American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15
by Cameron McWhirter
View on GoodreadsThe AR-15 was designed to make soldiers more mobile and safer. Over roughly two decades it became a favored weapon of mass shooters, and Wall Street Journal reporters Cameron McWhirter and Zusha Elinson trace how, starting with Eugene Stoner in a Long Beach garage in the 1950s.
Core ideas
- A troubled debut: ArmaLite pitched it as an American answer to the AK-47, and as the military's M16, design changes helped trouble its Vietnam deployment.
- The ban backfired: Bushmaster changed cosmetic features to comply with the 1994 assault weapons ban, and the ban itself fueled sustained, unprecedented demand.
- Both sides of the rifle: The 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the deadliest in U.S. history, sits beside the NRA's embrace of the rifle in Second Amendment fights.
Published2023
Pages496
ISBN9780374103859
ReadOct 2023
