Engineering ‘The Black Rifle’: Why the AR-15 Is the Most Popular Gun in the U.S. 

Don't hate on a rifle because it's black. It's 2018, why do colors still matter? #blackgunsmatter

I came home and my two ar-15s were packing away the dishes , goes to show , it's how you raise them

Why didn't he mention the chainsaw bayonet?

You can't 3d print an ar 15, thats a myth created by vice. The guy literally only 3d printed a 80% lower and a mag. He still used a regular metal barrel, upper and grip.

Criticism: the phrase “semi-automatic” appears only once in this entire video. This may seem like a nitpick, but lots of people don’t actually understand automatic vs semi-automatic, and think the AR-15 is a “machine gun”. Others simply don’t care about the terminology. This video also overlooks the nature of legislation which has been aimed to outlaw the AR-15, such as the Assault Weapons Ban, which targeted features like collapsible stocks, curved magazines, scopes, or barrel shrouds, which make a weapon look “military-like”, but don’t actually alter a weapon’s net lethality. Other than that, good job on remaining neutral.

"This is a tough topic to be unbiased about." I completely disagree. There's nothing complicated about the AR15. It's just a semiautomatic rifle. That's literally it.

Nobody ever calls this ''The Black Rifle'' or any of the other similar guns.

You can't 3D print the entire gun. Sure you can 3D print accessories like stocks and handgrips, but if you try and print say the chamber, it's gonna blow up.

AR-15 is one of the most popular weapons in the world... *Ak-47 laughing in background*

I appreciate the lack of political opinion. The facts were simply shared on the history of a weapon platform.

4:11 there is no way someone 3d printed an entire AR-15. There are some parts that need to be metal.

SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED

Where can I as a Civilian buy this grenade launcher attachment?

Not a bad basic primer but there are errors. The HK is not really an AR, it doesn't use the same gas system but rather a piston vs the DI system. And modern gunpowder is not explosive at all; it's a propellant that burns rapidly. Black powder on the other hand is actually explosive. Virtually all modern firearms are mass produced and have interchangeable parts- this applies to the AK as well. A huge part of the popularity of the Black Rifle is modularity but there are many modular rifles. The fact the US military uses a similar rifle is a big factor.

This video is confusing because it doesn't do any differentiation between civilian semi-auto AR15s and the full auto ones

And even though it's one of the most popular types of rifles on the market in the US, it's used in less than 1% of all firearm related homicides. Yet people don't know that little fact. They think it's used in significantly more shootings. The more you know.........

You missed a BIG piece of information that is insanely misunderstood by people all over the country who don't know much about guns. This. Weapon. Is. Not. Fully. Automatic. The military's versions are, the civilian versions aren't. This weapon cannot fire faster than any other hunting rifle that isn't bolt action or shotgun or pistol. You shouldn't compare it to the military's weapons without adding in that information. Being such a large network of researchers I feel like that was intentionally left out.

But you didn't explain the important part like what semi and auto fire mean , some people don't know the difference

This is actually a pretty unbiased video in terms of politics. I think it's important that both sides learn about the AR-15, what it's actually capable of, and how it's used. I am a supporter of the right to own and carry AR-15's, but a lot of people who scorn the rifle as an "assault weapon" really don't know what they're talking about. This video brings us toward a path where mainstream news no longer says things like "the AR-15 can fire 1000 rounds a minute" or "30 rounds magazines are high capacity." When everyone is educated on the matter, it makes for much better discourse on both sides.

#blackgunsmatter

I can add a grenade launcher to an at-15 but you you can't buy actual grenades. Your video was great until you acted like civilians have access to a grenade launcher with an ar-15

