The Versatile AR Platform.

The AR platform of rifles was originally invented in 1957 by the Armalite Corporation. One popular misconception is that the letters “AR” stand for “Assault Rifle,” but in reality, “AR” was the designation of the rifle platform and stands for the name of the manufacturer of the rifle. Two years later, Armalite sold the design to Colt, who modified it to create the M-16 for the military.

While the M-16 and the AR-15 may look similar, the AR-15 is a rifle designed for civilian use, while the M-16 was designed for military use. The AR-15 is a semi-automatic rifle, meaning that it expels a single bullet with each pull of the trigger. The M-16 is a select-fire rifle, meaning that it can function as a semi-automatic but can also shoot in a “burst,” expelling three rounds with each pull of the trigger, or full automatic, continuously firing bullets as long as the trigger is pulled or until the magazine runs out of ammo.

Originally, the AR-15 was designed around the .223 Winchester and 5.56×45 NATO rounds. These are relatively small projectiles, not much larger than the .22LR (Long Rifle) bullet popular for target shooting or use against rodents and other small varmints. The key difference is that the .223/5.56 round is in a much larger case that contains more powder, pushing it to much faster velocities than the standard .22LR round.

Today, however, the AR platform can be had with a variety of options for the ammunition it can fire. It can be manufactured or even modified to fire everything from a basic .22LR round to much larger and more powerful rounds in the .30 to .50 caliber range.

The AR is typically comprised of two major components: the upper and the lower. Some lowers are built to be “multi-caliber,” meaning that the lower itself can be used with a variety of ammunition, and by simply changing out the upper or even parts of the upper, such as the barrel and the bolt carrier group, you can switch the ammunition fired by the AR rifle.

One very popular conversion is the change between the standard .223/5.56 round and the .22LR round. The primary advantage of this conversion is the ability to shoot much less expensive .22LR rounds (around $0.08 per round). Currently, the standard .223/5.56 ammunition can cost $0.50 or more per round.

Unfortunately, the AR platform has gotten a bad rap as the rifle of choice for “mass shooters.” This is because it has been used in several high-profile shootings over the years. According to a 2020 statement by the NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation), there were around 19.8 million AR platform rifles in the US. Annually, all rifles, not just AR platform rifles, account for 2.8% of all homicides. In fact, more people are murdered by hands, feet, and fists than by all rifles combined. The FBI does not break down homicide statistics further than by handgun, rifle, or shotgun.

While these mass shooting events are horrific, they are not all perpetrated by AR platform rifles. In fact, the majority are committed with handguns. In many of the events where an AR platform rifle is used, it is one of many weapons, including handguns and shotguns.

The AR platform is very popular for many reasons. First and foremost, it is an easier platform to use due to the mitigated recoil. Shoot an AR platform rifle chambered in 5.56×45 and then shoot a typical hunting rifle chambered in .308 or .30-06, and the felt recoil is significantly less. This makes shooting far more enjoyable for those participating in the sport. The vast majority of AR platform rifles are used for target shooting. In fact, some states or municipalities prohibit the use of the .223 and 5.56×45 rounds for hunting because they are not powerful enough to guarantee a humane kill.

There is a constant push by anti-gun groups and political parties to ban the AR platform in the name of safety. “Do it for the children” is the typical battle cry of these people. However, more children are killed in car accidents each year than by all rifles, yet no one wants to ban cars. Additionally, guns as a whole are used anywhere from 300,000 to several million times each year to prevent assault, rape, murder, robbery, and other crimes. We never hear about these incidents in the news because either the situation was resolved without a single shot fired and therefore not reported to police, or when a gun is used by a good guy, the news stops reporting on it within a very short period (if at all).