There have been numerous media reports about AR-15s rifles since the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida on Valentine’s Day.

But among those reports, how many are factual and accurate about the rifles? Aubrey Sanders with the Real Texas Gun Show explained the ins and outs of AR-15s. He said sales have been steadily increasing, even before Parkland. There was a slump after Donald Trump was elected president, but sales are up because of “the government’s kneejerk reaction” due to Parkland.

“It’s due to a lack of good parenting. Kids today have no clue how to respect someone. They think there’s no consequence to their actions,” Sanders said. “This is not a video game where somebody pops back up after you shoot them. A rifle is a tool. It depends on the person using it.”

He added that the rifle is an inanimate object, lying on the ground until some uses it and how they use it.

AR-15s are used for sport shooting, boar hunting and self-defense.

“Unfortunately this is not a safe world,” he said.

The projectile fired from an AR-15 also travels faster than a bullet from a traditional deer rifle because the bullet is much lighter and it has a lighter powder load.

Sanders said it takes from four to five seconds to change out a magazine on the rifle that holds the bullets. It takes a minute or more to load a magazine.

There’s also a difference between a semiautomatic and an automatic firearm.

The semiautomatic fires one round at a time when the trigger is squeezed. An automatic firearm fires until the rifle runs out of ammunition or the shooter takes his finger off of the trigger. Sanders said it’s against federal and state law to own an automatic weapon without a Class 3 license.

AR-15s are sometimes referred to as a military type rifle. Sanders said they can be classified for military use along with pump shotguns and bolt-action sniper rifles in Vietnam.

“The variation of the military AR-15 version is it’s fully automatic. It has “a little extra thing” with a button you push that makes it fully automatic,” Sanders said. “Without a Class 3 license, it’s illegal.”

There’s current talk by legislators about raising the age to purchase an AR-15 from 18 to 21. Sanders said there’s been no bump with an onslaught of 18 years olds buying them. In fact, attendees must be 18 or older to enter the Real Texas Gun Show. Older generations, however, are buying the rifles because they’re concerned the government will impose limits.

“You have to be 18 to join the military and 18 to vote. If you can die for your country, you ought to be able to buy one,” he said.

Sanders said laws on the books concerning firearms aren’t being enforced.

He said notices not to bring firearms can be plainly stated everywhere, and it’s illegal for a felon to own a firearm but none of these will matter if the laws aren’t enforced.

“I read the arrest record in a little central Texas town newspaper and two people who are felons were arrested for possession of a firearm. If the law finds them, they will be put in jail,” he said. “Felons will do whatever they need to do to have them (firearms).

“Gun control won’t stop the violence. It’s not the gun’s fault but that’s the thing that will be pointed out. I understand the pain they’re going through, but how many kids are killed by AR-15s versus being killed by a car?”