Misconception: Modern sporting rifles are not assault rifles

Driftwood Outdoors column

You know what they say about opinions - everyone's got one.

Well, negative opinions of modern sporting rifles - firearms based on the AR-15 model - are often formed on misinformation, or worse, visual perception alone. Once formally introduced to modern sporting rifles, I believe you'll accept these firearms as nothing more than the next generation of American hunting rifles.

The name AR-15 stands for Armalite model 15. The abbreviation "AR" has nothing to do with the term "Assault Rifle."

True assault rifles, like the M16 and M4 carbine assault rifles, which are currently in use by the United States military, are fully automatic-capable firearms. Ownership of such fully automatic firearms has been severely restricted since 1934.

Modern sporting rifles - AR based - are semi-automatic firearms, meaning they shoot one shot per trigger pull.

The argument is often made that modern sporting rifles project upon hunters a perception of ....

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