The AR-15: The World's Most Controversial Gun
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- Опубликовано: 24 ноя 2023
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Video starts off with M-14 adoption over AR adoption being result of a conservative faction's influence. Short-sighted, self-serving conservative policy coming back to bite the U.S and our allies at the cost of human lives? Some things never change.
I just started this video and paused it. I doubt you will mention that .222 remington was designed for target and varmint shooting. The 223 remington in most states isn't even legal to hunt deer with... states that actually have standards/regulations put into hunting law that is. I hope you don't say the _"to kill the most people in the least amount of time"_ liberal BS line. Furthermore as a supplement 300 whisper wasn't designed for military use. The same applied to the copycatted cartridge 300BLK which is identical in pretty much every way and marketed for hunting/military use use despite being far inferior to the 308 winchester that can do everything it does and more.
Pro-gun think tanks will not downplay the numbers of ar15s in circulation. Guns "in common use" have been ruled by the supreme court as protected by the 2nd amendment.
@@belligerentinstigator944 Which Supreme Court was that? One of the past conservative-stacked ones? Because there's still those claiming to have a right to have a cannon, or even a tank. Very much not "in common use".
AR15s are the most popular rifle in America. If you have a semi-auto rifle, you probably own an AR15. Therefore, it is not a surprise that the most widely purchased rifle is the one used for mass shootings, as it is most used for everything else you would use a semi auto rifle for.
Bravo for correctly identifying an "assault rifle" as select fire, not just semi, something mainstream access media outlets almost universally miss.
They don't miss. They know what they're doing. It's deliberate.
Well an "assault rifle" is usually a rifle that has fully automatic of burst fire, as third position on your selector switch can be used for other firemodes (that are legal ie not machine gun triggers).
@@keonyang3332your ignorance is showing. If you want to argue about what constitutes an assault rifle, or a machine gun for that matter, please do your research first.
@@psychosk8er ☝🤓 Well, actually you forgot that the military meaning of a "assault rifle." This term draws its roots Adolf Hitler, who used the German word Sturmgewehr (which translates to "assault rifle"), with the military definition being a "short, compact, selective-fire weapons that fire a cartridge intermediate in power between submachine gun and rifle cartridges" (- US Army) with many of them having fully automatic or burst capabilities. Then there's the legal one (the one that applies here) which it does not exist, it is a bit different but the legal term (in the US) is a machine gun which is a firearm that can fire multiple rounds on one trigger pull, but now I'lll go on to what I meant by the third position by that I mean the third position on you selector switch which can be used by binary triggers, frts (only illegal to the ATF), the tac con 3mr, and some three position selector switches that are just made to look like it can go to the third position. I would like to see yours.
Semi is for killing, automatic is for cover fire. This argument is a distraction that is not really relevant for the argument around the weapon's use in mass shooting. It's just pedantica like clip vs mag.
The AR is only controversial to people who know literally nothing about guns.
Which is unfortunately a lot of the world.
and unfortunately, also the writers of this program. Lmfao.@@tighlia3375
The gun is black with a big magazine, sometimes. How is that not controversial.
@@willjapheth23789/s?
@@willjapheth23789are you prejudice against black items?
To say "banning AR-15's will stop mass shootings" is like saying "banning McDonald's cheeseburgers will end obesity".
Ironically they're trying to do that too. lol
All comes down to one's responsibility
It's the assault spoons, I tell ya!
They are used in 1% of shootings, they are scared of the people revolting against their tyranny with arms equal to them 😂
God bless the freedom sticks
Notice all us pro 2a guys commended Simon and his team. We’re used to straight up propaganda and lies. This was fantastic it’s refreshing to see someone reporting the truth and only the truth
Exactly it is truly sad how few unbiased sources exist these days the culture wars are destroying us
I was interested in the video but honestly was prepared at any time for the shoe to drop. It's super nice to see that it didn't. Just straight facts and realistic data collection
100%
I expected Simon to come out swinging. Nope. He presented facts and where he got his info.
And from the numbers, out of “30 million” ARs in the U.S., you’re more likely to be killed by an elephant in Columbus Ohio lol
agreed i am very pro gun my self but understand why some regulations are desired and it's nice to just see some neutrality for once
Even if almost everything is still wrong.😅
Speaking as a gun guy, the AR-15 is essentially just the Honda Civic of rifles.
The powers that be don't like it because they're mostly 5.56 and in the event of a civil conflict, ammo will be endless.
gun people say that about glocks and aks all the time. typical fudd lore
@@chrishesotian1654it’s not fudd lore bud, think you don’t know what that term means. And the Ak47 is the Ak47 of the gun world just like Glock is the Ak of pistols.
I've heard it called the Lego of the rifle world because of it's ability to be customized and adapted, but Honda Civic works too
@@chrishesotian1654 Lol, praising modern tactical "black rifles" is the opposite of what a Fudd would do. Glocks are basically the handgun world's version of the AR-15. Not only are the affordable and durable, you can build a "Glock" entirely out of aftermarket components. In fact, dozens of Glock clones exist with 100% interchangeable parts. I personally refer to the Glock as the "Toyota Corolla" of guns because it's incredibly reliable but had absolutely nothing exciting about it.
That phrase used to be true of the AKM up until a few years ago but import controls and depleted surplus stocks have driven the prices notable higher than the competing AR platform, eliminating the AK's biggest selling point.
Astonished at how unbiased this was. Especially the careful defining of mass shooting and assault rifle. Thanks for doing the homework.
