The M16 is a “military style assault rifle”; the AR15 is not.

The term “military style assault rifle/weapon” means a “machine gun“. It is a firearm that is capable of sending multiple rounds down range with a single trigger pull. That’s the common definition. Assault rifle is another name for a “machine gun”, which is a firearm with an automatic action.


Politicians can define anything for the purposes of specific legislation/law, and have done so. Different legislation/laws can and have defined the same term to mean two different things, so trying to use what the politicians have created is simply not doable. Use their term for that specific legislation/law only and not for the common meaning.


As pointed out above, an firearm with an automatic action is a “machine gun”. When the trigger is pulled, multiple rounds continue to go down range until the trigger is released. A classic example is the 1930’s gangster era Tommy Gun.


Semi-automatic refers to a firearm with a semi-automatic action. That means the firearm is capable of sending only one round down range with each trigger pull. Guns of this type include the revolver similar to what Barney Fife carried on the Mayberry RFD TV show. A real version of this Colt .38 would send one round down range per trigger pull.

The M16 has a “semi” mode (again, semi-automatic means one round goes down range with each trigger pull). The M16 can also be selectively set to “burst” (three rounds go down range with each trigger pull), or “auto” (typically ‘machine gun mode’ or automatic which means rounds go down range until the trigger is released or until the firearm is no longer able to load the next round into the chamber and ignite the round).


M16’s are by all practical purposes illegal is the US. By that I mean that they are heavily regulated by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE). It takes years, and a lot of money to obtain approval to own an M16 or transfer an M16 to someone else. There is also an expensive annual BATFE fee for the privilege of owning one.


Hence, the M16 (and any machine gun [ie, automatic firearm]) is very close to illegal in the US. It’s been that way since the days of the Tommy Gun and the enactment of the National Firearms Act of 1934.


The AR15 on the other hand is not a “military style assault rifle”. It is not an automatic firearm. Everyone is confusing the AR15 with the M16. The AR, by the way, is an abbreviation for the original manufacturer: ArmaLite.


The AR15 is the semi-automatic only version of the M16. There is not a semi/burst/auto selector switch on the AR15. The AR15 is designed for civilian and other non-military customers. By its very design, the AR15 is NOT a “military style assault rifle”.


The AR15 is the scary looking version of the Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle. Do you know of anyone calling for a ban of the Mini-14? It’s jut that the AR15 looks mean and is more popular. The AR15 has no more “killing power”, “killing efficiency”, [and on, and on] than the Mini-14 or any other semiautomatic rifle that fires a projectile larger than a .22 air rifle pellet. 

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