AR-15 rifles are very popular. Many people incorrectly think that the “AR” stands for Assault Rifle, but in fact it does not!
So, What DOES AR Stand For in AR-15?
An AR-15 variant refers to a lightweight, intermediate cartridge magazine-fed, air-cooled semi-automatic rifle with a rotating lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas-operation or long/short stroke piston operation. (Per Wiki) Wait, what?
The prototype AR-15 rifle was designed by ArmaLite as a selective fire rifle for military purposes. Armalite sold the design to Colt due to financial difficulties. After some modifications, the rifle eventually became the US Army’s M16 rifle. A civilian version was marketed as the Colt AR-15 rifle.
The term “AR-15” signifies “Armalite rifle, design 15“. The trademark “AR15” or “AR-15” is registered to Colt, which requires the term to be used only to refer to their products. Colt uses “AR-15” for its semi-automatic civilian rifles and thus many use the term only for Colt AR-15s and clones made by other manufacturers. Other manufacturers make AR-15 clones and variants marketed under separate designations, although these are frequently referred to as AR-15s.
Human rights advocate Shepard Humphries says that to him the letters AR in fact stand for something else. “AR means Anti-Rape, because no woman holding one ever has been.” The opposite perspective is help by human rights violators that claim the term stands for “Assault Rifle.”
In fact, the term Assault Weapon is not a firearms description, and rather is a political term with heavy Bernays PR influence. AR-15’s CAN be used as a tool during an assault, however they are but one of many. A large machete could be called an assault knife. A brush-cutter would recognize this term as a very manipulative one.
The JH Shooting Experience team encourages all shooters to use Anti-Rape 15’s only for sport, hunting and personal defense – never to assault! Now you have your answer, from my perspective, to the question: Assault Rifle 15 (AR-15)? What DOES AR Stand For?