The aversion to AR-15 owners was stronger than the aversion to owners of other types of firearms (pistols). When given a choice, the probability that a respondent would prefer to live near someone who owned an AR-15 plummeted by over 20 percentage points, indicating a strong societal preference against this type of gun ownership.

Which, as usual, goes a long way towards illustrating how effective propaganda and manipulation of people’s opinions can be. Not just on this specific topic either, but in this case I guess that’s what we’re talking about. Despite its scientific dressings, what this study is exploring isn’t actually any mechanical factor, it is measuring people’s perceptions which are not guaranteed to be reflected by reality. (And again, this is true of many other topics as well…)

The AR-15 platform does the same damn thing and shoots the same damn bullet in the same damn way as numerous other firearms, and yet just the name itself has a bad rap from being incessantly repeated in the news and social media.

Here’s this old chestnut. It’s still true.

Why’s the one on top “scarier?”

Tl;dr: Own, store, and handle your gun responsibly. Don’t be a paranoid loon. Don’t believe in whatever boogeyman Fox News is pushing this week. Don’t hyperventilate about fictional distinctions.

Why’s the one on top “scarier?”

Because of the type of people more likely to buy the one at the top.

I’m not sure why people like you don’t understand that. It’s not the gun, it’s the sort of people buying it.

And if you are an AR-15 owner and don’t like who the gun is associated with, I’m sorry. You don’t get to choose how society judges things, whether or not it is fair.

Because of the type of people more likely to buy the one at the top.

Who's that?

You don’t get to choose how society judges things, whether or not it is fair.

Are you saying that a study with a self-selection bias of participants that specifically use MTurk, that has 3 comparative subjects (no gun, pistol, AR) for comparison is indicative of societal perspective?

Fine. I’ll play your game this once, but do you really need it spelled out to you that the AR-15 and other rifles designed to look like military weapons even though they aren’t is what society associates with right-wing assholes who are ready to shoot up those durn libruls and queers?

Whether you think it’s a fair association or not is irrelevant. That’s what a large segment of the population associates that gun with, including many gun owners.

Bitch about it all you want, them’s the breaks.

Now, any more silly game-playing you want to do?

Fine. I’ll play your game this once, but do you really need it spelled out to you that the AR-15 and other rifles designed to look like military weapons even though they aren’t is what society associates with right-wing assholes who are ready to shoot up those durn libruls and queers?

I despise games, but I despise ignorant bullshit more. I don't want to play games with you. The AR-15 is a popular choice among rifle owners in the US typically because of the availability of parts and ammo... that's the main reason. It can accommodate both 5.56 and .223, so again, if you're actually keeping one around to protect yourself against ______ (fill in the blank) you'll have a better chance at acquiring ammo.

I'm the polar opposite of a right-wing asshole (the asshole part may still hold), but if more ARs and AR parts are being produced, it's simply a matter of practicality in the long-term.

Whether you think it’s a fair association or not is irrelevant. That’s what a large segment of the population associates that gun with, including many gun owners.

Fair association? What the fuck are you talking about? I could give a fuck about perceptions, but assuming that everyone that owns an AR is a right-winger is dumb. I don't think YOU get to speak for a large segment of the population; you simply speak for yourself.

I can’t help that you don’t like the general public perception of people who own the gun that you own. It doesn’t change that perception and being rude about it also doesn’t help.

It’s also not about what I personally believe, so please stop suggesting it is.

Assuming?

Let’s start with the Republican-sponsored act to make the AR-15 the national gun of the U.S. - www.congress.gov/bill/…/cosponsors

Then there are the AR-15 pins Republican politicians wear- time.com/6253690/ar-15-pins-congress/

And the AR-15 giveaway fundraisers Republicans hold- washingtonpost.com/…/virginia-write-in-race-gun-g…

Here are a whole bunch of Republicans begging the army to keep selling AR-15 ammo on the market- thereload.com/republicans-urge-army-to-continue-s…

Here’s Lindsay Graham saying he has an AR-15 to defend himself from gangs- cbsnews.com/…/lindsey-graham-ar-15-protect-home-g…

And we can finish with this article about how the AR-15 has become the symbol of the right- newsweek.com/how-ar-15-became-symbol-us-right-179…

So no, I don’t think I’m assuming anything.

I gave you a huge mountain of evidence. Claims made with evidence are not assumptions. Why are you being so dishonest? All I can think is you didn’t even bother to view those links. The right has undeniably made the AR-15 their symbol. I have shown that very clearly. Because they have made it their symbol, the general public associates them with it. That’s not an assumption, that’s how it works when someone makes something their symbol.

Am I making an assumption when I think the general public associates red baseball caps with MAGA Trumpers? No, because that’s one of their symbols.

Again, I understand that you do not like it that a gun you own is viewed as a right-wing thing by people, but blame the right.