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workinclasszero

(28,270 posts)
Mon Jun 13, 2016, 02:38 PM Jun 2016

Everything You Need to Know About the AR-15 Used in Orlando

Weapon "has become the gold standard for mass murder of innocent civilians"

BY TESSA STUART June 13, 2016

Omar Mateen reportedly legally purchased the AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle and 9mm handgun that he used in Sunday morning's attack in Orlando. Charles Krupa/AP

Over three hours early Sunday morning, Omar Mateen, barricaded inside a gay nightclub in a residential neighborhood of Orlando, shot and killed 49 people; an additional 53 were wounded. The standoff ended around 5 a.m., when Mateen was killed by police.

Mateen carried two guns with him Sunday: a 9mm handgun and a .223 caliber AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle. Both guns were purchased legally within the last week in Florida, authorities confirmed Sunday.

Mateen, a security guard, was licensed to carry a concealed weapon. In Florida, though, you don't need a license to buy or carry a rifle like the AR-15. There is a three-day waiting period to purchase a handgun like the Glock Mateen also had on him but no waiting period at all to buy an AR-15.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-ar15-gun-used-in-orlando-20160613
21 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Everything You Need to Know About the AR-15 Used in Orlando (Original Post) workinclasszero Jun 2016 OP
Omar got his "Man Card Reissued" exboyfil Jun 2016 #1
It is a sad state of affairs when the availability of assault weapons are so readily availability Thinkingabout Jun 2016 #2
Its harder to get a drivers license than a mass killing machine like the AR-15 workinclasszero Jun 2016 #3
I don't remember getting a background check for my license. nt hack89 Jun 2016 #4
Did you take a drivers test? Thinkingabout Jun 2016 #5
Yes. Also took a test for my CCW. Nt hack89 Jun 2016 #9
Maybe not in your state but they have traffic violations and accidents connected to drivers Thinkingabout Jun 2016 #13
I would support licensing gun owners hack89 Jun 2016 #18
If the license requirements determined person was capable of possessing a weapon it would be Thinkingabout Jun 2016 #19
Certainly harder for a woman to obtain a legal medical procedure. lapislzi Jun 2016 #15
"1994 federal assault weapons ban prohibited most versions of the rifle from being sold in the US" jmg257 Jun 2016 #6
I bought my first AR during the Federal AWB because the ban made them interesting. aikoaiko Jun 2016 #8
High capacity magazines were available also (those manufactured pre-ban could still be sold). n/t PoliticAverse Jun 2016 #10
Experts attribute the AR-15's popularity to its image underpants Jun 2016 #12
I think it's popularity is directly connected to the success of the military versions. jmg257 Jun 2016 #14
The AR15 pattern has become the gold standard for many law abiding gun owners aikoaiko Jun 2016 #7
Remington's parent company, Freedom Group, underpants Jun 2016 #11
LOL @ Assault Weapon Ban bit Matrosov Jun 2016 #16
The cosmetics made them sell better underpants Jun 2016 #17
They need to name the makers of this evil vile thing. JanMichael Jun 2016 #20
They are often modified earthbot1 Jun 2016 #21

Thinkingabout

(30,058 posts)
2. It is a sad state of affairs when the availability of assault weapons are so readily availability
Mon Jun 13, 2016, 02:44 PM
Jun 2016

and there will be more terrorists attacks like occurred in Orlando. People like Trump is dangerous to Americans.

Thinkingabout

(30,058 posts)
13. Maybe not in your state but they have traffic violations and accidents connected to drivers
Mon Jun 13, 2016, 03:49 PM
Jun 2016

License and if there are any offenses they have to be cleared up before new license are issued. Also there is a database which is checked to see if there is liability insurance and renewal comes frequently. The license can also be revoked, I would like to see licensing for those possessing weapons, would not hurt me, it could be very similar to drivers licenses and tags for a vehicle, good idea.

Thinkingabout

(30,058 posts)
19. If the license requirements determined person was capable of possessing a weapon it would be
Mon Jun 13, 2016, 09:08 PM
Jun 2016

Good. There are many good gun owners who would never go out and hunt people, causes the good ones to have to make concessions. Right now I would be willing to register my weapons.

lapislzi

(5,762 posts)
15. Certainly harder for a woman to obtain a legal medical procedure.
Mon Jun 13, 2016, 03:56 PM
Jun 2016

Where are the counselors? Where is the three-day "reflection period"? Where are the "crisis gun centers" where people who want guns are required to read literature about how guns can lead to death?

jmg257

(11,996 posts)
6. "1994 federal assault weapons ban prohibited most versions of the rifle from being sold in the US"
Mon Jun 13, 2016, 02:56 PM
Jun 2016

Or not.

This was legal:


And regular capacity mags were readily available.

Any new bans should strive to be MUCH more effective.

underpants

(182,064 posts)
12. Experts attribute the AR-15's popularity to its image
Mon Jun 13, 2016, 03:38 PM
Jun 2016

The pistol grip increases its sales. Models with a standard rifle assembly don't sell as well. People want what the see in the movies which is why (to much purposely misrepresentative mockery by the gun fans) it was in the original ban.

jmg257

(11,996 posts)
14. I think it's popularity is directly connected to the success of the military versions.
Mon Jun 13, 2016, 03:52 PM
Jun 2016

As with most successful military arms, civilians embrace them as reliable and very well vetted. And ammo and accessories are usually very cheap and abundant. And let's face it - they work - and well. And they are (were) different, which justifies another gun purchase.

