American sporting rifles that are based on the AR platform are one of the most popular firearm options being sold on the market today. Sadly, these rifles are extremely misunderstood. The main factor that creates confusion is the cosmetic appeal of the military rifle it replicates with great success. Some of the common misconceptions and myths about the modern AR-15 sporting rifles are listed below.
AR Stands for Assault Rifle
One of the main misconceptions that most people have about this sporting firearm is that the AR is an abbreviation for assault rifle. This concept is also perpetuated by the media where you’ll see consistently incorrect monikers. In reality, AR stands for Armalite Rifle. AR-15 firearms started being manufactured by the Armalite Company in the 1950s.
AR-15 Firearms are Not Suitable for Hunting
There is a widespread misconception that AR-15 rifles are not good for hunting due to the fact that they are ‘assault rifles’. In actuality, however, assault rifles are fully automatic and civilians have been restricted from using them since 1934. These kinds of rifles are known as both machine guns and automatic rifles. When it comes to AR-15 rifles, they are only semi-automatic. Despite this fact, the owner can easily affix the barrel, chamber, ar-15 grips, and stock of the gun once they master it, making it an ideal choice for hunting different kinds of game.
AR-15 Rifles are Not Ideal for Self-Defense
Despite common misconceptions, AR-15 firearms are perfect for self-defense as well as home defense. Particularly, if your rifles feature adjustable or collapsible stock, this feature will let you easily and precisely aim at the target while moving in your home. The usefulness of these rifles will increase with the familiarity and knowledge of the user regarding its simple optics. Additionally, the gun is light in weight and easily controllable, contributing to the self-defense aspect. In addition, there are many AR-15 accessories available in the market that offer better customization of the weapon depending on the purpose.
Weapons of War
There is a common and repetitive claim that AR-15 rifles are the weapons of war. As mentioned earlier, war weapons or battlefield weapons will be fully automatic, unlike AR-15 rifles, which are semi-autos. In other words, fully automatic guns will continue to fire as long as the trigger is being pulled. One of the most common examples of this type of rifle is the M16. On the other hand, AR-15 rifles are semiautomatic and will shoot only one bullet with for every time the trigger is pulled.