How a Gun Became a Symbol of America

New book discusses the cultural, economic, and political implications of America’s love affair with the AR-15

By Ren Brabenec | Sept. 9, 2023

Cameron McWhirter and Zusha Elinson, journalists at The Wall Street Journal and authors of American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15, will take the stage for a National Writers Series conversation at the City Opera House on Tuesday, September 19, at 7pm.

The topic at hand? The authors will draw on years of experience covering gun culture, the gun industry, and mass shootings to discuss the history of the AR-15 and how the gun came to represent freedom to millions of Americans—and death and destruction to millions of others.

Built in a Garage

Like many other inventions resulting from American ingenuity—and perhaps a dash of engineering brilliance bordering on eccentricity—the AR-15 was built in a garage.

“In the 1950s, Marine veteran and gun designer Eugene Stoner sought to create a lightweight, easy-to-use military weapon that would replace the heavy M1 rifles used by American soldiers in World War II,” says co-author Cameron McWhirter. “Stoner approached the AR-15 like an engineer approaches a problem. He wanted our troops to have a better weapon for fighting the Cold War, especially for battling insurgencies.”

After founding a small gun manufacturing company, Stoner took on competitors, political naysayers, and obstinate military brass who preferred their gun designs over Stoner’s invention. Stoner successfully established his weapon as the superior option for the military, and under the name M16, Stoner’s firearm would become standard equipment in Vietnam.

However, consumers and manufacturers first shunned the weapon when it was brought to the civilian market in the 1960s. But the rifle’s design was improved, earning it the AR-15 designation used today.

“Back then, gun enthusiasts looked at the rifle and thought it quite bizarre,” says McWhirter. “They were used to heavy steel and wood designs. Not this odd-looking construction of aluminum and plastic. Also, civilians didn't really want it at first, and poor sales reflected that. … It was highly efficient in its intended military purpose, but civilian interest in the weapon had yet to catch on.”

Despite initial pushback, a combination of clever marketing campaigns, political influences, manufacturing advancements, and cultural shifts brought the AR-15 fully into the public consciousness by the 2000s, and the once mostly-ignored weapon was now highly sought-after by consumers.

“But around that same time, the AR-15 also became the weapon of choice in some of the worst mass shooting incidents of our time, prompting widespread calls for proscription even as the gun industry did an 180-degree turn and embraced the weapon, and even as millions of gun enthusiasts identified it as a symbol of the freedom they felt it secured,” says co-author Zusha Elinson.

Why a Book About the AR-15?

The current debates over the AR-15 and how to end mass shootings in America seem to roil endlessly with few solutions or realistic compromises brought to bear. “We wrote this book to tell the untold story of the AR-15,” says Elinson. “When people don’t know the backstory of something, how can they hope to solve problems associated with it?”

“This book is not a prescription,” adds McWhirter. “But it does tell us how we got to where we are today. It helps people understand why we’re living in a world where there are at least 20 million AR-15 weapons in the hands of American civilians and why the guns are central to the mass shooting conversation. The AR-15 is both the most popular and the most hated gun in the nation. And it’s a political chew toy.”

The authors hope that if Americans can learn how and why the AR-15 was made, who it was made for, and the decade-by-decade development of the weapon and its significance in the public consciousness, people will agree to solutions and compromises around it.

“We don’t want to live in a country where Americans’ rights are infringed,” says McWhirter. “But we also don’t want to live in a country where children must perform active shooter drills in school and where the rest of us must look over our shoulders and mentally prepare to sprint for the exit every time we enter a public space.”

The book reflects that goal, as the authors interview both victims of AR-15 shootings and the manufacturers and owners of such guns. They share detailed stories like those of Valerie Kallis-Webber, who survived AR-15 shots to the pelvis and shoulder, interviews with gun manufacturer executives about their considerations around the AR-15, and conversations with the family of Eugene Stoner about the gun’s legacy.

In between interviews, the authors present their thorough analysis of relevant Presidential Library documents and Congressional records to uncover the evolution of the weapon from a Cold War-era military rifle to the 21st-century incarnation of today.

Seeking Practical Solutions

Though neither author professes to know the future, the authors feel change is possible and may be coming when it comes to the use and availability of the AR-15.

Elinson remarks that the gun laws of the late 20th century sought primarily to make it more difficult for criminals to access weapons. “But those laws don’t reflect the current crisis,” he says. “Today, most mass shootings are committed by angry, suicidal, mentally unwell individuals, mostly men, many of whom have no criminal background. And many mass shootings are committed by individuals who legally buy the guns, often AR-15s, and use them to commit their atrocities.”

“The AR-15 was invented by a proud former Marine who was also a brilliant engineer. He invented the weapon to solve a problem for the military, not for politics or the Second Amendment,” says McWhirter. “And it is that clear, analytical, engineering mind that we need to employ to solve this crisis. Lots of organizations have put forward ideas and solutions. But any solution must be based in a strong, clear, and honest understanding of the history of the weapon and the reasons for its cultural relevance.”

McWhirter and Elinson believe that American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15 tells the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the AR-15. Once we understand this weapon and its connections to the American consciousness, it’ll be on us to construct solutions around it.

“The current state of politics does not seem to trend toward practical solutions,” admits Elinson. “In the gun debate, both sides are often invested in promoting extreme approaches that never go anywhere. Meanwhile, these mass shootings will continue happening, from Sandy Hook to San Bernardino to Orlando, Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, Stoneman Douglas High School, Buffalo, and Uvalde. But there are people out there who are putting forth practical, common sense solutions and compromises. We believe that the more people who read the book and understand the origin story of the AR-15, the more practical their solutions will become.”

About the Event

This event is presented by the National Writers Series at City Opera House at 7pm on Tuesday, Sept. 19, and can be attended in person or live-streamed. In-person tickets are $17 to $27 (plus fees). Virtual tickets are $15 per household (plus fees) and can be purchased through the National Writers Series website, along with copies of American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15. To purchase or for more information, visit nationalwritersseries.org.