The pistol grip was a way to identify and classify military features on these semi-auto assault rifles, came in distinctly handy when trying to ban them...

We found that the modern military assault rifle contains a variety of physical features and
characteristics designed for military applications which distinguishes it from traditional sporting
rifles.
These military features and characteristics (other than selective fire) are carried over to the
semiautomatic versions of the original military rifle. These features and characteristics are as
follows:
1. Military Configuration.
a. Ability to accept a detachable magazine. Virtually allmodern military firearms are
designed to accept large, detachable magazines.7
This provides the soldier with a fairly
large ammunition supply and the ability to rapidly reload. Thus, large capacity
magazines are indicative of military firearms. While detachable magazines are not
limited to military firearms, most traditional semiautomatic sporting firearms, designed
to accommodate a detachable magazine, have a relatively small magazine capacity. In
addition, some States have a limit on the magazine capacity allowed for hunting,
usually 8 rounds or less.
That a firearm is designed and sold with a large capacity
magazine, e.g., 20-30 rounds, is a factor to be considered in determining whether a
firearm is a semiautomatic assault rifle.

b. Folding/telescoping stocks. Many military firearms incorporate folding or telescoping
stocks.9
The main advantage of this item is portability, especially for airborne troops.
These stocks allow the firearm to be fired from the folded position, yet it cannot be
fired nearly as accurately as with an open stock. With respect to possible sporting uses
of this feature, the folding stock makes it easier to carry the firearm when hiking or
backpacking. However, its predominant advantage is for military purposes, and it is
normally not found on the traditional sporting rifle.
c. Pistol grips. The vast majority of military firearms employ a well-defined pistol grip
that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon.10 In most cases, the
“straight line design” of themilitary weapon dictates a grip of this type so that the
shooter can hold and fire the weapon. Further, a pistol grip can be an aid in one-handed
firing of the weapon in a combat situation. Further, such grips were designed to assist in
controlling machineguns during automatic fire. On the other hand, the vast majority of
sporting firearms employ a more traditional pistol grip built into the wrist of the stock
of the firearm since one-handed shooting is not usually employed in hunting or
competitive target competitions.
d. Ability to accept a bayonet. A bayonet has distinct military purposes.11 First, it has a
psychological affect on the enemy. Second, it enables soldiers to fight in close quarters
Report and Recommendation on the Importability of Certain Semiautomatic Rifles
with a knife attached to their rifles. We know of no traditional sporting application for a
bayonet.
e. Flash suppressor. A flash suppressor generally serves one or two functions. First, in
military firearms it disperses the muzzle flash when the firearm is fired to help conceal
the shooter’s position, especially at night. A second purpose of some flash suppressors
is to assist in controlling the “muzzle climb” of the rifle, particularly when fired fully
automatic.12 From the standpoint of a traditional sporting firearm, there is no particular
benefit in suppressing muzzle flash. Those flash suppressors which also serve to
dampen “muzzle climb” have a limited benefit in sporting uses by allowing the shooter
to reacquire the target for a second shot. However, the barrel of a sporting rifle can be
modified by “magna-porting” to achieve the same result. There are also muzzle
attachments for sporting firearms to assist in the reduction of muzzle climb. In the case
of military-style weapons that have flash suppressors incorporated in their design, the
mere removal of the flash suppressor may have an adverse impact on the accuracy of
the firearm.
...
g. Grenade launcher. Grenade launchers are incorporated in the majority of military
firearms as a device to facilitate the launching of explosive grenades.14 Such launchers
are generally of two types. The first type is a flash suppressor designed to function as a
grenade launcher. The second type attaches to the barrel of the rifle either by screws or
clamps. We are not aware of any particular sporting use for grenade launchers.
...

https://www.atf.gov/file/61761/download
 

Matrosov

(1,098 posts)
16. LOL @ Assault Weapon Ban bit
Mon Jun 13, 2016, 04:04 PM
Jun 2016
Semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15 were, at one time, banned nationwide. The 1994 federal assault weapons ban prohibited most versions of the rifle from being sold in the U.S. The gun re-entered circulation after Congress allowed the ban to expire in 2004.


New assault rifles with certain features were banned from being sold to civilians. It was a joke because most of those features were cosmetic, like flash hiders (manufacturers put on muzzle brakes instead) and bayonet lugs (they just weren't included on new rifles).

The AWB also exempted assault rifles that had already been manufactured before the ban went into effect. Likewise, high capacity magazines manufactured before the ban were exempt from the rule that magazines couldn't hold more than 10 rounds.

It banned certain features but didn't do anything to make the AR15 and other similar rifles be any less effective than the AR15 used in Orlando.

JanMichael

(24,841 posts)
20. They need to name the makers of this evil vile thing.
Mon Jun 13, 2016, 09:11 PM
Jun 2016

ArmaLite, Colt, Bushmaster, Rock River Arms, Stag Arms, DPMS Panther Arms, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Anderson, Daniel Defense, CMMG, Olympic Arms, DSArms, Palmetto State Armory, Spike's Tactical...

Fucking vampires and ghouls.

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