A Hot-Selling Weapon, an Inviting Target (fairly neutral article on AR-15 type rifles from the NYT)

New York Times ^ | 3 June 2007 | Andrew Park

[RKV]

LAST February, Jim Zumbo, a burly, 66-year-old outdoors writer, got a phone call at his home near Cody, Wyo., from the rock star — and outspoken Second Amendment champion — Ted Nugent. “You messed up, man,” Mr. Zumbo says Mr. Nugent told him. “Big time.”

Leland A. Nichols, left, an executive at Smith & Wesson in Springfield, Mass., and John Kapusta, an engineering manager, with an M&P 15 rifle. Such rifles have been crucial to the company’s turnaround plans.

Two days earlier, Mr. Zumbo, a leading hunting journalist, outraged Mr. Nugent and many other gun owners when he suggested in a blog post that increasingly popular semiautomatic guns known as “black rifles” be banned from hunting. Mr. Zumbo, stunned that hunters were using the rifles for sport, also suggested giving the guns, prized for their matte black metal finishes, molded plastic parts and combat-ready looks, a new name: “terrorist rifles.”

Gun enthusiasts’ backlash against Mr. Zumbo was swift. He parted company with his employer, Outdoor Life magazine. Mr. Zumbo says on his Web site that he was “terminated”; the magazine says that it and Mr. Zumbo agreed that he would resign.

But a week after hearing from Mr. Nugent, who has a devoted following among gun owners, Mr. Zumbo visited him in Waco, Tex., to make amends. For his part, Mr. Nugent was prepared to give Mr. Zumbo a lesson on the utility and ubiquity of black rifles.

...

“It’s highly unlikely that any legislation to move an assault weapons ban is going to happen,” says Kristen Rand, legislative director at the Violence Policy Center, a gun-control lobbying group. “That’s the sad reality on the Hill right now.”

ONLY IF WE KEEP THE POLITICIANS FEET TO THE FIRE BOYS

[KoRn]

I own two Bushmaster AR15s. One is a short M4 lookalike, and the other is a long rifle. They are A LOT of fun to shoot. The ammo is so cheap you can go out and plink and target shoot all afternoon for $25.

The only thing I don’t like about them is the cleaning after a day of fun. They DO NOT LIKE to be dirty, and they have a few small parts that take a good bit time to clean.

[KoRn]

You can get “black rifles” chambered for 7.62x39, and you can still have the ‘coolness’ of the “black rifle” and have the power of the AK. The mags aren’t as inexpensive and easy to come by though.

[Renegade]

Just picked up my new Bushmaster A3 E2 “shorty” last week .

[familyop]

"(fairly neutral article on AR-15 type rifles from the NYT)"

The choice of words, "AR-15 type," with the title lends a sinister look to a article on semiautomatic rifles. The earlier AR-15s were fully automatic and were later designated "M-16s" by our Army (except for a few of the first ones, issued with the old AR-15 stamp). Many voters who have no experience with them or knowledge of them believe that they are fully automatic or are somehow generally more dangerous than other varmint/defense rifles.

I personally find the whole piece to be hilarious. ..."guns" (term for M-60s and private parts) "black rifles," and the like.

If you can grasp the workings of linguistic activism, you can win legislative activism to respect our Second Amendment rights. Let the world know that those range/varmint rifles are no more of a threat to our society than any other firearm.

[VR-21]

It's remarkable, the improvements made since that rifles inception. I'm an old DCM (that old) shooter and never thought that the AR would dislodge the M1A as the dominant High Power Match rifle. It has though.

That said, no military pattern rifle will ever be able to steal my heart away from my Garand (I said I was old didn't I?). It's a treat to be able to use the word "clip" with impunity and watch all the pedantic types twitch.

[Myrddin]

People who collect guns should have one of them; for an only gun, I’d not consider it.

I have ONE black rifle. I selected a configuration that would be suitable for my son to maintain his proficiency for the USMC. I prefer a good bolt action with quality glass on top. My bolt action has a 1:9 rifling so it eats the same ammo as the black rifle.

[magslinger]

It's a treat to be able to use the word "clip" with impunity and watch all the pedantic types twitch.

LOL! Real men carry clips.

[cpdiii]

Not really double the power and half the price. The half the price part was correct. However, both of them are good short range calibers. If you want to reach out and touch someone long distance the 7.62-51 (.308) or the old 30:06 will do the job. However, if you want something almost as good, new calibers for the black rifle (need a new upper) in the Grindel 6.5 or the new 6.8 caliber will reach out and do the job and you can still carry a lot of ammo. The 6.8 will probably be the future of the black rifle.

At 100 yards the 7.62-39 123 grains is 1150 ft lbs and 2060 ft/sec.

At 100 yards the .223 62 grain is 911 ft lbs and 2572 ft/sec

[VR-21]

I thoroughly enjoyed your profile page.

[familyop]

Imagine how much more dangerous our cities would be, if young “gangsters” discovered scoped, bolt action 30-06s. Cities are safer, while the punks are spraying loose rounds all over the place with “cool” looking firearms.

[FredHunter08]

“It’s remarkable, the improvements made since that rifles inception. I’m an old DCM (that old) shooter and never thought that the AR would dislodge the M1A as the dominant High Power Match rifle. It has though.”

Ah, but the mousegun has to cheat. Ammunition that doesn’t feed from the magazine, float tubes being a bit more involved than bedding.... Things like that. ;)

“That said, no military pattern rifle will ever be able to steal my heart away from my Garand (I said I was old didn’t I?). It’s a treat to be able to use the word “clip” with impunity and watch all the pedantic types twitch.”

They shouldn’t twitch over an accurate statement. Now, you call the M14’s magazines “clips” and we’ll have words. ;)

[PzLdr]

One tenth the accuracy.

[SJSAMPLE]

LOL for so many reasons ;)

“Stopping power” ?

I like my Romanian SKS, but it’s not even in the same league with any of my three AR15s.

Great handouts for the masses, though.

[RKV]

How about “Homeland Defense Rifle?” By the way, “AR-15 type” was my insertion, not the authors. As a shooter, I tend to stick to technical definitions, rather than evocative wordings like “black rifle.”

[Hardastarboard]

in a jungle war in which you saw the enemy from 50’ away

I would think you would want a shotgun for that kind of work. Or so a Viet vet buddy of mine tells me. He also told me, though, that if the NVA or VC caught you with one, they executed you on the spot. They considered you a war criminal. I think I would have taken my chances on that one.

[Hardastarboard]

I like it. I’ll second your nomination.

[RKV]

Yep, I own two Bushies, in pretty much the same configuration as you do, so I understand the experience.

[RKV]

I hope you are as happy with it as I am with my “Bushies.” I have three uppers so I can mix an match.

[SJSAMPLE]

I’ve got three and any of the would be my go-to gun.

The real weakness in the platform is the magazines, not the gas system. I’ve never had a problem caused by propellent residue, but rather piss-poor USGI magazines and other foreign matter (sand, mostly).

I just picked up ten of the new Magpul P-Mags (practically indestructible) and my rifle functions flawlessly. When I want to practice malfunction drills, I have a set of six USGI mags that I’ve carried for over 20 years. Bent and cracked feed-lips present quite a training challenge.

[RKV]

The fact is, in many situations, a good bolt gun is pretty damn dangerous. That’s why the hell we still use them in the military. You have to operate a bit differently than with autos, but long range killing power does matter. The gang bangers wouldn’t get it, cause they’re not thinking. Spray and pray isn’t a winning tactic, even in urban ops.