Another high-profile mass shooting has put the AR-15 assault rifle at the center of America's gun debate -- again. Now the family of one of the weapon's designers is speaking out.

The family of Eugene Stoner, the man credited with developing the AR-15 and its military counterpart the M-16, told NBC "his intent was that he designed it as a military rifle," not for civilian use. They also said he never owned one of his signature rifles, despite his fondness for sport shooting.

Despite initial reports, an AR-15 wasn't used in the mass shooting that killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando. But the weapon has become a stand-in for the semi-automatic weapons often targeted by gun control efforts.

And whether the AR-15 is a military weapon is important: A lawsuit leveled against a gun manufacturer by families of the victims in the Sandy Hook mass shooting hinges on defining the gun as a weapon of war inappropriately marketed to civilians.

That lawsuit still faces long odds, though. Gun rights groups have taken pains to distinguish the AR-15 from its military cousin, pointing to its lack of an automatic fire feature and promoting its use in hunting and sport shooting.

About the Author

Featured

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. (center) is flanked by GOP whip Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. (left) and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, as Thune speak to reporters at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. Earlier Tuesday, the Senate passed the budget reconciliation package of President Donald Trump's signature bill of big tax breaks and spending cuts. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Credit: AP