AR-15 Under Fire

One of the guns used in the Orlando shooting was an AR-15 rifle. It's been used in at least 14 mass shootings in the U.S.; including San Bernardino, California, Oregon and Sandy Hook. 
 
Even though there's been a push to ban the semi-automatic gun, the AR-15 is America's most popular rifle.

The AR-15 is considered today's modern sporting rifle; 8 million Americans own at least one if not more. Even though they are the most popular rifle on the market, those who deal in them say they're misunderstood.

The AR-15 looks like a military rifle, but it doesn't function like one. 
 
"It's mostly used for target shooting and hunting," Brandon Maddox of Dakota Silencer said.

Brandon Maddox owns Dakota Silencer in Sioux Falls. Although he sells mostly gun silencers, he's well informed on the AR-15 rifle and its capabilities. 
 
"I think the biggest misconception is, they're semi-automatic, so they only shoot every time you pull the trigger, you pull the trigger once, you get one shot," Maddox said.

Meaning it's no different than a deer rifle.

AR doesn't stand for 'assault rifle' or 'automatic rifle', which a lot of people believe. It actually stands for 'ArmaLite' after the company that developed the firearm in the 1950's.

Still, the gun has a lot of critics. The AR-15 used to be illegal under the Clinton administration, but the ban was lifted when a Department of Justice study determined, a ban was ineffective at limiting access to other weapons with the same power and capabilities of the AR-15.

Talk of banning guns, like the AR-15 again, only adds to its popularity. 
 
"I was looking at some statistics just the other day on the internet, in the last 16 months every month has been a record for firearm sales, every month, sales have gone up each month," Maddox said.

Maddox knows the AR-15 will always come under fire when it's used in mass shootings like Orlando. 
 
"It is the most popular firearm in America for rifles, so if someone is going to use a rifle in a crime, you would assume it would be whatever the most popular rifle in America is," Maddox said.

Another reason Maddox says the AR-15 is a popular rifle is because the ammunition is inexpensive.