Texas Church Shooting: Revisiting the Gun Used in the Horrific Attack

Introduction
On November 5, 2017, a gunman opened fire inside a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. The attack killed 26 people and injured 20 others. The guns used were an AR-556 Rifle and a Ruger 22 handgun. The violence of the tragedy perpetrated by the attacker brings intense public scrutiny to the public availability of the AR-556 and the Ruger.

The AR-556 Rifle
The weapon used in the November 5th attack in Texas was an AR-556 series of rifle, which is a semi-automatic assault rifle manufactured by Ruger, the parent company of the handgun also used in the attack. According to media reports, the AR-556 is a civilian version of the AR-15 assault rifle, with some modifications to comply withUS laws.

The AR-556 is chambered in the popular 223 Remington/5.56x45mm NATO round, with a maximum rate of fire of approximately 700 rounds per minute in the semi-automatic configuration. This type of rifle is capable of reaching a muzzle velocity of around 2800 feet per second (fps). The AR-556 has an overall length of 37 inches and a barrel length of 16.1 inches. The rifle weighs 7.1 pounds with an unloaded magazine.

The Ruger 22 Handgun
The other weapon used in the attack was a Ruger 22 handgun chambered in .22 Long Rifle. Manufactured by Ruger, the handgun has a maximum magazine capacity of 10 rounds. The Ruger 22 is a semi-automatic handgun manufactured for the US civilian market. It is a single-action handgun that is often used for target shooting and plinking. It has a maximum rate of fire of approximately 700 rounds per minute, and has a muzzle velocity of approximately 1100 fps. The overall length of the Ruger 22 is 10.2 inches and it weighs 1.9 pounds.

Conclusion
The firearms used in the November 5th attack in Texas included an AR-556 rifle and a Ruger 22 handgun. These weapons are considered semi-automatic and have a maximum rate of fire of approximately 700 rounds per minute in the semi-automatic configuration. The AR-556 has an overall length of 37 inches and a barrel length of 16.1 inches with a muzzle velocity of 2800 fps. The Ruger 22 has an overall length of 10.2 inches with a muzzle velocity of 1100 fps. Although the public availability of these weapons is highly scrutinized due to the violence in Texas, both weapons remain legal for purchase in the US for those with sufficient qualifying credentials.