Dem Rep. Makes a Big Claim About AR-15 Rifle — and Conservative Journalist Offers $50K If He Can Prove It

In the aftermath of the deadly Orlando nightclub attack, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) said on CNN that the popular AR-15 rifle is capable of firing 700 rounds per minute. He was not challenged on the claim by CNN anchor Erin Burnett.

Police said Sunday that the shooter, identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, entered a popular gay club in Orlando and opened fire, killing 49 people and injuring over 50 others. He was armed with multiple firearms, including a semi-automatic Sig Sauer MCX carbine rifle, not an AR-15. The gunman was killed in a shootout with SWAT officers.

"If he was not able to buy a weapon that shoots off 700 rounds in a minute, a lot of those people would still be alive," he said. "If somebody like him had nothing worse to deal with than a Glock pistol...he might have killed three or four people and not 50. It's way too easy to kill people in America today and we have to think long and hard about what to do about that."

Burnett responded, "You're right about that. Thank you very much."

Multiple viewers were quick to question the claim. However, one conservative journalist went one step further and offered to pay $50,000 to the charity of Grayson’s choice if he can fire an AR-15 700 times or more in one minute. Conrad Close, editor in chief of American Crossroads, made the offer.

So far, no word from Grayson on the offer. TheBlaze has reached out to Grayson’s office about his AR-15 claim.

It wasn't immediately clear where Grayson got the 700 rounds per minute number, but he is likely referring to the capability of a fully automatic rifle. A semi-automatic rifle requires one pull of the trigger for every shot fired. Automatic weapons are heavily restricted at the federal level.

However, several YouTube videos showing gun owners using a “slide fire stock” on AR-15 rifles appear to increase the fire rate dramatically. There was no evidence Monday that the Orlando shooter used any such modifications during the attack that left 49 people dead.

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