Sheriff Explains the Real Difference Between Automatics, Semi-Automatics and Assault Rifles
February 11, 2016Human Rights
Automatic firearms automatically reload and fire when their triggers are depressed, while other forms of firearms require multiple trigger pulls to discharge consecutive rounds.
Semi-automatic firearms contain a self-loading mechanism. Unlike an automatic weapon that requires one depression of the trigger for consecutive discharges, a semi-automatic firearm requires a depression for each discharge.
The most popular rifle on the market today is the AR-15. The firearm gun control supporters most often call an “assault weapon," the AR-15 accounts for one-fourth of all rifles manufactured in the United States.
The AR-15 has existed since the 1950s, and by the 1960s derivatives of the model were being manufactured. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. Army used the M-16, an adaptation of the AR-15. By the 1980s, the AR-15 was featured in several movies and television shows, becoming a notorious symbol in pop culture. Most recently, the AR-15 was the weapon used in a number of high-profile mass shootings, including Sandy Hook and San Bernardino.Â
Watch the demonstration below:
Â
