Clayton Hill,
Jefferson City
Dear Editor,
Mass murder news always yields talks of gun control.
The "left" addresses the weapon, namely the AR-15 assault rifle. There is no such rifle.
Assault: "a violent physical or verbal attack;" nothing to do with weapons. AR does not stand for assault rifle; it stands for ArmaLite Rifle (AR) and was developed in 1950s as a lighter-weight replacement to the primary infantry weapon, the M14. ArmaLite was successful in selling the weapon to the military and designated it AR-15 (military M16s). ArmaLite sold to Colt, and it was designated "Colt AR-15." Colt's patent expired in 1977, so now others can make this style rifle.
Military versions differ from civilian counterparts. M16s have a selector switch that converts from semi-automatic, to automatic (in M16A2 models, 3-round bursts). Civilian models only provide semi-automatic styles. Some AR-15 models with stock and barrel modifications are actually classified as pistols.
For those totally uneducated, rifle are loaded and fired in four categories: single shot, manually chambered, semi-automatic and automatic. All typically fire multiple sizes, weights and velocities. Additionally, barrels and receivers are inter-changeable to different calibers to include shotgun types.
While not an expert, I have fired many weapons, everything from pistols, rifles, sniper weapons, shotguns, machine guns and heavier military weaponry, and I have conducted ballistic studies for most common rounds fired by military and law enforcement. I once qualified as "expert" with both M14 and .45 caliber pistols.
A recent letter stated the Second Amendment verbatim and referenced limiting rights toward modern weapons – a typical leftist's point-of-view. The AR-15 style rifle, however, is not up-to-date or modern. Its predecessor, the AR-10, similar but for 7.62 rounds, was developed in 1956, over 60 years ago.
Democrats want to emphasize gun control due to their utter failures elsewhere. Don't fall for this false cover. A rock didn't kill Abel; Cain did. A knife didn't kill Caesar; Brutus, et al did. A derringer didn't kill Lincoln; Booth did. A bolt-action rifle didn't kill Kennedy; Oswald did.
Hundreds are killed weekly, mostly in big, liberal-run cities with strictest gun control – most, not by AR 15-type rifles, but by handguns by nameless out-of-control criminals. Let's look to the real causes of the crimes -- people, behavior, social environment and mental stability -- for solutions.