Honestly, I am not surprised. Simon is usually pretty good about weeding out bias (well minus business blaze, but the whole point of that channel is the humorous bias)
Every firearm video he has done so far has been similarly flawless.
bot
I don't think Simon writes the scripts for the numerous channels he hosts. He's just a host.
Another of Simon’s channels did a deep dive on the AR-15 and it was equally well researched and written. The distinction between an “assault rifle” and a civilian rifle is paramount. The perpetuation of the AR in AR-15 as standing for assault rifle makes my blood boil.
This is the best unbiased synopsis of the AR15 I’ve ever seen. Thank you for doing actual research and not just lying for political clout.
Same I’m sick of the division between the right and left especially when gun arguments come up
Hard to be biased when the truth is being told.
He should mention how well it fits in a childs hands. A 10 year old can shoot these.
@@Stinky_Couch_PickleIt is the responsibility of parents to teach and discipline their child. Not the government. If you want your kid to not be around guns, that is your right, but teaching them about them, is important for many instances, as you may have friends who have them, or your child's friends may have parents who have them. Gun safety is important. Just as teaching them outlets are bad, and power tools, and fire. The difference is a lack of responsibility on the parent.
Important thing to note it was originally a Civilian Rifle. Being sold to civilians way before it was sold to militaries.
Stoner did actually invent it for military use. It was select fire though.
Yea the original armalite ar15 was made as a military rifle. Before being sold to colt to make the m16
It actually was a military rifle originally. The air force was the 1st to adopt it. But that makes no difference, the 2a IS for military weapons in the hands of citizens. Just like at the time of the drafting, private citizens had all the same stuff as the military including war ships with cannons
@@smnkm4ehfer exactly, now where's my machine gun
@revracentertainment3004 You can get an automatic weapon. You just have to get a Class III permit after going through an intense background check and getting a security clearance. It has the same limitations as a regular firearms permit: you can't be crazy, a drug addict or a felon.
And you can only buy registered automatic weapons. The gun registry was closed to new entries with the National Firearms Act of 1986 by the Reagan administration. The price of such weapons on the market is astronomical.
Criminals on the other hand get them from other criminals or revolutionary groups. Kalashnikovs are very common.
The crime statistics concerning AR-15s are dwarfed by those of handguns in city gang violence. Put into perspective of how many ARs are in civilian hands vs. how many murders are committed with them, ARs are an insignificant threat to the average person.
They're popular because they're easy to learn, soft shooting, relatively cheap, and have tons of after market support. They're fantastic tools if you're responsible.
This is true.
It’s like what a couple of hundred deaths(homicide, self deletion, and accidents included) out of population of 330+million people with at least 20 million AR-15’s in country? Agreed extremely low risk
I believe blunt objects like fists and baseball bats kill more people than all rifles combined
Yes, the idea of banning a specific rifle type that's neither particularly powerful nor really ever used in crime does not seem like a good place to start if your goal is to actually, you know, reduce gun crime. But hey, let's not let logic intrude into this discussion.
I agree! And Considering almost 80k Americans died in 2021 and 2022 combined from auto accidents, guns are far from the issue in this country. Regarding deaths at least. We need to ban these assault vehicles. No vehicle should have to go above 40 mph!
The AR wasn't really popular until the sunsetting of the '94 assault weapons ban in 2004. After the law went away, ARs started selling like hot cakes. Honestly the various gun control lobbies and senators have done more to sell ARs than any marketing campaign by gun manufacturers. Telling someone they aren't allowed to have something makes them want it even more. That being said, the ergonomics, light weight, low recoil, and universal modularity of the rifle is what has made them a lasting success.
It wasn't unpopular pre94 either. In full production since 64: as soon as patents expired by a multitude of companies.
I'd say value for price contributed the most with it becoming popular with civilians. Having such a low entry cost for such a capable rifle is huge. There are plenty of rifles just as capable but none as cheap.
@@GHOSTSULLY AR-15s available before the ban were not cheap, they were actually fairly expensive compared to other available options. People were way more likely to buy a mini-14 or AK/SKS. The incoming ban absolutely helped the sales peak and build the desirability for the rifle. They didn't get stupid cheap until well after the 94 ban. As the OG comment discusses, once the ban came to an end, tons of companies realized there was demand and facilitated mass production that brought down the price considerably.
The big take away is that these overzealous gun restrictions actually encourage gun sales. The literal exact opposite of what the politicians hope to achieve. We see this almost every year whenever a new gun law passes in California. Peaks in gun/ammo sales always coincide with new laws. Its absolutely undeniable.
Also quite successful for turning kids and teachers in schools into target practice for disgruntled citizens. It's easier to get a gun in the US than it is to get alcohol.
Of course gun manufacturers want more dead. Dead kids means more fear and fear means more gun sales. Never mind that the second amendment has "well-regulated militia" right in it.
From what I've heard sales skyrocketed rhe moment the 1994 looked like it was going to pass they sold more a year leading up to the ban then they had sold in the 10 years prior. Even neutered versions during the ban had strong sales and yeah after rhe sunsetting and the thanks to the patent running out and every Tom Dick and Harry starting a small manufacturing business it was on like Donkey Kong.
Something to consider is the fact that since the beginning of time a platform that has been used effectively in battle quickly becomes a favorite among soldiers returning home because of their familiarity, it just feels right.
"Black Freedom Stick" ... I love it.
thank you for specifically spelling out the definition of "assault rifle" and why the ar-15 is NOT an assault rifle. too many ppl think because it looks like one, it must be one.
