AR-15s distinctions noted

I am writing this response to Frank Taylor’s Jan. 30 letter, “AR-15’s are not assault rifles.” His information is essentially correct except for two very important distinctions.

The first is his attempt to compare the Colt AR-15 bullet to that of “the common .22.” Depending upon which configuration the shooter chooses, the muzzle velocity of an AR-15’s .222 Remington Special round is almost three times that of the .22 Long Rifle round and carries roughly 14 times the energy as the .22 Long Rifle. The .22 is effective to about 150 yards. The .222 Remington Special’s effective firing range averages 547 yards.

These differences are huge. The two rifles do not compare.

The second distinction is Taylor’s statement that the AR-15 is not an assault rifle. Technically that is true, but it is the civilian version of our military’s M-16 assault rifle. The AR-15’s semiautomatic firing rate is determined by how fast the shooter can twitch his trigger finger. With some practice, a shooter can fire enough rounds to empty a classroom of all life within a minute. The AR-15 is a very lethal weapon and offers little buffer between an extreme emotional state and multiple targets.

Douglas Toland

Sagle, Idaho