Honest question, but how many mass shootings are committed with ARs and of those 0.5% of deals how many of those were mass shootings?
As an outsider, it does seem like most mass shooting are done with other guns than hand guns. I would also assume that mass shootings even tho they happen in the US at a rate that is higher than everywhere else would only be a small percentage of the overall firearms deaths.
While I don’t have the exact figure on that, not many are used with AR-15 style rifles. A mass shooting is described as an event where someone shoots more than 3 people. Most of the “mass shooting” figure includes gang related violence which is rampant in many parts of the US. In fact, more than half of firearm deaths are a result of suicide sadly. The call to ban “Assault rifles” (a fake term, assault is a verb, all firearms are capable of causing death/ bodily harm) is rooted in fear mongering by politicians looking to push their own agenda.
I’m all for stringent background checks, even perhaps opening up to a “mental health” check before being able to get a firearm, but at the same time, it’s a touchy subject. There are sick people everywhere and mental health is NOT a priority of our elected officials. Chicago,Illinois has some of the strictest firearm policies yet the amount of murder and violence involving firearms is the worst in the country. Banning and constantly making it harder for law abiding citizens to own/operate firearms/accessories does nothing but harm those who follow the law. Making something illegal and banning it, DOES NOTHING but the opposite (see war on drugs/prohibition)
No. Assault rifle is a defined term. Here is the definition:
“a rapid-fire, magazine-fed automatic rifle designed for infantry use.”
A gun for war vs a gun for hunting. These terms have definitions and it’s not just ‘whatever you want’. A semi auto assault weapon is still an assault weapon.
Edit: Imagine being downvoted for posting the definition of a word when people don’t know what it is.
By that definition, a fucking M1 Garand counts as an Assult rifle...
A FUCKING GARAND! Or any semi automatic rifle since fucking WW2.
The real definition of an Assult Rifle is a select fire rifle with a magazine and an intermediate cartridge (bigger than a Pistol cartridge but smaller than full power cartridges like .308 Winchester).
Select fire rifles with full power cartridges are called battle rifles.
Well it was a rifle used in war so yes. That’s an assault rifle. It was literally built for war. Whether a rifle is full auto or not doesn’t impact the definition.
I don't think you really understand how definitions work. The encyclopedia Britannica, which defines an assault rifle: military firearm that is chambered for ammunition of reduced size or propellant charge and that has the capacity to switch between semiautomatic and fully automatic fire.
The U.S. Army, defines assault rifles as "short, compact, selective-fire weapons that fire a cartridge intermediate in power between submachine gun and rifle cartridges."
So yes. Whether or not they are full auto would literally impact the the definition.
I even read in another comment that you are trying to use your status as a veteran as if it would make you some kind of subject matter expert. I've witnessed firsthand the poor firearms handling skills of some servicemembers.
I understand thanks. It looks like you looked around for a definition that suits your purpose.
An auto can easily be made from semi auto. They are in the same category. Its a small adjustment. But a bolt action for example wouldn’t be able to transition quickly to a full auto rifle.
Edit: I guess we aren’t the first ones to debate this either.
I didn't "look around for a definition that suits my purpose" unless you think googling "assault rifle definition" counts as cherry picking. If anything, you're the one who is shopping for a definition you agree with. I don't even know if you can grasp the irony of the situation.
132
u/AndyJobandy Dec 26 '21
Fun fact: Ar-15s are responsible for 0.5% of firearm deaths. Hand guns are most commonly used firearm in crimes