Since Trump’s election, gun groups catering to progressives and people of color report a surge in interest as they look to defend themselves in a country that, to them, feels increasingly unstable.

  • the_crotch@sh.itjust.works
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    7 hours ago

    The ar-15 isn’t a military rifle. The m-16 is. The m-16 supports burst fire and full auto, the ar-15 does not. That’s what makes it an assault rifle. You’re probably confusing “assault rifle” with “assault weapon”, which was defined as a semi auto rifle that looks scary. This was on purpose so the Democrats could say “see? We’re doing something”

    • Cricket [he/him]@lemmy.zip
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      7 hours ago

      The m-16 supports burst fire and full auto, the ar-15 does not.

      This is apparently the only significant difference between the two, and at least full auto is rarely used by regular soldiers from what I found from multiple sources. I’m not sure about burst fire, but I imagine that it’s also used in a minority of cases. I looked all of this up except burst fire before making my previous reply. I’m not confusing them, I’m making the specific point that ar-15 are for the most part the same as m-16.

      • the_crotch@sh.itjust.works
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        7 hours ago

        Burst fire/full auto is what makes it an assault rifle. Whether we should ban the ar-15 is a separate conversation. My point is if you have strong opinions about something you should know what you’re talking about about and use proper terminology. You’re wrong when you call the ar-15 an assault rifle. That’s not good for your argument. It makes you easy to ignore.

        • Cricket [he/him]@lemmy.zip
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          6 hours ago

          I may not have been very clear. I’m not arguing that it is or isn’t an “assault rifle”. I don’t care what it’s named. My point is that an AR15 is at its most essential function (high-capacity semi-auto rifle) the same as a military weapon. Like I said, I’m not making a judgement on whether everyone should be allowed to own military weapons or not. I’m just pointing out that that’s what it is.

          • the_crotch@sh.itjust.works
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            6 hours ago

            It’s not a military weapon. It’s a civilian weapon that is shaped like a military weapon. Nobody in the military is carrying an ar-15.