I think an important thing that could have been added to this video, is some context about those estimated 5-10 million AR-type guns in the US. out of the approximately 33,000 gun deaths in the US each year(about 2/3 of which are suicides, so we'll limit this to the 10-12,000 gun homicides), only about 300 of those deaths are from rifles of any kind, and only a fraction of those 300 are from what would be considered "assault weapons". this is a tiny percentage, both of total gun deaths, and of the number of all civilian owned ARs that are ever used to kill(or in crimes in general.) contrast that to about 90,000 alcohol related deaths each year, and 40,000 deaths from _secondhand smoke alone,_ and one is forced to wonder why people are so focused on banning "assault weapons", but not alcoholic beverages or tobacco products. not only that, but even if we did ban them, what then? what laws/bans are they going to want after these mass shootings keep happening, but the pistols and shotguns(like the most recent shooting in Texas, or the Virginia tech shooting, which was the deadliest ever at the time it was carried out?) I mean, people are already talking about banning all semi-automatic guns, or even any gun capable of accepting a detachable magazine, which would be virtually all guns except most shotguns, revolvers, and some bolt/lever action rifles. this video is important, but it fails to address so much. the problem is, the people making these laws, and 95+% of the people supporting these laws(i.e. 'assault weapons' bans, or 'high capacity' magazine bans) know virtually nothing about guns, and dont what makes an AR-15 different from any other gun. they don't realize that there is no functional difference between an AR-15, and something like a ruger mini-14. it's just that one is made of wood, and the other is black and scary/tactical looking. this is why these politicians had to ban weapons based on meaningless cosmetic features(such as adjustable stocks, pistol grips, muzzle breaks/compensators, etc.), that do literally nothing to make a gun more deadly. literally all they did(and they admit this), was look at guns they thought were scary looking, and tried to find features that they had in common, and banned the possession of any gun possessing those features. so for example, like I said before, her in CT where I live, AR-15s are now illegal, but I can go into any gun store and buy a ruger mini-14, or ares SCR, or kel-tec, or any other number of guns that fire the same round as an AR, at the same rate, with the same magazines, the same barrel length, etc. in fact, I can buy even "deadlier" guns that fire more powerful rounds like an m1a1. or I can buy a shotgun(including semi-automatic shotguns) that fire rounds far more deadly than the .223/5.56 that the AR-15 is chambered in. tell me, what kind of sense does this make? it seems to me tjese laws are A. based on ignorance, and B., based on emotion, their only purpose being to abate people's fears, and make them feel better, or like they've done something.

There is no reason to ban these firearms, since they are no more dangerous than other semi-automatic guns.

He forgot to mention the civilian version is not fully automatic

As a gun nut, I'm surprised with this video. Well researched, not pushing any obvious agenda. Well done Trace. EDIT: One misshap is that they said the AR-15 could fire fully automatic. This is inaccurate. The AR-15 is a sem-automatic rifle only. Effectively the same system as your grandpa's old wood-rifle. A weapon you probably never saw as threatening. Treating these weapons as weapons of murder just because their furnish is identical to that of the military is wrong. These AR-15's were designed to be sporting-rifles. Not 'assault rifles'.

Fairly impartial, but this makes it sound like it's super easy to get an automatic weapon with a grenade launcher on the bottom of it, simply not the case.

I have to say I'm genuinely hugely impressed at how well this video has been made. no bias to any one side of the argument, no twisting of words or dancing around the issues. Just making straightforward points that make the capabilities of these weapons and the whole gun debate itself, easier to understand. a rare occurrence on youtube these days. Genuinely guys, Well Done.

Honestly, if I'm US citizen I will buy these bad boys for a hobby. Looks really fun.

Remember the days when the AK was known as the enemy/evil gun?

I'm a liberal. I'm classically liberal, as in I believe in liberty. Every man has the right to defend from tyrannical threats.

Ther ar-17 is a highly deadly assault weapon designed by Yisrael Galil in the year 2018. It's chambered in .308 and has a 5000 round magazine with an average rate of fire of 99999999999999999999 rounds per millisecond. It can fire up to 1000000000000000000000 miles and if you press the shiny red button on the back if the ar-47 then you get infinite ammo and become invincible for 30 seconds making it the ideal weapon for school shooters.

Gun control is and has never been about making you safe. Gun control is simply about control.

I'm actually surprised, for once, to see that Seeker wasn't trying to push an agenda. This was well researched, proper terminology was used, and no opinions were inserted. I have to give you praise for that. I am pro 2-A, and as such I don't believe in restricting the average law abiding citizen from ownership of a firearm. Guns don't kill people, people kill people. If you could eliminate all guns, people would use other weapons to kill people. It has happened since the dawn of time, and it'll continue to happen. If you restrict average people from owning guns, only bad people will have guns. What stops a bad person with a gun? A good person with a gun.

