[Bon of Babble]

From the article:

"Just consider what anti-gun activist Josh Sugarmann admitted in 1989 about AR-15-style rifles.

“The weapons’ menacing looks,” he said, “coupled with the public’s confusion over fully-automatic machine guns versus semi-automatic assault weapons — anything that looks like a machine gun is assumed to be a machine gun — can only increase the chance of public support for restrictions on these weapons."

Public perception is that the AR-15 is a machine gun and "AR" stands either for "Assault Rifle" or "Automatic Rifle" - instead of the real meaning of "AR": "ArmaLite Rifle."

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

No more 5lbs with all that crap tacked on.

[airborne]

Mine is so accurate with the iron sights I’ve never bothered attaching a scope.

[DeplorablePaul]

I think the AR is a very attractive, well designed gun. I have two so they can keep each other company.

[CodeToad]

Love is a warm barrel.

[Empire_of_Liberty]

I tend to think that it is loved because it has all those nice rails that you can spend a fortune buying things to attach to. :)

I do wish the Garand supported a scope, easily.

[1Old Pro]

I shot one back in 1980 on our Florida cross to the Bahamas. It was a safety check, we had it on board with a shotgun as defense against the many reported boat pirating’s occurring at that time.

Nice crack sound to it, and minimal kick. It was the old style with the full rifle butt. It was purchased specifically for this and other trips.

[central_va]

The wood stock is the best :

[Iron Munro]

The AR is an extremely light rifle; less than five pounds. This, along with it having virtually no recoil (kick), makes it very easy for a woman or any low-strength person to handle.

Light weight, easy to use, highly lethal, readily available and affordable.

Reasons why not only are they popular with citizens from all walks of life but why leftist authoritarians don't want us to own one.

Democrats and other leftists ultimately want to outlaw all weapons they see as potential threats to them and their power.

But the ubiquitous easy to use, highly lethal, affordable AR-15 is at the top of their list.

[Rappini]

I wish mine would weigh 5lbs.

[depressed in 06]

The better question, why the AK?

[Rappini]

I wish mine would weigh 5lbs. Mine feels like I have a Rino hanging from my neck and I don’t mean Romney.

[muir_redwoods]

Years ago, the public schools in many towns in Connecticut staged a coordinated field trip to the state Capitol building. At one point an emergency was declared and all the kids and everybody else were ordered to leave. It seems a teacher had spotted a “sniper” with a “machine gun” mounted on a tripod.

Turns out it was a broadcast cameraman with a telephoto lens mounted on a stand. There is no limit to the extent of ignorance.

[Halls]

My husband loves our AR!! I practice with it ever so often. Love it.

[Scarlett156]

It’s certainly on my wish list. <3<3<3

[ConservativeInPA]

AR-15’s are Barbie Dolls for men (and women). So much fun accessorizing.

[Dutch Boy]

Would this make the dems less scared?

[DMZFrank]

I own 8 AR-15’s. Two are chambered for the standard 5.56 NATO M195 cartridge used in Vietnam and it’s subsequent iterations. One is chambered in .22 LR, the common squirrel cartridge. One is chambered in .300 Blackout, which fires a 125 grain bullet at an initial muzzle velocity of 2230 fps, with 1360 ft lbs. of energy at the muzzle. One is chambered in .458 SOCOM using a 250 grain bullet at 2150 fps and 2150 ft lbs. at the muzzle, and another in .50 Beowulf 300 grain bullet at 1870 fps, 2330 ft lbs. at the muzzle. One is chambered in 6.8 Wolverine cartridge using a 90 grain bullet at 2750 fps with 1510 ft lbs at the muzzle. The last is chambered for the .300 Ham’R using a 125 grain bullet at 2600 fps with 1765 ft lbs of energy at the muzzle. There are .410 shotgun upper receiver conversions that are available too.

Compare this with the G.I. M195 Vietnam era cartridge firing a 55 grain bullet at 3,250 fps with a muzzle energy of just under 1300 fps. With the exception of the .22 LR round and my 5.56, they are all more powerful then the Vietnam era cartridge. The only limiting factor as to what cartridges can cycle through the AR-15’s action is the length of the cartridge (max 45 mm) due to the size of the mag well in the AR-15. (The AR-10 can accommodate cartridges 51 mm in length) But if you are willing to forgoe semi or full auto firing, I have seen bolt action single shot upper receiver conversions that allow a .50 Browning Machine Gun cartridge to be used with the lower receiver as the trigger control and stock group.