That MSM brainwashing of the feeble minds. It’s a proven technique. Joseph Goebbels would be very proud of the Liberal Media.
If you follow yaegerz999 then it is
Civilian version of an assault rifle. Happy?
@@BrowncoatGofAZI think we should just sell civilians assault rifles so we can end the debate.
@@metallicafan352 US civilians can and do own full autos. It's just that the Brady Bill made them so rare, that they are prohibitively expensive.
Well done. I did chuckle when you mentioned the common caliber for AR rifles, (5.56x45), and the editor chose a clip of a guy loading a mag with 300 blackout.
SURPRISE!
yeah i thought that was funny too. Or the pic with the variations of the M16 with the A3 being an M4 lol
I'm so glad I'm not the only person that saw that.
the beauty of the AR platform... easily changed from 5.56 to 300 blackout. Try changing the barrel on an AK to a different caliber without some serious tools in your garage.
How could you tell?
Did not expect a mostly unbiased and mostly neutral report on this subject matter. Well done team!
I love the word "unbiased" being said in multiple posts.. You just heard what you wanted to hear.
One thing that wasn't touched on about the design language that makes the ar platform so appealing to the civilian market is the modularity and ease of changing components for various calibers and applications. The ar platform can effectively and efficiently fill pretty much any role needed
.. these guys have a few small errors, but for non gun guys, they did a really good job describing the weapon.
Please elaborate, sir.
Excluding personal opinion...
He said that the 3 round burst changed on the A4. In truth, it changed on the A2. At least my M16A2 issued to me in 1998 was 3 round burst.
@@kevinthurlow5487one of the best sources of information is the man himself.
If you have an interest, search RUclips for "The Eugene Stoner Tapes" .
It's quite long, but well with a listen. It's not _just_ Stoner either. There are significant segments with Eugene Stoner and Mikhail Kalashnikov together.
@@gregburns8099 to be fair most gun guys don't know when burst fire was intrduced
I typically resist the urge to nit pick (your comment is well stated) but when mentioning the 5.56 I think it shows a 300 blackout. Coincidentally, it's at 5:45 in the video. 5.45? Haha, Sorry, I'll see myself out.
As a gun owning American i appreciate the unbiased take on this video. A complement I'd rarely (if ever) give to other channels.
So big of you.
@@jamesb.9155 So petty of you.
@@urbanracer032
He's not petty. You are.
@@jamesb.9155
Bingo.
Don't do anything stupid like oppose gun regulations. And do a background check on anyone that you sell your guns to.
As a firearms instructor, I very much appreciate your accuracy and lack of bias. Well done.
As a guy sitting in his bathroom taking a poop, I also very much appreciate his accuracy and lack of bias
I thought this would be super biased but I’m impressed by how neutral and informative this was.
Admittedly I get nervous when I see guys that I like that aren’t guntubers covering guns. Usually makes me stop watching them. I appreciate you not being cringe. Thank you fact boy.
that is what I like about Simon, he tries to keep politics out of controversial topics like guns. He's all about the facts and nothing more.
Actually, Simon also does a video series on YT called, Bloke on the Range. Mostly made in Switzerland. These are very good gun videos. With a lot of actual shooting in them. Hence the title. And yes. He does most of the shooting himself.
You did a damn good job with this video. Impartial. And just facts. Hard to find these days.
Yeah, I am actually impressed, specifically with the emphasis on 'the civilian AR-15 is NOT (definitions, etc.!) an "Assault Rifle".
@@StsFiveOneLima Travel down the rabbit hole and you find that _assault rifle_ is just the translation for _sturmgewehr,_ itself a sensationalistic designation for the maschinenpistole-43, which was a cover for the maschinenkarabiner that had been rejected years prior. The term is historically rooted in deception, propaganda and its uttered without a shred of irony by The Media
Brilliantly done Simon and team. This was a sane, balanced, and unbiased take on an extremely polarizing topic.
Bonus points for tackling the bit on AR =\= assault rifle and honestly assessing the data about mass shootings and how infrequently rifles are used in violent crime compared to handguns.
Simon, your credibility shines through yet again! That’s why I’m a longtime viewer of your channel because I know if I’m watching you I am getting the facts and I’m going to get a non-biased objectively true report and video. Keep doing what you’re doing. Never sell out to an agenda and always keep taking on the Heavy topics.
Except foreign policy. They're awful when reporting on US foreign policy.
As a American gun owner I have to say that was a well done video, didn't expect that
Simon is one of the VERY few Commentators/Reviewers/Narrators/Presenters that truly strives to rely and share facts, and avoid getting mired into whatever politics may be plaguing any given topic (Not 100% possible to avoid, but he really puts an effort into not doing so!)
:-D
Do not apologize for the lengthy explanation of the data. It’s wonderful to see a RUclips production team doing their best to provide information, without agenda. Yes, that’s nearly impossible. But, presenting your thought processes let’s us, the viewers, decide if we agree you achieved your agenda-free goal. Thank you!
These days, the press says more bologna than RUclips channels.
He called it a "controversial" rifle.
If that's NOT agenda pushing then what is?
What about anything in this video makes the rifle controversial?
@@ClickClack_Bam
the controversies the media puts on it
@@ClickClack_Bam: Respectfully, I think the issue here is semantics. I believe in context, the term "controversial" refers to the fact there's a LOT of controversy over it by anti-gun folks vs. pro-gun folks.
This is clearly true, whether in your or my mind, there is anything "wrong" or "scary" etc. with the gun, just because it LOOKS scary to many anti-gun types, can use a large magazine, etc.