I think civilians like the AR-15 because it is a gun that is easy to handle and it can be used in many situations, not because it can be attached with a grenade launcher and to kill people.

Literally never heard a single person refer to any type of AR as “the Black rifle” not even in the news. Everyone I have ever heard calls it’s an AR or some variation on that. It’s the shortest and easiest way to describe it. The black rifle just sounds stupid. I have a black rifle that’s a bolt action .22, and a red AR 15, why would you ever call an AR something to vague and nondiscriptive, the color is irrelevant.

I love my AR. It's a symbol of freedom. Come and take them.

My cousin used to work for a gun manufacturer, but he got _fired._

Pretty important info was missed: AR-15s are not assault rifles. Assault rifles, like the M16 varients, fire full-auto, the AR-15 fires semi-auto.

The AR 15 was a civilian gun before it was a military weapon. The Army was weary of using it because the bullet is much smaller and has arguably less stopping power than the 7.62x51mm or .30-06 previously used in all U.S military small arms.

Remember kids, the AR15 has a CYCLIC RATE of 750-900 rounds a minute. The sustained fire rate is between 45-60. Good luck firing 800 rounds a minute without a 20 pound barrel and a 1,000 round magazine.

A couple of minor issues I would fix, but otherwise the most non-partisan informational video discussing the AR-15.

This video fails to explain the difference between a civilian AR-15 and a military M16. To set the record straight the military has never and will never issue an AR-15 to troops. The AR-15 is the civilian version of the M16. M16's have a fire control switch that lets them select Automatic(continuous fire until release of the trigger), 3 round burst(3 rounds per trigger pull), or Semi-Automatic (1 round per trigger pull). The AR-15 civilian version only has Semi-Automatic fire. 1 bullet per trigger pull.

Didn't do a very good job of delineating the difference between the semi auto and full auto.

The m16 and ar-15 are different one fires fully automatic the other doesn’t

Thank you for producing a video about this weapon that is devoid of the common emotionally charged rhetoric, and political biases that normally plagues our conversations about guns. This is why I respect this channel. It endeavors, as any good science channel would, to be objective.

This question can be easily answered: The AR-15 platform is a rugged, controllable, ergonomic rifle suitable for shooters of all skill levels. With sixty years of development, and a vast aftermarket, the rifle to be specced for any purpose, and any caliber, the owner desires. If it can be said that anyone needs a rifle, the rifle they need is an AR.

Insisting on calling it ''the black rifle" is just adding to the scaremongering about this gun platform. It is no more or less deadly, or for that matter black than other gun types that preform the same function.

Fun fact: "Assault Weapons" do not exist. One is a verb and the other is noun. Not mutually exclusive.

Sorry but as a liberal black rifle owner you forget to mention one huge difference between the ar15 and the family members you listed. They are all automatic fire or burst fire(more than one shot per trigger pull.) The ar15 is semi-auto(one shot per trigger pull.) Makes a huge difference!

The problem with banning or even limiting any type of weapon is the existence of the 2nd amendment. It's a fundamental right. I quite like living in the type of country where my fundamental rights can't be stripped away on the whim of an individual or group of individuals. If we want to change the constitution there is a process. A process specifically designed to protect the fundamental rights of YOU and ME and EVERYONE.

The picture of the "ar 15" was a m16

Great video! Informative and educational. I'll be sharing with people (on both sides of the 'debate') so they can be brought up to speed. Thanks for putting this together.

if you ban guns all criminals have guns and law-abiding citizens won't. so what do you do?

