The AR-15 owners interviewed for a New York Times look at what makes the gun so attractive offered up few explanations as to its usefulness aside from the fact you can shoot a lot of coyotes with it. Basically, it’s fun, they said of the weapon that might be subject to a ban after it was used in the Newtown Massacre. “Some people crochet, some people shop, some people shoot guns,” one explained. Okay, they’re not exactly comparable, but a hobbyist’s attraction seems kind of understandable. But what is it about shooting that particular gun, about cranking out big loads bullets at a time, that makes it so enjoyable? “I don’t want to make it sound weird, but it’s almost like holding a live animal. You’ve fired the thing, and it’s kicked around, and there’s the smell,” Patrick Mason, of Las Vegas, told the paper. “When I put 20 rounds downrange, I’m like, man, I need a burger, yes!” Dude, you can just have the burger.