Objectively, it's basically a rifle. But that doesn't keep it from being controversial, re the definition of ANY controversial subject.
It would be controversial whether this video existed or not, so it's NOT about anything in this video, IMO.
And full disclosure, I believe in the right to bear arms within reason (like to hunt, for home defense, for personal defense, etc. and in fact I do own and know how to use a handgun for home defense, have done target shooting with various pistols and rifles, etc. (Re within reason, I don't believe everyone needs virtually any sort of projectile weapon for home defense (like a tank or bazooka, etc).
The fact that he has to apologize shows that there is already a problem. This is completely bullshit emotional arguing. The AR15 is a tool, just like anything else, can be used in a malicious way. The overwhelming majority of people in this country that own these weapons are law abiding and people who would NEVER think of using this for anything other than self defense and target shooting.
Instant subscribe for this video. It's so cool to see someone report only information, (the most unbiased they can find) with their opinion only placed firmly separated to the facts, and open to being debated. With such a controversial topic as well.
If only this kind of discourse was the norm, the world would be a much nicer place.
Controversial? The ar-15 is a civilian sport rifle. The military version has not been sold to the public. So it’s not controversial. Less than half of one percent of all mass shootings were done by rifles. That includes bolt action and shotguns. The rest were done with handguns.
It’s only controversial if you let it be. The only “controversial” part of the AR-15 to me is the argument between a 20 inch barrel or the 16in barrel.
18 inch master race😉
I think the 16in is the more practical option for most use cases.
I can’t choose between those two and the 18”
20 inch vibe checker is the best casually defeat most body armor with basic training rounds... 3200+fps
Oh and what about the chambering debate?
Besides for some minor inaccuracies with some details involving the variants of the M16/M4 and that horrendously obvious backwards mounted red dot sight used in some of the B-roll footage, this was a great video. I both appreciate and respect your unbiased take on this rifle and it’s history. Good job and keep up the great work with your channel.
The LPVO on that AR pistol made me cringe
The M16A3 with no rear sight was funny also.
For all we know, they used pics off forums. I’ve seen actual AR15 owners do some of the goofiest most backwards crap and post their pictures for all the world to see.
Anyone else notice that, when Simon first mentioned the 5.56x45mm cartridge, the B-roll showed someone loading a mag with .300 Blackout?
@@yeekasooselol. I thought they were A K rounds. Have to watch again
Fun fact: Eugene Stoner (AR-15 designer) and Mikhail Kalashnikov (AK-47 designer) met up at a shooting range and hung out for a day. They both fired the others’ rifle and discussed them on camera. Unbelievably cool moment in history.
I’d just like to say how much I appreciate you being professional and objective in your video. It’s nice to see the use of some honest definitions and figures.
Truly unbiased approach here, Simon. Much appreciated.
this. just the facts.no bs. no opinion. no hyperbole. just the facts.
It’s an impressive amount of correct information without giving any weight to foolish things like claiming civilian ARs are “assault rifle”.
I find more abc more of this type of content in places I don’t expect. I really think gun owners can win the information war!!! It’s funny how it’s almost harder when the numbers are in your favor!!!
I was initially concerned when he brought Mother Jones in as an unbiased source, as they’ve historically been the exact opposite
Totally agree
@@Jon-ri2ys ... And they still are. What gives Mother Jones the creds to be the definer of what a mass shootings is ? ... The D.O.J. and F.BI. can't even define what a mass shooting is.
Something you missed about why it is so popular is its modularity and how easy it is for an owner to work on themselves....
but thats a lot of firearms depending on where you live. Leatherman multitool company makes a whole tool directed at the servicing of the m249 machine gun, and obviously their main buyers are active duty servicepeople. just cause you have a carbon scraper on a multitool doesnt make you a criminal.
@@ToxikDoucheGerber also makes a tool specific to the AR15 pattern rifles, with most of the normal tools replaced with tools to break down, clean, reassemble, and even zero your sights. They are a bit harder to track down, but so worth it in my opinion.
I find any firearm easy to work on
I agree and was going to mention this... but you beat me to it. The AR15 is highly adaptable for a variety of purposes.
And to build as well, an AR can be built for not a lot of money and with not a lot of know how. 3 out of 4 of my ARs are built, can’t say that I can build other guns as easily
That was a shockingly fair take on the AR-15. Thank you.
A lot of news outlets nowadays are calling it an “assault style” rifle, which is like calling a veggie burger a “beef style” burger
That's an actually impartial video covering the AR platform, something of a rarity today. Only noticed a few very small errors, but for a typically non-firearm related channel, a really well researched and written video.
I own several hand guns, several bolt action hunting rifles as well as an AR 15.
I must commend Simon on his thorough yet unbiased dive into such controversial subject matter. Well done. 🍻
It sounds like you need more ARs
Exactly, I'm the same as you as far as what I own. I have many family and friends that fall into the 'AR-15 is only for mass shooters' camp. Then when I take them shooting and they fire both my AR-15 and handguns, they realize why most gun crime is committed using a handgun.
@@andrewconstantinides6159nah just more ammo
5:41
"chamber in 5.56x45mm cartridge..."
shows a guy loading 300blackout LOL
I saw that!
I understand this is a mistake, but it seems like a pretty minor mistake considering that it seems there's only really one, considering he's probably never handled a full power rifle cartridge
@@BazingusBoi hes actually a cadet. He said that in his sa80 video
Of course PSA gets called out I literally laughed out loud when he brought up the varying companies who make ARs because I knew he was gonna say PSA was the “budget” option
As someone who shoots thousands or rounds a year in training and competition, I'd like to say I appreciated the non-bias in the presentation and the transparency in the data used and the different concensus you can reach based on your own political bias. With millions of responsible firearm owners in the country, to discipline them for the actions of a few, seems crazy.