1: The AR15 is not related to any class of military grade weapons 2: All legally owned AR15 fire the exact rate of fire as any other legal weapon and the speed of this particular firearm is as fast as your finger 3:Fully automatic weapons are illegal in the United States (very few exceptions) 4:The AR15 is not related to the M16,MO4 or any form of military grade weapon (just wanted to make it clear) 5:The reason why the Pentagon was "Dragging their feet" is due to the tests the AR15 was put through they said that it wasn't that good for military use 4: You cannot get attachments that make the firearm more dangerous unless you pass a special test for it and basically it's just adding bells and whistles onto it 5: you cannot make a fully functional weapon from a 3D printer (yet) but you can make magazines 6: of course you want to put a scope on it the weapon is meant for sporting 7: the grenade launcher argument is just plain idiotic because a grenade launcher is damn near impossible to get unless you live in the middle East 8: There is a "lingo" for it that's why gun legislator should be made by people who actually know how the firearm works,productions,pros and cons 9:Again I say the AR15 is not a rapid fire weapon United States legally owned AR15 will most likely be Semiautomatic (rare legal exceptions)

Hey, I'm turning 18 in a bit and I've decided to go with a Colt LE6920. My question is, should I get an EOTech EXPS3 or an Aimpoint T1?

quality reporting as always from Trace. Very informative, yet unbiased

These "black rifles" are fundamentally no different from any other gun out there. First time hearing the saying "black rifle" kinda interesting i always referred to "black rifles" by there specific name.

Black rifles matter

I mainly agreed until you said "it's about all of us". Wrong! My weapons are none of your business. You say only women should control their bodies, well only gun owners should control their guns.

People say it's dangourus because it's a gun the person behind it is dangerous not the gun

The Government shouldn’t know what I own. It’s literally none of their business.

You should have explained the difference between the semi automatic civilian ar15 and the militaries fully auto m16

"You can even add a scope or two or a grenade launcher if thats you're thing" Wow, that's not fear-mongering at all.

I am impressed with how unbiased this was! I came into this video looking for something to mock but aside from some factual errors this is a really good intro to the AR platform especially for people who may not be well versed in the world or firearms.

If there's one version of the AR platform I'm dying to see, it's a clip-fed upper. As in the upper receiver has a slot cut into it so that the mag can be filled with stripper-clips. For reference, look up the T48 rifle (US Army FN FAL trial rifle that lost out to the M14) or the Ljungmann rifle. Combo that upper with a SCR lower with wood furniture and a permanently affixed 10/15rd magazine, and you got a retro AR.

why bring up a grenade launcher who in the hell has the money or permits for a grenade launcher

Thanks for the info.

thanks for keeping it informative and unbiased

As an avid pro 2A guy. I was afraid that this was going to be a horribly biased and rage inducing video. I'm very glad to see it wasn't. I imagine it was hard for you and your team to keep unbiased and I commend you guys for it. The only complaint I have is the term black rifle. I have never ever heard this term before. And I shoot alot. But if thats all you got ... I dont want to say off... If thats the worst thing in the video you did a good job. 👍

guns are just badass looking i mean come on

I didn’t expect this video to be so honest. You have a new follower

Surprisingly good content. good job Seeker.

If it had a wooden stock nobody would have a problem with the “black rifle”...

nice glasses, trace boi

Pure Information without picking a side. Respect. Not a lot of people making stuff like this anymore.

I think you did a great job and stayed unbiased. i expected this to be very biased but was pleasantly surprised!

As a civilian who has used his ar 15 to fight for his life and could have died if I would have had anything else. I commend you. I could tell where you’re thinking lies on this subject but you tried very hard to be objective, and that I respect... except for the grenade launcher bit???? Oh and you forgot the sig mpx. Lol it’s just a tool not evil.

I honestly expected this to suddenly turn very political, but it didn't and you presented the facts really well. As someone who is pro-Second Amendment and will never surrender an inch on my rights, I really appreciate the honest presentation. Cheers!

Awesome Vid, I'm guessing the AK is part of a different range, can you guys do something similar with that one?

Bretty good video guy

the ar 15 is a lego set for adults😀

I am liberal but the second amendment should be protected. It protects our freedom.

Probably the most fair examination of the AR platform short of presenting any evidence of bias. It earns a thumbs up from me.

Finally. A factual video about the AR 15 family from a news channel on RU-vid. Devoid of any emotion and speculation.

