It’s the question that everyone was asking the second those pops rang out over the PA system in Butler. You saw the video. You saw the former President reach for his ear, the Secret Service swarm, and the absolute chaos that followed. But once the dust settled, the technical focus shifted. People wanted to know the mechanics. Specifically, what gun was trump shot with during that July 13 rally?
Honestly, the answer isn't just "an AR-15." While that’s the broad category, the specific rifle recovered from the roof of the AGR International building tells a much more detailed story about how the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, equipped himself for that day.
The Exact Specs: It Wasn't Just a Generic Rifle
When the FBI finally released the evidence photos and the ballistic details, they confirmed the weapon was a DPMS Panther Arms DR-15. If you aren't a "gun person," that name might not mean much, but it’s a specific clone of the AR-15 platform. It was chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO, which is the standard round for these types of rifles. It can also fire .223 Remington, which is basically the civilian cousin of the military round.
The rifle had a 16-inch barrel. That’s pretty standard for what people call "modern sporting rifles." But what made this particular setup notable were the modifications. It wasn't just a "stock" gun off the shelf.
- The Sight: Crooks used a Holosun AEMS Red Dot sight. This is an unmagnified optic.
- The Furniture: It had an Aero Precision Atlas R-One handguard (the part you hold at the front) and a Magpul collapsible stock.
- The Origin: This wasn't a "ghost gun" or some black-market find. The FBI traced it back to Crooks' father, who had reportedly bought it legally over a decade prior, back in 2013.
Why the Red Dot Matters (and Why it Didn't)
There’s been a ton of debate among ballistics experts about that Holosun sight. See, a red dot doesn't "zoom in." It’s meant for quick target acquisition at relatively close ranges. At roughly 400 feet (about 130-150 yards), hitting a target the size of a human head is doable with a red dot, but it’s not exactly the "sniper" setup you’d expect from movies.
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Brandon Webb, a former Navy SEAL sniper instructor, pointed out that a well-trained shooter could easily make that shot with an AR-15 at that distance. But Crooks wasn't a pro. He had 50 rounds of ammo he’d bought that morning and a rifle that, while capable of 2-3 inch accuracy at 100 yards, was being used with a 1x power optic.
It’s kinda chilling to think about. He was using a setup that was basically designed for home defense or local range practice, not long-distance precision work.
Breaking Down the Ballistics of the 5.56 Round
When we talk about what gun was trump shot with, we have to talk about the bullet. The 5.56mm round is small. It’s light. But it moves incredibly fast—often over 3,000 feet per second.
Because it’s so fast, it doesn't just "pass through" like a slow, heavy handgun bullet might. It tends to fragment or "tumble" when it hits something. In this case, a high-speed camera actually captured the streak of the bullet passing Trump’s head. If that round had been just an inch to the right, the physics of a 5.56 fragmenting on impact would have made for a much more catastrophic outcome.
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The shooter managed to fire eight rounds in a matter of seconds. That’s the "semi-automatic" part of the AR-15 platform. One pull, one shot. No cocking or manual cycling required. It allows for a volume of fire that turned a quiet rally into a "kill zone" in less than five seconds.
Misconceptions About the Weapon
You’ve probably heard people call it an "assault rifle." In the strict technical sense, it’s not. Real assault rifles (like the military M4) have a "select fire" switch that lets them go full-auto. The DPMS DR-15 used in Butler was a civilian, semi-automatic rifle.
Another big myth? That it was "modified" to be more powerful.
Nope.
The modifications—the Magpul stock and the Aero Precision rail—were ergonomic. They made the gun easier to carry and hold, but they didn't change how hard the bullet hit or how fast it traveled. FBI Director Christopher Wray specifically noted the "collapsible stock," which likely allowed Crooks to fit the rifle into a backpack or conceal it more easily while he was moving toward the AGR building.
What This Means for Security Going Forward
Knowing exactly what gun was trump shot with has changed how the Secret Service looks at "perimeter gaps." They realized that a standard civilian rifle, even without a high-powered scope, is deadly at distances they previously thought were "low risk."
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If you're looking for the "so what" here, it's this: the accessibility of this specific platform is why the debate won't die. It’s a rifle that is easy to shoot, easy to modify, and—as we saw in July—effective even in the hands of someone who wasn't a professional marksman.
Next Steps for Staying Informed:
If you're following the legal aftermath, you should look into the FBI’s Butler Investigation Evidence Photos which were released to the public. They show the rifle in its "broken down" state, which is likely how it was transported to the site. Also, keep an eye on the House Task Force reports; they are currently diving into how the shooter was able to fly a drone to scout the area before ever unpacking that DPMS rifle.
Understanding the hardware is only half the battle. The other half is understanding the security failures that let that hardware get within 150 yards of a presidential candidate.