Right on. I started the whole training/burning thousands of rounds with the AR-15 platform back in 2011. You actually plateau at some point and continuing the intense round burning becomes only that - burning ammo. I slowed down with the range/farm days over the last few years but I'm still as accurate and quick as I was during any point in the last 10 years. The point is - get to a point where you're sufficient and accurate with the weapon and then simply maintain that through monthly shoot sessions. At some point you're just wasting ammo and burning rifling and the big thing for me is that it's a 100% certainty that 556/223 will become virtually impossible to acquire at some point in the future.
@@dilldowschwagginz2674
You and I won't live long enough to see .223/5.56 become a boutique caliber. It will have strong production 40 years after the last military gives them up, then another 50 years of stored military ammunition trickling into the market as surplus 😊
If you define a mass shootings as an incident in which an attacker/s intentionally engage multiple numbers of innocent citizens, mass shootings account for about 5% of firearm homicides in the US. Inner city gang shootings accounts for about 80% of all firearm homicides. Lately there has been some crossover, where gang shootings that involve multiple victims are classified as mass shootings.
Yep it’s how they have been lying or twisting half truths
they define mass shootings as 4 people. that’s all it takes to be “mass”
@@vast9467I heard that in that “ruling”
People don’t even have to be injured anymore. Let’s say you live with your family of 5 and have an negligent discharge (for whatever reason) that would count as a “mass shooting”
@@cpttankerjoe they also have school incidents where some guy a mile away commits a crime
@@vast9467 it’s ridiculous the lengths
They go to skew statistics
Nothing controversial about this rifle.. its just a rifle.
"Daniel Defense as the Rolls-Royce" oh honey, you have no idea how much money I'm capable of spending on a better rifle
As a firearm owner and FFL, I appreciate the information you presented in this video. Admittedly I was very hesitant but pleasantly surprised
I love Simon's delivery in throwing shade at the US military's baffling firearms policies partly because the higher-ups dont like change.
The funny thing is that he didn't include some of the crap the higher-ups pulled to try and prevent the adoption of the gun, like "testing them in Alaska" and replacing roll pins with solder to make the guns they were "testing" malfunction. Stoner, himself, flew up to Alaska and just happened to bring enough roll pins to correct the "mistake."
@@ixiairisborne1695or that the m14 was adopted purely because some general wanted to make his own “American made” rifle, while the FAL is a much better rifle…
@@GK-mr9ko What, are you saying it shouldn't ALWAYS be about "America First"? /s
@@GK-mr9ko Not completely true. The fact that the M14 was similar in design/layout to the M1 (on which it was based) meant that U.S. military personnel familiar with the older rifle had a reduced learning curve to achieve familiarity, i.e., reduced time/money on training.
@@Vaeldarg silence(L)iberal, the Men are talking about weapon designs.
Also silly argument considering the 1903 is based off a German design not American. Or the krag jorgen was a danish design. Know your sh!t before you talk sh!t
The AR15 is the mass shooter's choice of rifle like the Toyota Camry is the driver's choice of economy car. They're popular because they're fairly inexpensive, widely available, and made of mass produced injection molded plastics. When the market is 90% AR15s, it doesn't seem worth noting that a criminal uses one.
Simon Whistler is a prime example of great journalism: Solid facts reported by someone who clearly did their homework. Nicely done!
Thank you, it's absolutely refreshing to see a completely unbiased look at the topic. I have my obvious bias as a 2A supporter and firearms enthusiasts but it's nice to see someone who is presumably not those things, not take the extreme anti route.
FYI the M16A2 was when they ditched the full auto mode for a three round burst.
Full auto is back with the newest M4
A1 & A3 are still full auto
Thank you so much for delivering a very informative and unbiased look into the AR platform. This is quite possibly the best and most indepth video about the AR that I have seen in a long time!
Very even handed. My only note would be that you didn't mention the modularity and customization as being one of the biggest selling points of the platform. Using widely available, off the rack parts, you can easily build it to whatever use case you want.
Looking for an object to blame rather than the people never made sense to me. The Ruber mini-14 looks like a hunting rifle, but it's operation is very similar to the AR15 in that it's a semiautomatic rifle that's fed from a detachable magazine.
In my experience, people don’t necessarily blame the existence of the object, (although some people surely do); rather people’s access to such effective implements of war.
Ruger also made a select-fire version of it that, much like Armalite - they shopped around to Governments, hoping to sell enough that it would be adopted into Military use. Unsuccessfully, History recalls…
@@noideas439 Literally anything is an implement of war, glass bottle are an implement of war of filled with flammable liquid and a rag, the Taliban made implements of war out of rice cookers
@@noideas439The AR-15 is used in less homicides per year than hammers.
They go after the AR either out of ignorance, which can be cured, or malevolence, which should be fought back against at every turn.
@@noideas439if you try to ban an object, you are blaming the object
Kudos to George Colclough, the writer of this piece, for compressing a lot of information into a clear, succinct, and factual report. (Might look into arranging the credits in a way that they're not going to be obscured by video suggestions and other graphics though.) I could quibble about a few minor details in the script, but overall, a very solid segment. Also appreciate Simon's willingness to trust his writers and allow them to stretch his own comfort zone -- for the Benjamins...
