Uh. $50,000 M16?

[Bob Peck]

Trying to think if I built one from absolute scratch using the best-of-the-best if the total tab would come to $50k

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/hassan-...020551481.html

[Jon]

Not sure what this "assault rifle" they speak of is.
I've built several AR rifles and although they aren't "assault rifles" (simply because they don't assault anyone or anything) the price tag has never been about $1200. I can't imagine building a sporting rifle with the absolute best pieces/parts that could come anywhere near 1/20 of what this moron has.

[Swamp Fox]

You might say rifle prices can't jump ... that high.

[DParker]

Well, I'm pretty sure that unless it's got some solid gold parts, what he has (and was temporarily relieved of) is an actual pre-'86 M-16 complete with happy switch (not to mention the suppressor). The price tag comes from the rarity of such select-fire weaponry relative to their demand, not the aggregate cost of their parts.

I concur that he's an idiot though...for obvious reasons.

[Swamp Fox]

Then the media missed their chance to score the points they so desperately want to score by reckless and ignorant use of the term "assault rifle" all these years.

Everyone thinks they're talking about a semi-auto AR-15 in (let's say) .223. The ones who don't think that think that fully semi-automatic rifles are a thing.


I'd like to be the editor it this case: "So tell me, Hassan ... Why don't you know the difference between semi-automatic and select-fire when you're writing a gun piece? I need pics or you're fired! And get me that damn headline writer in here on your way out!"

[DParker]

The 29-year-old Whiteside reportedly purchased an M16 assault rifle

While it certainly would have been much better if they'd taken the opportunity to actually educate their average window-licking reader on the difference between an M16 and the AR-15s they so habitually mischaracterize as "assault rifles/weapons/whatevers", I'm prepared to at least give them some credit for identifying the weapon and using the terminology correctly in this case.