Liberal Forum

Blackvegetable » 17 Aug 2026, 7:03 am » wrote: ↑

17 Aug 2026, 7:03 am

This is nonsense.

The "civilian" AR-15 is a variant of the original AR-15 design, modified so as not to be a machine gun subject to the 1934 regs.

It doesn't "look" like an assault rifle...it is one.

This terminology debate is irrelevant. The AR-15's design and development predates the etymological discussion. The antecedent is German.




 

 

To prevent a civilian semi-automatic AR-15 from being readily converted for use with the select fire components, several features were changed. Parts changed include the lower receiver, bolt carrier, hammer, trigger, disconnector, and safety/mode selector. The semi-automatic bolt carrier has a longer lightening slot to prevent the bolt's engagement with an automatic sear. Due to a decrease in mass, the buffer spring is heavier. On the select-fire version, the hammer has an extra spur which interacts with the additional auto-sear that holds it back until the bolt carrier group is fully in battery, when the automatic fire is selected.[79] Using a portion of the select fire parts in a semi-automatic rifle will not enable a select fire option (this requires a registered part with the ATF). Lower receivers that are select-fire are identified by a pinhole above the safety/mode selection switch.[80][81][82][83] As designed by Colt, the pins supporting the semi-auto trigger and hammer in the lower receiver are larger than those used in the military rifle to prevent interchangeability between semi-automatic and select-fire components. The pivot pin may also be slightly larger in diameter.