Despite attempts by politicians and the media to claim that the common, kid-friendly AR-15 is a “weapon of war,” or “military-style,” actual military rifles have been banned from manufacture for civilian purchase for exactly 30 years.
The Hughes Amendment to the Firearm Owners Protection Act, signed into law by President Reagan in 1986, made it illegal to manufacture selective-fire (firearms that can be used as machine guns) rifles and handguns to the public. Only military, police, and specialized gun dealers and manufacturers selling to these markets can acquire them.
The most common rifles, pistols, and shotguns sold in the United States are not machine guns, not “weapons of war” as Hillary Clinton so glibly lies, and “military-style” is all about looks, not performance. Put bluntly, it’s a con job.
The most common rifles, handguns, and shotguns are semi-automatic, or “self-loading” firearms. They fire one shot per trigger pull, and (because I feel I have to repeat things for certain politicians) absolutely cannot be fired as machine guns.