They argue that ARs and similar guns cause more damage, and death, when used in mass shootings. Related: Fate of Sandy Hook lawsuit against gun maker could be decided by a slingshot. Since the time of the federal ban, attempts to restrict gun sales have met with mixed success, with tighter restrictions on people accused of domestic violence but wider acceptance of concealed carry.
Crime rates in America have declined drastically during that period. Even so, ARs and similar guns are still used in mass shootings, drawing new rounds of condemnation — and calls for new bans — with each attack. Some states have enacted their own bans, a list that grew after the Newtown shooting. None of these states have outlawed the AR altogether, however.
Gun industry surveys assert that the typical AR owner is a married man over 35 , with a large proportion having served in the military or law enforcement. But this appears to be changing. New buyers tend to be younger and more diverse than the general gun-buying public, according to a report published by Southwick Associates, a market research firm, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation. That also includes women.
She and her husband researched which gun would meet their needs: something safe, reliable and versatile. This year, after the birth of her second child, Hill decided to start working on becoming a competitive shooter, documenting her journey on Instagram. For Hill, life with an AR can best be described in one word: freedom.
The gun industry has another more marketable name for the AR the modern sporting rifle. The label signifies its crossover appeal. The gun is now a key component in shooting sport events and has replaced the bolt-action rifle as the gun of choice for many hunters. One has a long barrel for use on varmints: coyotes, bobcats and foxes. The other has a shorter barrel that he takes out on long excursions into the brush, where he hunts for wild pigs.
He hosts Facebook and Instagram pages dedicated to hunting in a state with tight firearm regulations. Rod Pinkston, on the other hand, uses the AR because it can fire follow-up shots quickly. A retired soldier, he runs a Georgia company that develops methods to control the invasive feral pig population in the South.
He and his staff, including former Army sharpshooters, depend on their ARs to take out several pigs in a single encounter. Pinkston sometimes brings paying guests on night expeditions, outfitting them with ARs accessorized with top-of-the-line gear, not too different from what he used in the service. IE 11 is not supported.
For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Politics Covid U. News World Opinion Business. Share this —. Following the expiration of the ban in , assault weapons and high-capacity magazines once again became legal to manufacture and purchase, and the gun industry responded with renewed fervor, flooding the civilian consumer market with these guns.
Since the expiration of the federal ban, assault weapons and high-capacity magazines have been used to perpetrate some of the deadliest public mass shootings in modern U. Not only do these highly dangerous firearms and accessories continue to be used in horrific mass-casualty shootings, they are increasingly being used in cities that experience high rates of gun violence.
A study found that guns equipped with high-capacity magazines made up between 22 percent and 36 percent of crime guns in the United States. The Baltimore Police Department recovered firearms with high-capacity magazines from January 1, , through April 29, Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines are desirable weapons for organized crime and cartels in Mexico.
Municipalities near California did not see similar increases, likely due in part to the state-level ban on assault weapons. It was last updated on February 10, Arkadi Gerney , Chelsea Parsons. This fact sheet contains updates. What is an assault weapon?
When assault weapons were used, six times more people were shot compared with those incidents in which other firearms were used. Do any states ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines? A growing body of research finds that the federal assault weapons ban—though only in effect for 10 years—had a positive impact on reducing both the use of assault weapons in crimes and the numbers of firearm injuries and fatalities in mass shootings: In , the U.
Department of Justice found that following the implementation of the ban, a number of cities and jurisdictions reported declines in the number of assault weapons recovered from crime scenes. These declines ranged from 17 percent to 72 percent.
The federal ban also indicated a decrease in rates of mass shooting injuries. I was a law enforcement officer in the 70s and 80s when the transition to high capacity semi-automatic handguns for law enforcement began. I taught law enforcement officers firearms skills in the 90s, after the move to semi-autos was complete. The reason law enforcement switched to semi-automatic handguns is twofold. First was the discovery that the ergonomics of the semi-automatic handgun worked better for most officers, than those of the six-shot revolver.
Simply put, the officers could shoot better with semi-autos. The most pressing reason for making the shift to the semi-auto was that the criminal element had already gone there and the police were outgunned.
Officers were facing dedicated criminals armed with high-capacity weapons, while they were still issued six-shot revolvers and pump action shotguns. The playing field had changed and the cops needed to catch up. I know of no watershed moment that initiated the shift to semi-automatic handguns, but law enforcement endured one compelling incident that started the move to retire the pump shotgun, and replace it with the semi- automatic rifle.
That incident was the North Hollywood bank robbery and the subsequent running gun battle that occurred in On Feb. In anticipation of being confronted by law enforcement, the two bank robbers had donned full body armor that made the underpowered police weapons all but useless. A running gun battle ensued, in which hundreds of rounds were fired by both the robbers and the police.
At one point, realizing the robbers had the upper hand, some officers went to a nearby gun shop, where they obtained semi-automatic AR rifles, magazines and ammunition. Before those weapons were put into play, though, the gunfight came to an end, with one perpetrator shooting himself in the head with his handgun as police closed in after his rifle jammed, and the other criminal finally was neutralized with shots to his lower extremities, where he was not armored.
Now, 15 years later, virtually all law enforcement agencies and officers are either issued AR style rifles, or have them accessible. But, that is the police. In the context of self defense, why do armed citizens need AR- 15 style weapons? The only difference is that police, because they are more often called TO the incident, face these criminals more regularly.
Understand, though, criminals do not prey on police, but instead, they victimize the public. If the armed citizen wants to have a fighting chance against criminals who are armed with high capacity rifles and pistols, they also need effective weaponry. Just like the police did back in the s and today.
When might an armed citizen be attacked under circumstances in which a modern semi-automatic rifle would be necessary for defense? Consider societal break down, as took place during the Los Angeles riots in , and after Hurricane Katrina in In each of these real life examples of societal breakdown in America, roving gangs of criminals looted stores and private homes throughout those cities. After all, the next easy target is just down the street.
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