Am I right Simon!?!
I greatly appreciate that you took the time to learn about the topic. It's more than what 90% of people these days do.
Bravo Simon. Balanced and meticulously researched. You and your team deserve kudos.
The AR-15 is like adult Lego’s. I really appreciate your none bias look at this rifle and using the correct term by not calling it an assault rifle because it’s clearly not.
Modularity and caliber choice are the reasons for it's popularity. AR platform rifles are available in over 100 different calibers, from .17 all the way to .50.
That & money, the fact that the military put infinite money into improving it & then the civilian market wants the military stuff so they put even more money & time into it. Whether or not it was a good weapon from day 1 is debatable but it certainly is now after all of that work. It was very kind of the government to pay much of the R&D cost then pass those rifle savings on to the consumer lol!
@@johnnyshanksalot8358 Especially considering we, the civilians, paid for the government's efforts, through both taxes and inflation.
@@johnnyshanksalot8358?? Exactly what R&D did the government pay for??
@@johnnyshanksalot8358I wanted a different platform semiautomatic but it wasn’t practical. An ar platform is reliable and less expensive than other platforms
Also most veterans continue to have an interest in shooting and will buy what they are familiar with.
This kind of video needs to be more publicized as an education tool on the AR-15.
17.56% of mass shootings used an AR15, which of course means 82.44% did not. It's worth mentioning that pistols are by far the most popular type of firearm, and they get more or less ignored by the anti-gun lobby in their rhetoric (who are simultaneously trying to ban them as well).
One other thing to note. One more reason for the AR's popularity, veterans. A lot of the guys and gals that served pick them up because they enjoyed the range time. While there is that, there is also familiarity. In my case, I did get one for my 15th birthday in 1981. It was quick to learn. Disassembly, cleaning, inspection, oiling, and reassembly. Also, easy to hit with. Funny thing, Colt AR-15's/SP-1, have been available to the civilian public since 1965.
Getting an assault rifle as a 15y anniversary gift is bizarre...
1965, meaning for the first 3 years it was available to the public until the 1968 GCA, a citizen could simply purchase one through mail order with zero background check
@@gureidens61the OP said his 15th birthday not anniversary
@@gureidens61not an assault rifle, just a rifle.
@@gureidens61 Well, why watch the video and learn anything when you can just harass people in the comments...
Guns have only two enemies:
Rust and Politicians.
living in an extremely humid climate, i can relate to the first one
Love my AR’s, you can spend as much or as little as you want. They come in a huge assortment of calibers. You can buy a cheap one and learn how to shoot and maintain it. You can easily replace parts a little at a time to make it better or more suitable. There’s so many companies making parts for these that there is competition for price and endless innovation making them the most versatile platform out there.
I'm happy to say that as a member of the 2A community, Simon impressed me. Most European's feelings towards American gun ownership makes me understand exactly why we told the British to F off in 1776, but Simon was fair, unbiased, and accurate in his reporting.
Very good and unbiased breakdown. And good on you telling people about the completely biased “Gun Violence Archive”’s numbers
Isn't that the one that likes to conflate suicide as gun violence?
@@goldenhate6649yep
@@goldenhate6649Yes. They also counted a guy committing suicide in an abandoned school’s parking lot as a “school shooting”.
@@riskyflash6812 Hell, they count a bullet flying onto school grounds from outside of of the grounds as "School Shooting"!!! Yes, if say a gang shooting happens on the street outside of school grounds but a bullet makes its way onto school grounds, they count it as a "school shooting". Basically, if a bullet levels a muzzle and makes its way onto school grounds, regardless of the intent, they count it... There as been many that have been verified where that is exactly what happened. On top of that, most "school shootings" are parking lot incidents that occur between rivals after sporting events, (mainly Football and Basketball games) and often times aren't even involving people that go to the schools in question)
@@goldenhate6649yeah, you have to look at our statistics labeling unfortunately. ‘Homicides’ are what people are generally looking for. ‘Gun deaths’ is what’s most commonly used by politicians though which includes suicide, hunting accidents, defensive uses, etc.
I’d just like to say thank you to Eugene Stoner for making this possible
Don't forget Jim Sullivan. He was a major part of the original design team and often doesn't get the credit he deserves.
Don't forget to thank past conservative-stacked Supreme Courts for twisting the 2nd amendment.
@@Vaeldarghow so?
@@GK-mr9ko NRA lobbying to interpret "well-regulated militia" to by now seemingly meaning almost anyone at all.
@@Vaeldarg that’s literally what the founding fathers supported in written letters lol cry harder😝
I'm actually surprised how unbiased and informative this video was. This is a fantastic video to show someone that doesn't know much about this subject. The only error I picked up on was that the m16 switched to burst fire with the a2 model, not the a4 model.
A big reason behind the AR 15 ridiculous popularity is its unrivaled customization & part interchangeability in the market.
I've frequently heard the AR15 described as a lego set. You can mix and match parts from several manufacturers to suit your needs. Most of which can be done without a gunsmith and within minutes.
Like i have a .22 adapter i can swap the regular bolt out with in about 30 sec.
And what gunsmith work needs done is often light (and like a car's oil change, is something you really could do on your own, but don't want to).
When i converted my from the factory 16in AR15 into a 20 inch, i ordered a barrel, gas system, and hand guard from different companies and had a local gunsmith piece it together for about $50 over an afternoon.
I think whenever the talk steers into mass shootings, we inevitably fixate on the tools used and not the factors that led to the shooting. The How and not the Why. It's easier to get mad at an inanimate object than it is to look in a mirror.
