Teaching others about using an AR is one of the most satisfying things I’ve done on the range, for two big reasons. First, it's rewarding to help others understand a firearm platform that is often vilified in popular media. Second, I enjoy teaching others about the AR platform because sharing American values of personal responsibility and personal safety are a very real way to carry on our national history. Let's look at a few ways we can help other people appreciate and enjoy shooting ARs without making them feel overwhelmed.
Why call it the AR Platform?
Before we get too deep into AR knowledge, let’s clear up what a “platform” is. For those new to gun lingo, you might not realize how many types of guns there are. There are long guns (rifles and shotguns—literally “long” firearms), handguns (pistols), and within those broad categories are subsets. The subsets are usually based on how the firearm functions, such as semi-automatic, bolt-action, revolver, etc. And in those subsets there are more distinctions: For example, with ARs there are gas-operated or piston-operated models. For shotguns, there are break-action and semi-automatic versions. The sheer volume of variations is one reason there are so many gun collectors and enthusiasts. There are some really cool guns that are as much art as they are machine.
When someone talks about a gun “platform,” they’re generally using that word as a generic term to refer to the type of gun, but sometimes platforms contain specific operating systems (like the gas versus piston-style ARs.)
The benefit to a specific platform (like the AR) being used, enjoyed, copied and reproduced is that it means there are tons of options to choose from! And while ARs are made by different manufacturers, there are aspects of them that are constant. For example, an AR platform will always have two main parts: the upper receiver and the lower receiver. And because of the standards manufacturers adhere to, that creates a world where you can build a rifle with just the specifications you want—and for the most part, it’s OK to combine different parts from different manufacturers.
To sum up the AR platform: It is super adaptable, and that means that you can build a “custom” rifle, in the caliber you want, legal for your state, with the buttstock and handguard you like, that’s sized for you. You can even add a drop-in trigger and other accessories that you want without having to pay a gunsmith to build you a custom rifle.
Sharing is Caring
How do you share what you know about ARs with others? First, take someone to the range and allow them to dry fire and manipulate the firearm. Explain the modularity and different ways a person can configure an AR.
The modularity that allows you to create unique configurations is really the gem of the AR platform. Do you want a 6-lb. rifle for the youth or women in your family? You can get an aluminum barrel with a steel bore that’s chambered in .22LR and build one of the lightest and most enjoyable rifles you'll ever shoot. (Mine weighs 6.4 lbs. with a 1-8X scope and an offset red-dot sight.)
Do you want a heavy, accurate, semi-automatic rifle to shoot in long range competitions? You can build that in an AR platform in 6.5 Creedmoor or 6 ARC. Or perhaps you want to go hunting but also would like a gun for home defense? This can be accomplished with an AR: Just buy multiple uppers, (each with a different barrel), for the same lower receiver, and then switch them out between say, hunting and home-defense or competition.
Many people do not truly understand the AR’s versatility and adaptability. Sharing that facet of ARs with others will only increase people's appreciation for the platform. ARs are honestly simple tools: rifles that have universal controls, no matter what caliber it is chambered in or what length barrel or handguard you have, and modularity that makes it easy to customize. That’s the beauty in them!
AR Stands for Armalite Rifle (or America’s Rifle)—You Decide
While some want others to believe that AR stands for “automatic rifle” or “assault rifle,” they are wrong. AR stands for Armalite Rifle, the very first maker of this rifle. The multitude of manufacturers now making ARs, aftermarket parts for them, and accessories to fit them points to this little rifle platform holding so much potential.
Most every AR sold commercially is semi-automatic. The only full-auto ARs available require a license through a somewhat controversial “tax stamp” via the ATF. (Tax stamp items require a person to pay $200 for the paperwork to own a full-auto firearm, or suppressor, or short-barreled firearm.) This has historically come with background checks, ATF paperwork and long waits for processing.
ARs are the rifle I’d recommend for anyone who wants to teach a new gun owner about one of the most common and simple to understand rifles available. These firearms make it simple to understand how a semi-automatic rifle works and gives the end-user almost unlimited options in how they build theirs. The sporting competitions around the world featuring their use attest to the universal appeal of such an adaptable system.
For those who embrace America’s history and the freedom secured by firearms—from muskets of 1776 to the ARs of today, firearms are a more than a symbol. The rifle in the hands of a free people is a defining characteristic of a society that values the human rights of personal safety and personal freedom.
