When I started planning this, I really was thinking about the Second Amendment and what it means and doesn't mean. And gun control, and what it means, and what it doesn't mean; but most of you who are reading this already know how I feel. I have been a tad vocal with my opinions. So, I decided to take a different approach. I decided to make it about the AR-15 and other assault weapons, their ammunition, and the damage they can do to the human body.
The weapon used in Newtown, Connecticut to massacre 20 innocent first-graders and 6 equally innocent, heroically brave teachers was an AR 15 Bushwhacker, which is classified by the US government as an assault weapon. This weapon can do a tremendous amount of damage to the human body in a very short period of time. It is a semi automatic weapon that is the equivalent of the M-16, the workhorse of the US Military. It can use regular .22 LR (long rifle) ammunition, or it can use the .223 ammunition used by the military. One of the bullets this rifle can fire is the .223 Remington DRT Terminal Shock FMHP 79 Grain bullet. Here's the manufacturer's specifications on this ammo. While this particular ammunition is no longer available, you can find a equatable substitute on the internet with a simple Google search
"Years of research and testing by Dynamic Research Technology (DRT) in conjunction with elite agencies world wide have created the deadliest ammunition available. This is the only ammunition used to safeguard officials and has earned the name "Dead Right There". The uniqueness of this copper-jacketed ammunition is in the compressed powder core which is as fine as talcum powder, as the bullet is fired it is spinning at such a high speed, when it reaches any part of the "target" and comes into contact with the organic tissue the hydrostatic shock of the soft material going into the hollow point actually makes the entire core projectile expand creating a fatal wound. The bullet will not pass through the "target" making it perfect for home defense or close quarter combat. Hit any part of the body to stop it dead in its tracks. The wording is theirs, the emphasis is mine You can read more here.
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| This is one class ammunition used in an AR 15. Remember that it explodes and tumbles once it penetrates any part of the human body. This is why the parents of the children in Newtown were advised not to see their children, and why there were few open caskets. One child's left hand and much of his left side was blown away. You will not survive being hit with one of these. |
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| These are .22 Long Rifle ammunition. They do not explode and tumble when they hit the human body. You are much more likely to survive a wound made by one of these. |
Many people have tried to say that the AR 15 is nothing more than a regular .22 rifle that just looks ugly. No so. A .22 rifle, depending on whether it is a single shot, pump or bolt action, or semi-automatic will only fire as many rounds per minute as you can work the mechanism and pull the trigger. An AR 15 can fire as many as 625 rounds per minute by "bumpfiring" , and faster than that if you convert it to fully automatic. You can Google "AR -15 conversion kit" , but here are the full instructions, with pictures, and it looks very easy. The kits start at about $120. It takes less than an hour.
But you don' have to convert the AR 15 to make it perform like a fully automatic weapon. You can bumpfire it. I don't really know anything about bumpfiring, but I found several sites on YouTube willing to teach me how to do it. Once you have the technique down you can learn to do it effectively with very little practice.
You can skip to about 0:41 to hear what a normal .22 sounds like. Then he demonstrates how easy it is to change clips and starts the "how-to" instruction on bumpfiring. At 1:53 you can see and hear just how fast this weapon can be fired. Don't let the music put you off. I have watched this video several times, and it is scary.
I dare anyone to tell me he can fire a regular .22 rifle this fast. He will damn well have to demonstrate it to me,
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| This is a spent .223 bullet. Imagine this tumbling through a human body, ricocheting every time it hits something solid. Now, imagine that human body to only be six years old. |
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| This is a deer shot with an AR 15. You cannot eat it. Now imagine this is a six year old child. |
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| These two children survived the massacre in Newtown, but their lives have been changed forever. They have been robbed of their childhood. They, too, are victims. |
Now, tell me again why any civilian needs an AR 15 assault weapon.
And that is Miss PittyPat's rant for today.
