Since the AR-15s invention by a self-taught firearms designer in the 1950s, the rifle has had a long, strange and bloody history that has led it from obscurity to ubiquity. At first, it was scoffed at by civilian gun-owners. Today, Americans own more than 20 million ARs. We’ve spent years researching the saga of this rifle, from the inventor’s garage to Vietnam battlefields to gun company boardrooms to movie theaters, concerts, grocery stores, schools, houses of worship and shopping malls transformed in a moment into killing zones. In September we will publish the true story of this unique American invention that has become the fulcrum of our national debates about guns. Pre-order here.
John F. Kennedy holding an AR-15.