How Fast Does an AR 15 Shoot?

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Introduction

Loving the AR 15 rifle is so easy. First, it is a fast shooter, so fast, consistent, and lethal are its shots that, in the mid-1980’s it was rendered illegal. Since 1986 you cannot buy or acquire an AR 15 rifle for domestic or private use. Since then, the guns are now produced as fully automatic, which means they can achieve up to 400 rounds per minute. That’s how fast they are.

Apart from AR 15’s ability to shoot successively fast, you can always count on its adaptability, parts availability, and reliability. Most users love this gun and use it for defense, competitive shooting, using it on the ranch as a truck gun, and even hunting.  

With all these top-notch qualities, you would like to know what makes this gun perform so well. There is no better way of getting to understand why it performs so well other than learning what its features are. That said, let us have a look at these outstanding features below.

The AR 15 Features That Make It a Fast Shooter

Below are some of the features that make the AR 15 gun stand out among other guns in successive and quick shots.

The ‘DI’ Gas System

An AR 15 rifle comes with a direct encroachment gas system known as ‘DI’ or better still, the gas piston. This DI gas system has been proven to work in some of the most adverse shooting conditions. However, you are never limited to the use of this system as it is. You can opt for a gas piston system that mimics the legendary AK-47 that brings AR 15’s reliability to another level.

However, some AR 15 rifles are using the short-stroke gas piston system, a borrowed design from the AR-18 rifles. In this system, a metal rod pushes against the bolt carrier, driven by a piston located just behind the barrel gas port. This design helps to keep the rifle cleaner than the ‘DI’ gas system as it does not support exhausting into the receiver. 

Easily Modifiable

One other reason why AR 15 guns shoot faster than other firearms is their easily modifiable nature. You can personalize an AR 15 to fit your shooting needs and desires. In the past 20 years, the gun has evolved into an open, modular gun platform that you can infinitely hack and accessorize. You can heavily modify the gun without any gunsmithing expertise and with just a few simple tools.

You can even choose to assemble the gun from scratch using the widely available parts of it to suit your desirable fantasy as a shooter. When done with this gun’s personalization, you can have a unique rifle that stands out from anybody else’s AR 15 rifle in the market.

The easy modification process allows you to change calibers by swapping out barrels, bolts, and magazines. You can add and remove accessories like Surefire flashlights, Crimson Trace laser sights, or the Trijicon optics. You can also swap out the rail system found on the gun’s fore-end to include more or fewer accessories depending on your liking.

How fast and effectively your shots also depend on how you grip the gun and how big or small the gun’s stock is. This gun allows you to modify the grip styles and change the stock size to fit your perfect needs as a shooter. You can achieve all these modifications by ordering new parts and accessories from local and online shops or picking parts from different guns to mix and match them for a completely new product.

Thanks to this modification feature, Stephen Paddock quickly created one AR 15 rifle that could fire as many as nine rounds per second.

The ‘Bump Stock’ Technology

The gun takes advantage of inertia in its operations by allowing you to keep your finger on the trigger. When you fire the gun, the bullet leaving the trigger recoils, making the stock to rebound. The air pressure from a gap in the stock causes the rebound and sends the gun forward into your stationery finger to unleash a volley of shots. In that condition, the gun will keep firing until you release the trigger or run out of ammunition in the magazine. 

Continuous Fire

You can easily start multiple rounds of shots with a single pull of the trigger, but you first have to get the gun modified by a professional gunsmith. However, it would help if you exercised extra care when using this option as the more rounds you fire, the hotter the barrel becomes, and the more likely that parts of it will melt.

The AR 15 gun can achieve up to 400 rounds per minute, making it a little safer from the melting point.