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To the editor:

AR-15 History: AR-15 does not stand for “assault rifle,” a phrase that originated from the German “Sturmgewehr” (“Storm” or “assault” rifle) used in World War II propaganda posters and later applied to military-style weapons.

In the early 1950s, ArmaLite Company is founded by George Sullivan, with chief architect behind ArmaLite’s weapons designs was Eugene Stoner. Term “AR” is from the name “ArmaLite” Company. Stoner designed the AR-10 as a semi-automatic rifle, 223 caliber.

In 1955, United States Military decided it was time to replace the tried-and-true M1 Garand rifle, an semi-automatic service rifle. ArmaLite submitted the AR-10 prototype, an semi-automatic rifle; which was designed with a straight stock, elevated sights, an aluminum flash suppressor, a recoil compensator, and a gas system. The rifle failed during test with bad barrels.

1957 the Dutch weapons company Artillerie Inrichtingen bought rights to produce the AR-10 for five years. Artillerie Inrichtingen kept finding factory defects and problems with the new AR-10 rifle.

ArmaLite improved the AR-10 which became the AR-15, with select fire.

In 1959, ArmaLite sells the AR-10 and new AR-15 Designs to Colt Firearms; production begins. First AR-15 weapons were sold by Colt to the Federation of Malaya (modern day Malaysia).

General Curtis LeMay saw a demonstration of the AR-15 in 1960, Impressed by the this new firearm, he placed 80,000 AR-15’s on order for the U.S. Air Force, to replace the M-1 carbine. A standard model of the rifle is born, the M-16.

The new M-16 sent to Vietnam and was initially a failure; with the rifle having problems.

With problems fixed, the rifle became M-16A1, and standard rifle for all US Military Services branches; and in use by Militaries around the world.

In 1989: production of the first AR-15’s for civilian use begins, non-select fire.

I believe that “The Armed Citizen is the Militia;” see The Revolutionary War, Civil War, and other American wars. Also the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Passing gun control by which what guns and detachable magazines you can have or not have infringes on this right. I also believe that the Second Amendment was put in to ensure and prevent the Federal government from doing away with “Bill of Rights”.

I believe use FBI NICS E-Check only for new gun sales, not for private sales. Private gun sales FBI NICS checks I believe is unconstitutional. Waiting periods is fine, California has had them for decades.

Passing any gun control is a state right under Article 10 of the U.S. Constitution, not the federal government. Enforce existing state gun laws, new laws not needed.

Banning AR-15 style rifles and many other semi-automatic weapons would make felons out of people legally owning these weapons is wrong and unconstitutional.

These style rifles do make fine varmint hunting rifles; for vermin, non-native feral/invasive species such as hogs, coyotes, and other animals.

“Red Flag” laws could be considered to be easily exploitable by law enforcement and/or activists judges, and probably unconstitutional.

Because determining mental and other actions by individuals should be done by qualified medical authorities; not by anyone whom thinks someone has a problem. What happened to personal responsibility?

See National Firearms Act of 1934, for use of full automatic weapons; such as machine guns.

The AR-10, AR-15 style rifles did not start out to be military weapons.

A Definition From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

By strict definition, a firearm must have the following characteristics to be considered an assault rifle:

It must be an individual weapon;

It must be capable of selective fire, which means it has the capacity to switch between semi-automatic and burst/fully automatic fire;

It must have an intermediate-power cartridge: more power than a pistol but less than a standard rifle or battle rifle. For full-power automatic rifles, see List of battle rifles;

Its ammunition must be supplied from a detachable box magazine;

It should have an effective range of at least 300 meters (330 yards).

Rifles that meet most of these criteria, but not all, are technically not assault rifles, despite frequently being called such.

For example:

Select-fire M2 carbines and Amogh carbines are not assault rifles; their effective range is only 200 yards.

Select-fire rifles such as the FN FAL are not assault rifles; they are battle rifles and fire full-powered rifle cartridges.

Semi-automatic-only rifles like the Colt AR-15 are not assault rifles; they do not have select-fire capabilities. In contrast, the original ArmaLite AR-15 would meet the criteria.

Semi-automatic-only rifles with fixed magazines like the SKS are not assault rifles; they do not have detachable box magazines and are not capable of automatic fire.

Richard Davis

Mocksville