THE AR-15: LETHAL AND LEGAL.
The AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, the civilian version of the military’s M-16, is popular with U.S. gun enthusiasts because of its relative light weight and multiple anchor points for custom modifications. The gun was developed in 1959 as a small arms rifle for the U.S. armed forces. After extensive modifications, it was adopted by the U.S. military as the M-16 rifle in 1964 and was deployed for jungle warfare during the Vietnam War as an answer to the Soviet-designed Kalashnikov AK-47.
HOW TO GET A GUN In Canada
To obtain a gun or ammunition requires a licence under the Firearms Act. All applicants must undergo a screening process, successfully complete a safety course, criminal history and background check, provide personal references — and observe a mandatory minimum 28-day waiting period. Licences must be renewed every five years. Handguns are legal, but the law prohibits military-grade assault weapons, such as AK-47s and sawn-o rifles or shotguns.
In the U.S.
A background check is conducted only for store purchases, where buyers fill out a form from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The store calls the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which runs a check through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System in just a few minutes. California, which has the strictest gun laws, has a 10-day waiting period and a written safety test — as well as limits on assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition. On Tuesday, an American reporter bought an AR-15 in Philadelphia in seven minutes.