The gun industry’s report last week that there are 24 million AR-15/AK-47 rifles in America got us wondering why it’s America’s favorite weapon.
In asking those who own and sell them, we heard the usual: The rifles are fun to shoot, they’re accurate, and there are thousands of configurations to play with.
But from others, we heard a more ominous reason: With crime surging and concerns of civil war, the rifles are considered the best defensive weapon in a hypothetical breakdown of society.
Drew Miller, who is expanding his network of Fortitude Ranch survival camps to 11 states, told us that self-defense is a more important reason to have the firearm than hunting. “The biggest and best argument for semi-automatic rifles with high-capacity magazines is their use for defense in a collapse,” he said.
A standard rifle won’t hold back armed hoards, he said.
“Fortitude Ranch believes that the biggest and best argument for semi-automatic rifles with high-capacity magazines is their use for defense in a collapse. This is the reason preppers and survival communities like Fortitude Ranch buy these weapons and high-capacity magazines. If you are trying to defend your family when there is no police protection, you could face a marauder group with dozens of armed thieves and killers coming at you. A five-round shotgun or bolt action rifle with just a small clip, and you’ll be dead quickly,” he said.
His emphasis on AR-15- and AK-47-style rifles and pistols comes as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are urging for a ban on the weapons and parts, such as extended magazines that Miller said are key to protecting yourself.
Politicians, he added, like to call for bans because they have protection. “We have more need to prepare, including arming ourselves with semi-automatic defense rifles, so we can survive when police protection is gone and a large part of the unprepared population turns to stealing and attacking and killing to survive. Gangs are certainly going to be armed with semi-automatic rifles and likely to use them offensively. Smart Americans will not give up their ability to defend themselves with these weapons and high-capacity magazines,” Miller added.
And Justin Anderson, the marketing director of Hyatt Guns in Charlotte, North Carolina, an expert Secrets regularly taps for gun info, added, “They are a perfect self-defense firearm for a dizzying array of reasons, including low recoil, great ergonomics, and easy customization.”
Reporting from The Washington Examiner.
