Colt To Stop Making AR-15 Rifles For Civilians

American gun manufacturer Colt has announced they will stop making the AR-15 (also known as the ArmaLite rifle) for civilian sales.

The CEO of Colt, Dennis Veilleux, released a statement saying that the company will not cease the sales permanently, but will be ending production for right now. The company will continue to produce similar rifles for existing contracts with military and law enforcement agencies. The CEO describes those contracts as "significant".

Some have been quick to attach the recent outbreak of high-profile mass shootings to the announcement from Colt. Though that connection was not made clear in the statement from the company.

As of September 1st, 2019, there have been 297 mass shootings in the United States, not all involving this particular model rifle. High-profile shootings in Odessa, Parkland, Florida, and Newtown, Connecticut did involve this particular style rifle, which has made it a common target in gun control debates.