Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete F.
Depends on who is defining.
In WW1 it was a Springfield
In WW2 it was a M16
Since Vietnam it is an AR15 style, AR stands for assault rifle.
Many servicemen used similar types to their service rifles for hunting after they spent years carrying them.
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Above are a few more media-driven misconceptions that need to be killed.
First, the "AR" in AR-15
does not stand for 'assault rifle'. The "AR" comes from the name of the original manufacture of the AR-15, ArmaLite. Unfortunately, ArmaLite's naming convention made it easy for the ignorant media to redefine the "AR" in AR-15 to 'assault rifle' decades after the gun was designed which (I'm assuming) contributes to the average person thinking every weapon with a black synthetic stock is an assault weapon.
Second, the M16 is a
fully automatic/burst fire assault rifle based off the AR-15 platform. The M16 did not see action until Vietnam.
Third, there is no "Depends on who is defining it" when it comes down to what an assault rifle is. 'Assault rifle' is quite clearly defined. However, 'assault weapon' is a politically-created term with an arbitrary definition that depends on how gun control politicians (and the media) want it to fit within their agenda (see link:
Common Misconceptions: Assault Rife, Assault Weapon). Keep in mind that the politician's definition of 'assault weapon' only includes semi-automatic rifles/pistols/shotguns and has never included any type of automatic weapons.
Pete F bases his reply on Common Knowledge, but the problem is that common knowledge is horribly inaccurate. The term 'assault weapon' and the Assault Weapon Ban are nothing more than a giant political red herring that placates the gun control crowd while having no measurable effect on crime or loss of life.
It is impossible to have any kind of meaningful discussion about these topics when politicians and the media have muddied the waters so much that few people even understand the definition of the terms being used. For the average person, it's like trying to do math without knowing how addition and subtraction work. John Q Public hears the term 'assault weapon ban' and is led to believe that it includes every scary weapon that exists (automatic weapons, sniper rifles, grenade launchers, 60 round magazines, etc), when in reality, the term includes none of them.