Logan Ulrich

Vicki Stalbird

ENG 1201

18 January 2019

Research Proposal

There are many reasons that I have chosen to do my research on firearms. First, I am a

firm believer in the second amendment. I believe that you have the right to protect yourself

against threats including criminals, terrorist, or even the government. I would rather trust me to

protect myself than the police. Second, I like to hunt. Hunting has been a big passion of my

family for many generations. Almost every summer and winter we do a hunting a trip. Family

and close friends are the only people that come with us. Third, my uncle was a world renown gun

smith. He built many rifles including one for me. It has my initials carved in 24 karat gold on the

bottom of it. It was the last rifle he built before he passed away. Finally, I believe that people

have a misconception about firearms and which ones cause the most damage.

I feel like I am knowledgeable about this topic. I feel as if people believe anything they

see on the news and don’t research it before jumping to conclusions. I think firearms in general

need to be clarified for people. I believe that people just think that a tactical looking rifle is

deadlier than a hunting rifle. Never judge a book by its cover. Almost all AR-15s are chambered,

or what bullet they fire, in .223/5.56 mm (basically the same bullet). Both bullets are most

commonly used for small game like groundhogs, rabbits, and small coyotes. They don’t even

have enough power to kill a deer unless the shot is perfect. Most of the “old” lever rifles that are

used in cowboy films are more a lot more powerful than any AR-15 today. They could also hold
about 10 bullets before you had to reload. Most of the bullets they used back then were

chambered in .45-70, .45 Long Colt, .444 Marlin, etc. Many of these bullets are used today for

dangerous game like lions, bears, and moose. AR-15s shoot bullets that are 40-55 grains (2.5-3.5

grams) while cartridges like the .45-70 shoot bullets that are 300-500 grains (20-30 grams).

I think the things I need to learn is which weapon is being used the most in shootings. I

also need to figure out what caliber of bullet they are using. I think my questions would be

“Which type of firearm is being used the most in shootings?” and “What caliber are they using

and is it strong enough to be fatal?” I think I would need to find some of these statistics in

academic databases and police reports.