>>509345421I'll disclose first hand knowledge of M-16's after the Vietnam war as I had a family member who served in Vietnam and possessed an M-16.
The M-16 was a government issued weapon to members of the military.
At the end of the war when troops were being pulled out alot of M-16's disappeared into the market but were still considered property of the United States government and not the property of soldiers. If you had an M-16 after the war you could have been in serious trouble.
Most people, usually soldiers, kept M-16's under wraps the same as a war souvenir.
After enough M-16's made their way into the public sphere the federal government required special licenses and permits to own an M-16. Because almost all of those Vietnam era weapons were fully automatic they had to be converted to semi-automatic to make them legal.
Hence the birth of the AR to replace the M-16 from the marketplace due to the M-16 full auto capacity.
Young people who wanted to be cool and who never were in combat and never killed an enemy soldier or foreign civilian got a hard on for the AR rip off style bought them by the truckload.
Hillbillies and civilians who want to emulate soldiers and Rambo love these supposed "assault rifles".
That's why kids are shooting up schools because the government is making "assault style weapons" and video game training turning civilians into murderers.
Once upon a time American kids played Army with plastic guns and Army helmets.
Now the game is assassin and the government is more than happy to supply the weapons.
Just like they did in the 60's with acid.
The government feeds off the citizens.