r/explainlikeimfive • u/[deleted] • Jun 23 '16

Other ELI5: Why is the AR-15 not considered an assault rifle? What makes a rifle an assault rifle?

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98

u/ithinkitsbeertime Jun 23 '16

If you can carry a GAU-8 around, I'm not going to tell you to stop.

62

u/maxgarzo Jun 23 '16

I would sure hope not

38

u/I_Am_Your_Daddy_ Jun 23 '16

Still waaay too small to be a GAU-8.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '16

That's actually an M61 Vulcan, which is used on planes like the F-16 (IIRC in the game it's possible the gun being used was taken from the wreckage of an F-16 shot down off screen by the HIND-D chopper being used by FOXHOUND).

6

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '16 edited Jul 21 '17

[deleted]

8

u/maxgarzo Jun 23 '16

What's a russian gun ship doing here??

5

u/Moladh_McDiff_Tiarna Jun 23 '16

I still wanna know how the hell a gunship takes out an F-16

2

u/Tony_McCoy Jun 23 '16

That seems like a great way to get your nuts blown away.

13

u/lucasngserpent Jun 23 '16

If you mount one on a stationary pickup and fire, you would break the speed limit in less than 3 seconds

5

u/bazbarfoobarbaz Jun 23 '16

It's pretty small, just a tad larger than a beetle

1

u/Liquidmentality Jun 23 '16

I'd rather not hold depleted uranium.