s Uvalde School shooting (Texas), in 2018’s Parkland high school shooting (Florida), in 2017’s Las Vegas music festival shooting, in 2016’s Orlando nightclub shooting and 2012’s Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, United States.
Despite its devastating status, the AR-15 has a fierce grip on American politics. By NRA, it’s called America’s Rifle, and to declare it America’s “National Gun” in 2013, five Congressional Republicans proposed a bill. AR-15 enjoys a cult status on the American Right, which supports it as a way to resist the ongoing efforts to ban it.
After the ban on assault weapons ended in 2004, the US never came close to reinstating federal restrictions on semiautomatic rifles.
So, what is AR-15 style rife, and how did it become so popular and ubiquitous? Let’s learn more about this here!
What is AR-15 style rifle?
The origin of the AR-15-style weapon dates back to the 1950s. During that time, a former marine named Eugene Stoner aimed to design a lightweight, easy-to-shoot rifle for the US military to fight against guerrilla fighters armed with AK-47s. Gunmaker ArmaLite was the first to develop these rifles, hence the name “AR.” Gunmaker Colt bought the AR-15’s manufacturing rights in 1959. However, most of the patents on the gun expired in the 1970s, which allowed other companies to build their version of weapons.
Zusha Elinson, co-author of American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15, told The Guardian that this resulted in a gun that could fire several bullets quickly, was easy to shoot, and stayed on target. This weapon was precisely what people in the military wanted.
The AR-15 is the most popular and ubiquitous weapon in America. It is a semiautomatic firearm that can fire multiple shots rapidly. It is designed to be lightweight, easy to fire, and carry in the field. This is a weapon of war!
AR-15 rifle holds small and light bullets. This weapon can fire high-velocity bullets that can travel triple the speed of handgun bullets. In just a second, the bullet could travel six football fields.
They are accurate over long distances and cause devastating damage to soft tissue and internal organs. A single bullet can produce a shock wave that’s intense enough to blow apart a skull. Its impact is even more severe on the compact body of a child. It can pulverize bone and shatter the liver. If multiple bullets strike a body from this rifle, it can cause a cascade of catastrophic damage.
Buying an AR-15 is cheap and easy. Here is why.
Although AR-15s are banned in several states, they are easy to buy in America. They are legal in all 50 states. Depending on the state of residence, the person who wants to buy this rifle can walk into a gun shop, present a valid ID, and buy the rifle or shotgun, given that they can pass a federal background check. Here, the buyer’s history and whether they have a history of being admitted to a mental institution are checked. However, in private sales, this check can also be disregarded.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) promotes these rifles for recreational target practice and home defense. However, critics argue they don’t belong to civilians due to their lethality.
AR-15s are popular in America because they are widely customizable. These rifles can be modified in many ways, such as by adding scopes, large-capacity magazines, and other accessories.
Chris Goss, who has sold guns for 35 years, revealed to Reuters that “It’s scary looking.” When you look at AR-15 guns, he said that all you think of is “Army, military, war, and death.” He said that people are drawn towards AR-15-style rifles for superficial reasons. Goss added that when he showed an even more powerful semiautomatic rifle with a wood stock, which doesn’t have a military look, to these people, they rejected it; young men felt that it was a way to tap into masculinity.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives does not have data on how many assault weapons there are in America, as they are prohibited by federal law from keeping a gun registry database. In 2023, a Washington Post poll estimated that one in 20 American adults owned at least one AR-15.
In 2004, the Republican-led Congress chose not to renew the assault weapon ban. After this, many gunmakers, who had previously resisted, started producing AR-15s as the profit was tempting. AR-15s are easy to make, and their production can be ramped up or reduced quickly. All these attractive aspects, combined with their military appeal, caused the sales of these weapons to increase significantly.
States That Have Banned These Assault Weapons
Under President Bill Clinton’s rule (1994), assault weapons were banned, but in 2004, amid pressure from the powerful NRA, the restriction lapsed. Ever since then, efforts to change gun laws at the federal level have been stymied, and critics argue that such changes might violate the Second Amendment, the constitutional right to own a firearm.
Several states have banned these assault weapons. Although they have successfully passed bans on assault weapons like automatic rifles, they have faced legal challenges while trying to maintain such laws.
Washington DC, California, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois, and Maryland are the nine states that prohibit purchasing and possessing assault weapons. California claims that its gun safety laws have helped save 19,000 lives over the past decade.
So, the question is, will AR-15 be stopped using as a political symbol by the Republicans? Will these assault weapons be banned in the future?
This is a serious issue, and it should be considered to ensure the nation’s peace and make the country a better and safer place for everyone.
