AR-15 rifle is not a machine gun

The ‘Letter To The Editor’ published Dec 7th titled “The Silence of the Media helps execute children” makes inaccurate reference to the AR-15 rifle as a “lightweight machine gun.” The AR-15 is only capable of semi-automatic rate of fire. That is, the trigger must be pulled for every round fired. Conversely, a fully automatic weapon such as the M-16 fires in rapid succession for as long as the trigger is pressed. The AR-15 is clearly not designated as a “light machine gun” (LMG) or as a weapon of mass destruction (WMD).

The FBI.gov website defines WMD as follows:

Title 18 U.S.C. §2332a defines weapons of mass destruction (WMD) as:

• Any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas, including the following: a bomb; grenade; rocket having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than four ounces; missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than onequarter ounce; mine; or device similar to any of the previously described devices;

• Any weapons that is designed or intend to cause death or serious bodily injury through the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals, or their precursors;

• Any weapon involving a disease organism; and

• Any weapon that is designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life.

Neither the civilian AR-15, or the military M-16 do not meet the criteria for being considered as weapons of mass destruction (WMD) or “light machine guns” (LMG).

Dean Fromkin, Pembroke Pines