AR-15/M16: The Rifle That Was Never Supposed to Be

[flamin lib]

3. I'm bookmarking this for future reference

There has never been any real doubt about the AR being an assault rifle. It has been marketed as such from the beginning. It was only after the general public began to recognize it for the threat it is that the NRA launched a major marketing campaign to change the name from Assault Weapon to Popular Sporting Rifle.

The basic characteristics of a modern Assault Weapon are: Small and light weight--small enough to possibly be concealable under a coat.

High cyclic rate of fire. The AR can cycle, without a bumpfire modification, at 100 rounds a minute quite easily. Alan Lansing fired more than 500 rounds in less than 5 minutes. With a bumpfire stock up to 500 rounds per minute.

Rapidly interchangeable high capacity magazines.

If something is to be banned these are the characteristics to ban, not some description or list of model designations.