It's also about people's inability to understand statistics because America isn't equal to other countries in population, it's literally half the size/population of all of Europe so when you hear of a 'new tragedy every week' it seems like it's common but it's not & you're vastly more likely to die from falling down the stairs or choking on your breakfast. Hammers literally kill more people than rifles do.
We also seem to inevitably steer into distorted perceptions of how truly often they are used in shootings. According to the FBI's own homicide stats, blunt instruments kill far more people in a given year than all rifles combined, of which "AR-style" rifles are an even smaller subset. But you'd never get that impression from the media.
Very few politicians enter into the debate on gun violence in good faith.
Possible controversial hot take: Most mass shootings could be more deadly with pistols, shotguns, or even different rifles.
You know the rest of the developed world doesn't have nearly as many mass shootings, with the only major difference being the ease of gun ownership in America
They go after the pistol grip of the AR 15, when it has no effect on how powerful the gun is, you could get a mini 14 to give relatively close results, without being nearly as controversial.
They don’t care about its function, they just care that it looks scary so it’s a convenient straw man.
🤡
@@housegoth I’m not afraid of guns (even though I’ve had an accident with one. Family caused of course) but out of everything I’ve shot. High caliber revolvers and shotguns worry me more than any rifle does.
AR-15s with walnut sporter stocks will always be hilarious to me. They are the ‘Go to Hell pants’ of the gun world. 😂
@@garrettlundy3959 Any bufferless AR has a potential to accept traditional stocks lol
What is unfortunate is that the anti-gunners will never watch this video and their opinion will not change. Put simply, they will hate guns their entire life. The best that we can hope for is to raise the next generation to appreciate the truth about guns.
What are the chances multiple armed attackers come for you? You’ll never know and that’s why this non assault weapon is needed
Surprisingly well done video.
The AR-15 is such a popular rifle for us here in America because its small, light, accurate, reasonably priced, easy to handle, shoots a well rounded reasonably priced round that is extremely common, and is very easy to modernize with optics, lights, night vision devices, ect
its also a factor that prior-service military vets are familiar with the rifle, so they already know how to use it without having to learn a new system.
also since import bans became a thing, AK pattern rifles got more expensive, and the mini14 has consistently been expensive, leaving the cheapest semi auto non-ar15 option to be an sks, which i love, but are woefully outdated.
my first was a Colt sporter 1,I regret selling it. Simon is one solid man for being honest about the facts!
Blaming AR-15’s for mass shootings is like blaming trucks for drunk driving.
I’m a gun guy (and own an AR-15) but I’d like to think an informed and unbiased gun guy. I can’t stand the amount of BS that’s typically thrown out by politicians who have literally no clue wtf they’re talking about. This, however, was surprisingly very detailed, accurate, informative, and well balanced. Excellent content!
Other than the "ghost gun" comment not being expanded on an explained(the term is typically used for fearmongering by the MSM), I found this to be very down the middle. Well done
It should be noted that manufacturing your own firearms is and always has been legal in most of the US. Only recently has that changed.
CA coming up with a new law, that many don't know about, that turns citizens into felons, if they don't register a block of aluminum, and you can only make three a year. @@TommyTombstone
To be fair, lots of pro-2A folks who build ARs have come to own the “ghost gun” term because it’s a fun rhetorical finger in the eye to the statists that they’ll never be able to completely eradicate them. Pandora’s Box is opened and there are countless (likely millions) of untraceable, unserialized, and unregistered rifles in the hands of private citizens. They can call them whatever they want, but they’re not going anywhere haha. This is a perfect example of the media trying fear monger, but all it does is make people more interested.
It didnt change.@@TommyTombstone
@@usernamehhhs4540 state dependent
It is so refreshing to see an honest and actually unbiased discussion of the AR15 and why it is such a fundamental part of American culture. Thank you.
Actually, the higher the number of AR-15s in existence, the stronger the argument that they should NOT be banned. That is because the U.S. Supreme Court has said that a weapon cannot be banned if it is "in common use for lawful purposes". Having millions of them in existence that are used for things other then committing crime is a strong legal factor in their favor.
Thank you for an actual unbiased look at this. Speaking as someone who's gun " rights" are constantly eroded in Australia, do not give an INCH. Take it from us... They will not stop taking inches...
I hope my Australian friends will one day reclaim what was lost and be able to own what ever firearms you want and how many you want.
We won't let a few hooligans sabotage peace and security nor suffer any tyranny of a few gun nuts. .@@leholen381
Funny how mass shootings all but stopped in Australia after gun restrictions came in, almost like there's a correlation.
In fact Australia is the shining example of why you need restrictive gun laws.
It should not need to be explained that giving every random nutcase free access to guns is a bad idea.
Is a weekly school shooting a price worth paying in order to play soldiers?
My girlfriend has the same issue, she just cannot stop taking inches
I hate hearing people from other countries talking about how their governments have eroded or stripped away their rights to self defense or otherwise. Us in the US are standing with you, and looking forward to the day where everyone can choose whatever tool they feel is best suited for their defensive or recreational needs. Stay strong in the fight!
What a fair and honest take on the AR itself. Well done
Finally, someone that actually did real unbiased research even going the extra mile to make sure the data collected wasn't biased. Thank you!
