The gun Congress can't ban

That's the subtitle of an article by Dan Baum in this month's Harpers.   The gun in question is the AR-15, which has been the most talked about weapon in the current 'debate'.  Baum seems to have spent a lot of time pondering the issue.  He thinks that both sides are not facing reality.  Those favoring gun control should accept the fact that we have about 300,000,000 guns in this country, almost one per person.  In his view the question should not be “How can we ban more guns?” but “How can we live more safely among the millions of guns already floating around?”  Those opposed to gun control should be much more vigilant in keeping their guns locked up.  A surprising number of gun-related crimes are perpetrated by those who have used the guns of their parents, relatives or friends without their consent.

What surprised me most was how difficult it would be to ban the AR-15.  First of all, the weapon is not a single package, it is made up of several components.  It is highly modular and can fairly easily be tailored to your particular needs.  But because only one part of the gun - the lower receiver - has a serial number, it is the only module that is legally considered a firearm.  Thus, one can obtain all the other modules without any possibility of government oversight.

You could also make an AR-15 yourself.  This is perfectly legal.  Someone in Texas has used a 3-D printer to make one out of plastic.  Several companies will sell you an almost complete AR-15; you need only have the proper tools (which are readily available) to drill some holes and cut some sections to have a working AR-15, which will qualify as being home-made under the law.