Colt, the maker of the AR-15 & other rifles used in mass shootings this year, is halting production of all non-military-contracted rifles, saying the marketplace is glutted & it chooses to devote its production capacity to military contracts.
Colt said its decision is purely market-driven and made no mention of any public pressure over the AR-15’s use in several mass shootings in the United States. With so many makers of the AR-15, the company also said Colt is probably making a wise business move to prioritize it’s military and law enforcement customers over civilian buyers.
Colt holds the trademark to the name AR-15, having bought it from the original manufacturer, ArmaLite. But many other gunmakers produce similar AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles. The National Shooting Sports Foundation estimates there are now about 16 million AR-15s or similar models in the hands of American civilians.
“Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47,” the former congressman from Texas said at Thursday night’s Democratic primary debate. O’Rourke represented El Paso, where a gunman used an AK-47 to kill 22 people in August. Beto how the hell can you buy back something that was never yours in the first place. You’re an idiot.