Dem Rep Describes Terrifying Experience Holding an AR-15: ‘It’s As Heavy As 10 Moving Boxes’

In a video shared this week by an independent journalist, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee described her experience holding an AR-15 as part of a broader appeal for gun reform.

“I’ve held an AR-15 in my hand, I wish I had it. It is as heavy as 10 boxes that you might be moving and the bullet that is utilized, a 50 caliber, these kinds of bullets, need to be licensed and do not need to be on the street,” the Texas congresswoman said in the clip.

According to a blog post on Caligunner.com, a site for gun enthusiasts, the average weight of an AR-15 once loaded with a 30 round magazine is around 7.5 pounds.

The video was posted to YouTube on Tuesday by Nicholas Ballasy, a political correspondent whose work has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, and The New York Times.

MORE: Beto O’Rourke: Gun Owners Will Willingly Hand Over Their Firearms When I Ask Them To

Jackson Lee also said it would take members of the House of Representatives “flooding” the Senate in order for gun control initiatives to be passed.

In July, Jackson Lee introduced three House bills aimed at addressing gun violence in the United States.

“If we are serious about the epidemic of gun violence, we must summon the courage to do something about it,” she said in a press release at the time.

Sheila Jackson Lee isn’t likely to persuade gun owners with her take on AR-15s

Outspoken advocacy for gun control, from Democrats like Jackson Lee and her fellow Texan Beto O’Rourke, has ruffled feathers among proponents of gun rights.

Many pro-gun advocates are frustrated by what they see as their opponents’ ignorance of how firearms actually work. Liberal discomfort and unfamiliarity with guns leads to hysteria and misinformation, they argue.

MORE: Gun Store Runs ‘Beto Special’ on AR-15s – Sells Out in Less Than 4 Hours

A spate of mass shootings – including an incident in West Texas over the weekend that claimed the lives of seven people – have intensified an already heated national gun debate.

Gun control activists have renewed calls for increased restrictions on the purchase of firearms, citing data from organizations such as the Gun Violence Archive to claim that America is in the midst of a gun violence epidemic.

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