😂😂😂😂😂! Grenade launcher!! Give me a break

Ultimately a gun is a tool to kill from a safe distance rather than using a club, bladed weapon, or a spear. "Human nature" has improved the gun from crude flint lock, black powder weapons to what we have today. "Human nature" decides where the bullets go when the trigger is pulled, not the gun. This is a cultural issue, not a gun ownership one. You can't take the guns away anymore, there are too many. But sadly common sense has left this world. I'll be surprised if I get any replies...

Excellent video

I love that this wasnt a biased piece. Job well done seeker!!!

Wow I was expecting a hit piece on the AR but you actually did a pretty great job in explaining its origins and fictions. This gun does excit people in the hot bed of culture and opinion that takes place in the US. But it's actually pretty old technology that has lived only because of its ability to adapt and its ease of use. It's nothing special when it comes to "power" it shoots a very small projectile just as fast as many hunting or sporting options. It's just the modern day equivalent of the Henery lever action.

"Congress made it illegal to register any firearms, firearm owners, or transactions" Hmm tell that to people from NY lol. Overall a good message on this video and I give you props. We need more factual and unbias discussion on the topic and I hope people continue to educate themselves.

I died at 4:00 “owners can take out and swap the stock, grip, chamber, and barrel. These are called the uppers and lowers”

Surprisingly well done video in a sea of typically biased reports on this topic. There are a few minor errors or omissions, but the other comments appear to be addressing those. Thanks for taking the time to approach this with much more thought and reason than is typically observed in other mainstream outlets of today.

Inaccuracies and omissions pointed out below: In 1963 you could still purchase the fully automatic version, as long as you payed the $200 tax stamp and registered it under NFA. This was possible all the way until 1986. Oh also in 1963, you could still mail order straight to your house without any background checks or anything... yea... I love how you point out "Oh you can add a grenade launcher..." actually no, you can add a flare launcher. A grenade launcher is a restricted destructive device under NFA. Not to mention the grenades themselves are illegal to own... But you can make it into a golf ball launcher... seriously you can really make it into a golf ball launcher... Also failed to mention its the most commonly used sporting rifle in competitive shooting.. And I don't mean old school stationary target shooting, I'm talking about 3-gun competition and practical shooting sports.

To those who say that the AR-15 is a bad hunting rifle obviously haven't hunted with one. Yes, when chambered in .223, you won't want to be shooting deer, but man oh man is it a good varmit gun, hog gun, and range gun. When chambered in .300 Blackout, .308, or even .300 Win Mag, it's one of the best guns to hunt with out there. I hunt white tail with a Blackout, and hog hunt with my 223. One of the main reasons people get one is because of its versatility, you can use the same gun to hunt, range shoot, and home defense, instead of buying three separate guns to do it. Sure, there are better guns for each individual job, most Bolt rifles would be a better choice to hunt, a high-powered pistol or even a shotgun may be better for home defense. Guns don't kill people, people kill people, and it's a sad sad truth. It's sad that there are people out there who are either so twisted mentally or are just plain evil enough to do these things, but it's even worse to even think that there are people out there who would want to consider stripping us of our God-given right to defend ourselves. If I am going to defend myself, I want one of the most efficient weapons to have at my disposal, and any gun chambered in the AR platform would be my weapon of choice, be it threats foreign or domestic.

Thank you for taking a completely unbiased approach to this

Great video! I'd definitely recommend it for anyone who doesn't quite understand what an AR-15 is.

But what about the AK-47 and the million variants it has?

They are not weapons, they are guns. They are only weapons if you use them as such. Obviously, the people at Seeker use then as weapons. I used them as sports equipment. They are my 15 iron to be used on the IPSC range.

Im glad to hear such a measured report about the gun and allowing others to form their own opinions. I am a little afraid to dig through the comments, but what ive seen thus far is surprisingly positive. I especially liked the comment toward the end that this is a collaborative effort for all involved to make this a safe scenario

Step 1 Proper grip Step 2 thumb to clip Step 3 twist pull pin Step 4 strike a pose Step 5 launch Step 6 Duck 4 cover Did I pass my weapons qualification Sargent? Sergeant: Yeah your getting recycled private