Civilizing military arms (or militarizing civilian arms)? (VIDEO)

Earlier this year, I attended Shot Show in Las Vegas. It’s the biggest shooting, hunting and outdoor trade show in the world that attracts upwards of 70,000 industry professionals from over 100 countries.

I wanted to check out  what the latest gear to hit the market, especially the civilian market.

Since the expiration of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 2004, combined with reduced government spending on the military, the civilian market has become a very lucrative place.

Although some states have passed relatively strict gun laws, groups such as the National Rifle Association work tirelessly to fight for the rights of law-abiding American citizens to arm themselves. This includes products that were once thought only to be available to law enforcement and the military.

The AR industry had to educate the public that there was nothing wrong nor illegal about owning an AR15. As a result, they’ve become the top selling rifle in America. This success has inspired other companies to bring their products to the civilian market.

American arms manufacturers support the definition of the Second Amendment to mean that the right of all law-abiding American citizens to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Some American gun manufacturers have taken this logic one step further. For example, in 2013, Mark Serbu of Serbu Arms, refused to sell his semi-automatic .50 caliber rifle to the New York Police Department because laws in New York prohibit civilians from purchasing the weapon.

So with all of these advanced armaments available to civilians, what is the role of the civilian? Although training is not mandatory, it is extremely popular and encouraged for all gun owners.

Some would have us believe that with all of these guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens that the violent crime rate would be astronomical. However, according to statistics, violent crime has been on the decline for the last twenty years. Coincidence? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

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