So what is an AR15?

The current bunch of whiz kids in Washington, DC and in several big cities often cite the horrible, ghastly, scary black guns known as "AR15" rifles as the weapon of choice for hoodlums and mentally ill killers.  What is often missed in their discussions is that these guns account for a TINY percentage of homicides and are near impossible to conceal for use in armed robbery.  In fact, more people are beaten to death each year than die from shotgun AND rifle fire.  The most used murder weapon is and always will be, the handgun. Let us save discussion on that for a later date.

Back to the black rifles.  These AR15's are often called "weapons of war" by ignorant politicians (Feinstein, Obama, Bloomberg, et al) who treat cosmetics and function as though they were one in the same. Yes, Colt's Defense manufactures guns for the U.S. military. NO, you and I are not permitted to buy the same guns. Civilians are able to purchase the neutered semi-auto version, but not the select-fire M4 Carbine issued to troops in Afghanistan. While barrels, grips, sights and other parts may be identical-- the fact remains that an AR15's fire control group (trigger, hammer, safety) or "guts" is what separates an "M4 clone" from the select-fire real McCoy. Why would politicians want to ban a semi-auto rifle that is statistically insignificant in regards to crime? We have to dig a little deeper.

Ever since the days of old, when trappers and mountain men journeyed deeper into the frontier, they always went armed with the same (if not better) guns used by our boys in the Army. From colonial volunteers, to Davy Crocket at the Alamo-- from the fields of Gettysburg, all the way up to the Korean War-- citizens were trusted with the arms used by our infantry to defend their homes and encouraged to practice at the range.  It was not until government planners adopted a "full-auto, pray & spray" mentality during Vietnam that our servicemen used something not available for civilian purchase after the war.  Many at the time, and still today, see this as a step backwards.  The M16/AR15 family of rifles chambered in .223 Rem/5.56 NATO was engineered as a counterbalance to 'bad guys' shooting us up with an AK47. 

I hope to have gained your curiosity and attention with this post.  TO BE CONTINUED...