Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz adversely commented on the ownership of the AR-15 rifle by civilians, describing the AR-15 as a weapon of war. While the AR-15 resembles the U.S. service rifle, the M16, the AR-15 is a semiautomatic rifle, a type of arm first manufactured and sold in this country prior to World War I, whereas the M16 is a selective fire piece, one capable of full automatic fire, a la the machine gun, if you will.
Returning to weapons of war, the Springfield rifle, a bolt action piece, was the U.S. service rifle for many years, seeing service during World Wars I and II. The M1 carbine was a U.S. service arm, as was the M1 rifle, aka the Garand. Thousands of the above mentioned were sold, by the government, to American citizens, the sun continuing to rise and set daily.
Should it turn out that Walz is opposed to the civilian ownership of arms (it so appears), he should so state, taking such heat as that position might generate. As for this weapons of war business, that sad song should long since have been put to bed.
Alan Schultz
McCandless