Finally a largely unbiased look at the AR series. Important to also understand that 'Assault Rifle' is a term the media coined in 1987 to villainize anything they deemed 'scary.' When you think about the term, it's rather ridiculous. I mean,..what does the actual assaulting? The bullet. So in a literal sense it would be 'assault bullet.' But then one asks "What is a bullet's function?" To assault. Then you'll come to the ultimate conclusion that *ANYTHING* becomes assaultive when used to intentionally harm another. Assault fist. Assault knife. Assault rock. Assault bat. Assault pencil. Meanwhile, on a military base near you all the soldiers simply call it: My Rifle or My weapon. *shrugs* If one ever wants to be taken seriously in a related conversation,..do the same.
You're confusing the terms assault rifle and 'assault weapon'
"Chambered in the intermediate 5.56x45 cartridge," shows magazine being loaded with 300 AAC Blackout. It's not you, Simon, it's your editor. 5:45
Ah, good catch!
I build AR-15's as a hobby, and i can say that there are likely more than 20-30 million in circulation in the U.S. I'm also pleasantly surprised at your rather neutral, fairly represented presentation I'm seeing in this video!
Grow up please and get a hobby that doesn’t include deadly weapons.
@@Junkinsallyyou seem to be the child here not Logan since you’re telling a adult his gun hobby is childish(the only children building guns are Chinese kids lol). If you’re scared of deadly weapons be scared of hands and feet, they’re far more likely to kill you than AR-15s
@@Junkinsally Lol, someone's insecure.
@@JunkinsallyLiterally anything can be a deadly weapon, gardening tools can be deadly weapons, The first swords and axes were derived from farming tools.
Same, though I stopped at 3 since I don't have anywhere else to store them lol. If that weren't a problem, and if I didn't live in an AWB state, I'd be building a new one every few months. It's satisfying building something I can use for protection (and hunting if needed), and having the knowledge needed to repair it if anything breaks. Can't say the same about my handguns.
It's a similar satisfaction to building a PC. Learning how to assemble the system, shopping for compatible parts, assembling and testing it, then the joy of owning something you built yourself that has a valuable function that you fully understand. Never gets old.
It’s only controversial to people who want to disarm people. The media would lead you to believe it’s used in the majority of mass shootings, but it makes up an extremely small percentage. Hand guns are overwhelmingly used in crimes.
Its so rare to see a unbiased video about topics like this. Thanks for being impartial.
Glad you clarified the assault rifle thing. Antigunners love to use that term to scare people.
Anti gunners use assault weapon to confuse ignorant people with assault rifle to demonize semi auto rifles....
Society needs to treat people who say "assault weapon" and "misinformation" non-ironically with *more shame* than those same people would treat the average person if they said the N word. Because clearly the former does more harm to society and yet it somehow allowed to pass.
This is a bad faith argument. You know that the form factor, magazine, and pistol grip make this a much better medium to close range weapon than a regular rifle stock. It's ideal for carrying our a massacre.
Automatic is only used for cover fire, semi is for killing. That little bit of pedantics around the term assault rifle is just a distraction and not actually relevant to the topic of the AR-15's use in mass shootings.
Yeah, the media is wrong with their labeling. But the 2A fetishists (not gun owners, I have several guns) are also wrong in using this pedantic argument.
No, there is a difference between a highly restricted full auto assault rifle and a semi auto that has been used by civilians since the early 1960s..Sticking to facts is not a fetish, but it is a source of contempt when smooth brains pretend to know the difference and don't..Most mass shooters use hand guns, not AR15 rifles.. True gun owners who support the 2ndA don't add fuel to the anti gun fire of misinformation and false hoods..Try again slick..@@jayspeidell
@@jayspeidell “that is a bad faith argument”…proceeds to call 2A supporters 2A fetishists lol get out of here with that. The form factor makes the AR-15 accessible. That is all. The real bad faith argument is you creating criteria for ideal massacre methods out of thin air. How do you even quantify this? Does it only apply to guns or all tools and equipment in America? How much longer are you going to ignore the constitution? Do you work for the ATF? I’ve got lot’s of questions here.
Simon, you need to teach the*US Congress* the difference between an “Assault Rifle” and all others.
There is currently a gun RUclipsr, Brandon Herrera, running for Congress in his Texas district. If he wins, he'll probably spend most of his time ripping into whoever is trying to reintroduce the AWB that week.
I have owned 4 different ars and none were used except for target shooting and hunting.
What’s crazy is the AR isn’t even controversial, some people are just idiotic. Although it really was cool that you know the difference between the AR and an assault rifle. You’ve proved yourself smarter than many of Americans.
smarter than 90% of american liberals for sure
That's why I have an AR10
It's a whole 5 ARs safer
Same bro. I also have an AR-12
@@zachroos3910 woah now, getting into some real dangerous territory with that one.
I always liked these videos but i have to say i am very impressed by the not taking any sides in this video. Great job!
Thank you Simon. I'm honestly a bit surprised but certainly not disappointed to see this topic given such an objective overview.
13:15 wait till he looks up a KAC rifle. that Daniel defense ain’t cheap but there are more expensive ones
The AR is just a semi auto rifle!! That’s it!! There are plenty of other semi auto rifles that are perfectly legal with no complaints from people. It’s just the look of the AR that scares people!
Scary enough for me to buy an AK😮
“The world’d most controversial gun.” No, that distinction belongs to the AK-47. Read “The Gun” by C.J. Chivers. Compared to the Kalashnikov, the AR-15 is trivial.
As for it being the choice of mass shooters it's like saying a Camry or Civic is a highly sought after car by thieves because it's abundant. Great non-biased video as always Simon.
The AR-15 is just another civilian semi automatic rifle with a relatively tiny bullet that just so happens to be a very fast bullet.