But that is PRECISELY why Eugene Stoner’s brilliant design is arguably the most versatile firearm ever conceived. I assembled each and every one of these myself from parts starting with a standard Mil-Spec AR-15 receiver, assembled the barrels into a standard stripped Mil-Spec upper receiver. Once the receivers are assembled, they can be installed on ANY Mil-Spec lower receiver by simply pushing out two captive pins. They all use the same STANAG magazines (the .458 and the .50 Beowulf can only hold 10 rounds though) and the same bolt and bolt carrier. (The .22 LR requires a dedicated bolt carrier and barrel and a different magazine)

I believe that there are approximately 175 different rifle and pistol cartridges to which the AR-15 and AR-10 platforms can be readily and easily adapted to with common hand tools. (The only specialized tool needed is a armorer’s wrench)

The 2nd amendment is about a militia. A militia is a body of citizens organized for military purposes and bearing weapons supplied by themselves and of the kind in common military use at the time. The RKBA IS about “weapons of war.” If we let turds like most leftist and RINO gun grabbers define the 2nd amendment as being for plugging bunny rabbits, we have negated it’s purpose altogether. The framers of the constitution did not write it to ensure your ability to hunt and blast paper targets. Most states require a license to hunt anyway.

The fact that a rifle firing an intermediate power “assault rifle” cartridge is being transmogrified into a gun grabber “powerful” notion should have NO BEARING whatsoever in the right of the citizen militia to possess it in order to maintain the “security of a FREE state”!!!

[Who is John Galt?]

...instead of the real meaning of "AR": "ArmaLite Rifle."

"AR" stands for ArmaLite, NOT "ArmaLite Rifle". That is readily apparent, if you consider the products ArmaLite has designed or produced, including:
AR-9: shotgun
AR-13: aircraft machinegun
AR-17: shotgun
AR-22: blank firing device
AR-23: sub-caliber training device
AR-24: handgun
The former head of ArmaLite (Mark Westrom) based an advertising campaign on historical fact:
"AR Stands For ArmaLite!"
FWIW, I'm not sure the current owners could find their own backsides, with their hands duct taped in their back pockets...

[JimRed]

There’s an Irish rebel song from the time of “the Troubles” called “My Little Armalite”.

And it’s down along the bog road, that’s where I long to be
Lyin’ in the dark with a Provo company
A comrade on me left and another one on me right
A clip of ammunition for me little Armalite

I was stopped by a soldier, he said, “You are a swine”
He hit me with his rifle and he kicked me in the groin
I begged and I pleaded, oh my manners were polite
But all the time I’m thinkin’ of me little Armalite

And it’s down in the bogside, that’s where I long to be
Lyin’ in the dark with a Provo company
A comrade on me left and another one on me right
And a clip of ammunition for me little Armalite

Well this brave R.U.C. man came marchin’ up our street
600 British soldiers he had lined up at his feet
“Come out ye cowardly Fenians, come on out and fight”
He cried “I’m only jokin’!”, when he heard the Armalite

And it’s down in Mullahy, that’s where I long to be
Lyin’ in the dark with a Provo company
A comrade on me left and another one on me right
A clip of ammunition for me little Armalite

Well, the army came to visit me, ‘twas in the early hours
With Saracens, and Saladins, and Ferret armoured cars
They thought they had me cornered, but I gave them all a fright
With the armour-piercin’ bullets of me little Armalite

And it’s down in the New Lodge, that’s where I long to be
Lyin’ in the dark with a Provo company
A comrade on me left and another one on me right
A clip of ammunition for me little Armalite

Well, when Prior came to Belfast, to see the battles won
The generals they had told him, “We’ve got them on the run”
But corporals and privates, while on patrol at night
Say, “Remember Narrow Water and the bloody Armalite”

And it’s down in Crossmaglen, that’s where I long to be
Lyin’ in the dark with a Provo company
A comrade on me left and another one on me right
And a clip of ammunition for me little Armalite