Your AR-15 "Cliff Notes"

I'd like to start with an apology to all my gun-knowledgeable friends out there, as you likely already know most of what I'm getting ready to lay down.  

But for all you others, I'm "up to here" with all the misstatements and flat-out lies being told about the AR-15 by some in important places.  Some who ought to know better.  And some who ought to be called out on it.  Like now.  Starting with the Mumbler-in-Chief, who's never seen an AR-15 up close and personal.  And I'm here to put those lies to rest.  And I'm also qualified to opine on the subject.*  So read on, fellow Americans.  You'll get the straight story here.

     -  The AR-15 was named after ArmaLite Rifle Co., Chicago, Ill.  Not "automatic rifle" or "assault rifle" as some have reported (lied, with a straight face).  Starting with Mr. Mumbler.

     -  The AR-15 platform was invented way, way back in 1956 by a mechanical genius named Eugene Stoner.  That's 67 years ago, folks!

     -  ArmaLite sold the design to Colt Firearms, who then refined and sold it to the U.S. Army.  It was subsequently called the AR-10.

     -  The Army bought the AR-10 because it was lighter than the M-14 it replaced (I carried one, and 6.3 lbs. is better than 9.4 lbs.), and used a smaller, lighter round (.223/5.56mm vs. .30.'06).  

     -  The new ammunition was so much smaller and lighter that a soldier could carry 100 rounds of .223/5.56mm ammo vs. the far larger and heavier 40 rounds of .30-'06.

     -  When the AR's patent ran out, Colt introduced a civilian version of the AR-10, calling it the "AR-15."  It was "semi-automatic" versus the Army's full-auto version.  That meant "one trigger pull, one bullet exits the pointy end."  No different in operation than your grandad's shotgun.  Not your shotgun, your grandad's.  If you don't already know all of this, You likely don't have a shotgun...

     -  73% of all firearms currently sold in America are semi-automatic in operation.  Whether pistol, rifle or shotgun, that's how most of them operate.  

     -  So what you're witnessing with the Lefty's effort to ban the AR-15, is a thinly-veiled effort to ban most all firearms.  Think about it. 

     -  The AR-15 has become America's Most Popular Firearm, with more than 19,000,000 of them sold.  So far.  And they're flying off firearm's dealer's shelves.  

     -  Why?  They're light, modular, versatile and cheap.  Why would you expect any different?

     -  And lastly, fellow previously unknowledgeable Americans, long guns of all types, including the AR-15, are responsible for less than 3% of all firearm deaths.  Including mass shootings.  Including all 4 of the mass shootings in California last week (with a pistol).  Even though Boy Guv Newsom subsequently called for a(nother) ban of the AR-15.   

     -  So why, I ask you, is the Mumbler-in-Chief, and all his sycophantic minions, so dead-set on banning it?  The only reason I can come up with is he's got something planned for us that we won't like.  And he doesn't want us to have the means to express our dissatisfaction.  As in, confiscate them.  Disarm us.  Or try...

On the way out the digital door, 100,000,000+ Americans own more than 490,000,000 firearms.  Including the AR-15.  I doubt any effort to change that would be met with acceptance...

*   Yes, I'm a trained gunsmith.  Have been since I apprenticed at the age of 13.  And with a fairly large gun collection (like ladies and their shoes, never, ever large enough!).  Not just some dude with a blog and an opinion.  A real, honest-to-God gun-owning, gun-using gunsmith.  Who owns some, but not nearly enough, AR-15's.  And also a well-trained killer, courtesy of the United States Army...