The AR in “AR-15” rifle stands for ArmaLite, after the company that developed the
firearm in the 1950s. “AR” does NOT stand for “assault rifle” or “automatic rifle.”

AR-15 and other semi-automatic rifles, which fire one round with each pull of the trigger, are NOT “assault weapons” or “assault rifles.” An assault rifle is fully automatic -- amachine gun. Automatic firearms have been severely restricted from civilian ownership since 1934. 

If someone calls an AR-15 or other semi-automatic rifle an “assault weapon,” he or
she either supports banning these firearms or does not understand their function and 
sporting use, or both. Please correct them. “Assault weapon” is a political term created
by California anti-gun legislators to ban some semi-automatic rifles there in the 1980s