Hey BGOL Gun Heads
The man who shot former president Trump reportedly used a DPMS-brand AR rifle purchased by his father,
chambered in 5.56 caliber/5.56 x 45 mm NATO ammunition. That brand is now owned by the parent of South Carolina-based Palmetto State Armory. DPMS stands for Defense Procurement Manufacturing Services. Founded in 1985, it was a defense contractor started by Randy Luth. Under Luth, the St. Cloud, Minnesota-based company was a fast-growing manufacturer of AR parts that eventually developed Panther Arms brand of firearms.
Weapons experts worldwide have suggested that the AR used was a poor choice for effective long-range shooting. The shooter was perched on a rooftop approximately 150 yards away from the podium where Trump was speaking. It’s unclear if he used any optics to magnify his perspective.
Experts speculate why shooter missed Trump
Webb, the Navy SEAL, speculated that the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO ammunition the shooter used was highly susceptible to variations in wind and humidity.
“If the shooter sighted in the rifle in the spring and shot in the summer, the bullet impact could be up or down, left or right by two to three inches because of the hotter temps and faster velocity of the round,” Webb said. “This may have saved Trump’s life.”
Guy McCardle, an Army veteran, suggested that a combination of poor marksmanship, nerves, heat and the prone firing position likely contributed to the shooter missing Trump.
“If the shot would have hit the former President in the temple area, the results would have most likely been fatal,” McCardle said. “Snipers, however, don’t tend to aim for the head because it’s a relatively small target that bobs around a lot. They shoot toward the center of mass as that is where most of our vital organs are located.”
-- USA TODAY