What is the AR-15 rifle, the weapon used in the Uvalde shooting and in several of the mass killings in the United States, like?

The AR-15 rifle it’s a weapon sadly known.

It was the weapon used on May 24 by Salvador Ramos during his attack on Robb Elementary School in Uvaldein the south of Texaswhich left 22 dead (including the shooter).

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And it has also been used in some of the deadliest mass killings in USA:

The weapon has also been used in attacks outside the United States.

In addition, according to the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic of Mexico (the federal prosecutor’s office), that rifle is together with the AK-47 the weapon most used by drug cartels.

But what are the characteristics that make this weapon used in killings of all kinds?

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High speed

The AR-15 is a semi-automatic light riflewith a charger of different capacities and a rotary safety lock, described by experts as fast and powerful.

Being semi-automatic means the user must pull the trigger to fire each bullet, but the gun automatically readies itself to fire again.

The AR-15 is capable of firing many bullets at high velocity, up to 100 rounds without having to reload the weapon.

The rifle was originally manufactured by the ArmaLite company as a special weapon for the United States Army.

Due to financial problems, ArmaLite sold the AR-15 design to Colt and the rifle became part of the US military system as the M16 rifle.

Colt introduced the AR-15 as the semi-automatic version of the M16 rifle for civilian sales in 1963.

Although the AR-15 name remained a trademark of Colt, other variants of the weapon are independently manufactured, modified, and sold under other names and made by other manufacturers.

The AR-15 has the ability to fire many bullets at high speedwith rounds of 10, 30 or even up to 100 shells without having to reload the weapon.

The range of the bullet ranges between 400 and 600 meters and they are weapons that are usually seen in shooting competitions or in hunting activities.

Bulletproof vests worn by police officers do not fully protect against AR-15 projectiles.

During the 1994-2004 period, the decade in which assault weapons were banned for civilian use in the US, AR-15 variants with features such as folding buttstocks, flash suppressors, or bayonet mounts were banned for sale to civilians under the Violent Crime Control Act of 1994.

Once the veto expired, these features became legal again in most states.

Since then, the production and sale of the restricted rifles has been resumed.

Increasing demand

Many civilians with permission to purchase weapons lean towards the AR-15 rifle in the US.

A report published this May by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) revealed that the production of weapons in the US has tripled in two decades: from 3.9 million in 2000 to 11.3 million in 2020.

A study conducted by the Small Arms Survey organization in 2018 estimated that some 400 million weapons circulate in the country. Of this, about 20 million would be AR-15 riflesaccording to the group National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Although the percentage is not that significant in relation to the total number, the American press reported that the popularity of this rifle has grown “exponentially” since the ban on buying assault weapons expired in 2004.

“Manufacturing of the types of semi-automatic rifles and pistols previously considered assault weapons has steadily increased, particularly AR-type rifles and pistols, now commonly referred to as ‘modern sporting rifles’ and ‘modern sporting pistols’.‘” states the 2022 ATF report.

In fact, after the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, the Aurora movie theater in Colorado, and the San Bernardino massacre, sales of the AR-15 surged as rumors spread that the government would ban its sale again.

Also It helped that it can be purchased online and at a more or less affordable price. This ranges between US$600 and US$1,800.

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This was confirmed by Chuck Nesby, from the manufacturer Nova Firearms: “People want to have it before the government imposes any restrictions. They want to buy everything. There are record sales numbers right now.”.

Today that restriction still does not exist and the AR-15’s killing spree continues to grow.

* This article was originally published on June 13, 2016, on the occasion of the attack on the Pulse club in Orlando, Florida, updated after the “Valentine massacre” that left 17 dead at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and now updated with the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Source: Elcomercio