Joe Scarborough Butchers Description of the AR-15, Falsely Claims It’s ‘More Lethal’ Than the M-14 Used in Vietnam
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough took to Twitter to say AR-15s are “far deadlier” than the M-16s and “more lethal” than the M-14s used in the Vietnam War. In making his case, Scarborough pointed to how the AR platform was developed by Eugene Stoner to replace the M-14.
Those suggesting the AR-15 was NOT developed as a weapon of war should read up on history. The AR-15 was developed as a military weapon to replace the M-14. Eugene Stoner designed it to be lighter and more lethal than the M-14.
It was far deadlier than the M-16 used in Vietnam.— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 18, 2019
Here’s an article from 1981 explaining how the Pentagon’s failure to use the AR-15 in Vietnam cost American lives. The AR-15 was proven to be lighter & more lethal than the M-14 or M-16. It was designed exclusively by Eugene Stoner to kill people in war.https://t.co/lAKA6USUlj
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 18, 2019
As a longtime gun owner and supporter of the Second Amendment, I agreed with the Supreme Court’s “Heller” holding that concluded Americans had the right to keep and bear arms. But that constitutional protection did not, and will not, extend to guns designed as weapons of war.
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 18, 2019
The M-14 was the rifle used by the U.S. military before being replaced by the M-16, which continues to be used in different versions today. The AR-15 is the version that is sold in the civilian marketplace, and the main difference is it can only be fired on semi-automatic.
Scarborough was subsequently called out for such a bold claim, mainly because of the different calibers the M-14 and the M-16/AR-15 fires. The M-14 fires a bigger round than the M-16 or AR-15.
The claim of the AR-15 being designed exclusively for the U.S. military is also questionable due to the fact they are not used by the military, as evidenced by them using the M-16 instead since it has the ability to fire on burst.
Washington Free Beacon reporter Stephen Gutowski delved deep into the history of the AR-15, pointing to how Scarborough wrongly conflates the AR-15 and M-16:
Oh man. Where to begin with this one…
First off, the AR-15 (as we know it) is a semi-automatic-only variant of the select fire (semi-automatic and fully-automatic) M-16. So, no, the AR-15 is not “far deadlier” than the M-16 since they’re the same basic design. https://t.co/FMvLjuFdPh
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) March 18, 2019
In fact, the M-14’s larger round was considered one of its main advantages over the AR-15/M-16 when they were initially tested by the Army. Lethality is something of a matter of opinion. It’s just that the vast majority of people tend to believe the larger round is more lethal.
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) March 18, 2019
For some bizarre reason, though, he claims several times in his thread that the AR-15 is more deadly than the M-16 which is pretty bizarre since the AR-15 sold on the civilian market since 1963 is literally just a semi-automatic-only version of the M-16.
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) March 18, 2019
In @JoeNBC‘s thread, there’s a conflation of the early select fire AR-15 design with the semi-automatic-only variant that was designed for civilian use and which has been sold in the US for 56 years. To my knowledge, the military has never adopted the semi-automatic-only AR-15.
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) March 18, 2019
Wrong
Guns currently called AR-15s are not the same as the one you mention, which was a fully automatic assault rifleThey are semi-automatic
The Stoner AR-15 was not more lethal than the M-14 which fires a much more powerful round
Tales of tumbling 5.56 rounds are fantasy https://t.co/qiZ8u2lrOi
— Jim Hanson (@Uncle_Jimbo) March 18, 2019
Stoner designed fully-automatic rifled that used a 5.56 NATO round.
The modern sporting rifle platform that most ppl use today (and is the most popular in the US, according to the industry) fires a .223 and is semi-automatic.
This is either ill-informed or willfully-misleading https://t.co/l7K0S3s3pb
— Nate Madden (@NateOnTheHill) March 18, 2019
AR-15 is not designed for war. What you’re saying is historically untrue — and Fallows, unsurprisingly, has the facts wrong. Stoner sold the AR to civilians before the military. And kept selling them until 1977 when his patent ran out. https://t.co/3TTj1jvkuu
— David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) March 18, 2019
The technical details of firearms are extremely important as it is what lawmakers base their gun-related bills on. Being incorrect on the functionality of firearms is the difference between a law having an effect or not.
