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A small Alabama gun maker is promoting a Donald Trump-themed “MAGA Patriot” AR-15, the identical mannequin of assault rifle that was used to shoot the ex-president himself two months in the past.
The gun maker, PTC Armory of Eastaboga, Alabama is promoting the primary batch of 20 limited-edition military-style rifles for $2,997 every, in accordance to its web site.
The web site encompasses a picture of an AR-15, the usual fashion of rifle utilized by the US army, with a high-capacity journal and the title TRUMP emblazoned into one facet of the blued floor of the decrease receiver, with the phrases “MAGA Patriot” etched into the opposite.
“Each rifle examined and GUARANTEED to shoot ‘sniper rifle’ correct,” the web site says of the gun. It warned clients on Monday that it had solely 4 of the fashions left to promote.
“The MAGA Patriot AR-15 was designed to be THE AR-15 you attain for within the gun secure when your life or the lives of your loves ones are at stake and also you want a rifle you’ll be able to belief,” wrote PTC Armory’s founder Caleb Lee on the web site.
The Maga-themed gun sale comes simply over two months after an tried assassination on Trump by Thomas Matthew Crooks, who used an AR-15-style rifle to open hearth on the previous president whereas he was talking at a presidential marketing campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The Republican presidential candidate’s ear was injured within the assault, which additionally killed one spectator on the rally. Trump’s marketing campaign didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Trump used to have a hid gun allow in New York Metropolis however can now not personal weapons as a result of he’s a convicted felon. His opponent on this yr’s White Home race, Democratic vice-president Kamala Harris, has stated she is a gun proprietor.
Lee didn’t reply to requests for remark. However his web site described how his firm’s firearms had been handmade to clients’ specs. Included within the buy are two days of free firearms coaching at Patriot Coaching Heart, his coaching college.
Costs for AR-15s vary from as little as $399 on weapons.com for a Plum Loopy AR by ET Arms to greater than $3,500 for fashions with completely different specs. The US army favours the DD model of rifle nevertheless it was additionally used at a mass taking pictures at an elementary college in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022.
The Patriot Coaching Heart web site explains that the Trump weapons are check fired for semi-automatic and computerized hearth earlier than transport to the client.
The AR-15s that gun sellers promote to civilians are usually semi-automatic, taking pictures one spherical with every tug of the set off. Totally computerized weapons, which hearth a gentle stream of rounds because the set off is held down, can be found to the army, legislation enforcement and civilians who efficiently register them with the Nationwide Firearms Act.
President Joe Biden has sought to boost the bar on gun management, partly by requiring NFA approval for all AR-15s, together with semi-automatics, however his efforts have been stymied by a gridlocked Congress.
The AR stands for Armalite, the title of its authentic producer, although the model finally went to Colt, and AR-15s at the moment are produced by many alternative gunmakers.
They’ve turn out to be widespread within the US due to their modular, user-friendly designs, which have additionally contributed to their use in a number of mass shootings.
In 2017 in Las Vegas, Stephen Paddock used a number of AR-15s to kill 58 individuals within the deadliest mass taking pictures in US historical past. He used bump shares to hurry up the speed of fireside for the semi-automatic rifles.
Trump, whose re-election bid has been endorsed by the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation, banned bump shares whereas he was president, however the conservative Supreme Courtroom struck down his ban in June.
Extra reporting by James Politi in Washington
