LETTER: AR-15 is a much maligned gopher gun

Steve Wheat from Polson wrote a letter to the editor asking for answers to some gun-related questions.

First, my qualifications: I was trained as a munitions specialist and fought during the Korean War. I had a gun shop for 20 years and am an enthusiastic prairie dog and gopher hunter. I also love to plink and target shoot.

First, Steve doesn’t even know what an assault weapon definition is. (The AR-15 sold to civilians is a semi-auto and not an assault weapon. The M-16 is a military weapon, not available to the public and is full automatic, so it is an assault weapon.)

The .223 caliber of the AR-15 is an excellent prairie dog and gopher gun because of its light recoil, economical ammo, lower noise level, and it will easily kill to 300 yards. These above reasons make it the ideal gun for plinking, target shooting, etc. In fact, it is my choice over all the other guns that I own. This type of gun can be purchased in other calibers, such as .308 Winchester, which is an excellent deer and antelope cartridge. Now combine this with its semi-auto capabilities and it is hard to beat. And as a home-defense weapon, you could make a case for it being an excellent choice.

In my 25 years in the gun business, I never heard of anyone having a selector switch to convert an AR-15 to full auto. Show me a police report where one was actually used, or shut up about it! Almost any caliber will destroy flesh and bones, so that is a stupid question.

It’s been said so many times lately, but you just might be the type who needs to hear it one more time. If you ban semi-autos, the open borders to Mexico will be wide open for people getting rich smuggling in anything that is banned.

You can prevent mass killings by training more people on the safe use of concealed weapons and doing away with most gun-free zones. Check it out for yourself, but the vast majority of killings have taken place in gun-free zones (even on an Army base). Just make a list of all the terrorists who have attacked police stations and put it in the paper, and I will write an apology. Until then, I am waiting for Steve to apologize for his unknowing letter! —Richard J. Reed, Kila