Recently, I've been asking ... why should the police be allowed to use tear gas, when its use by military forces is banned by international conventions?
In answer to your question: The People have a Right to defend themselves - even against their own government, when necessary.
Even when the 2nd Amendment was written, personal firearms were often better than military firearms. It was common that military firearms were muskets ... which were not accurate at long distance, which is why they fired in volleys. Civilians often had firearms with rifled barrels, making them more accurate over longer distances.
There is also the matter of rioters. For some unknown reason, often they attack their own neighborhoods. When you watch rioting on the news, the aftermath often looks like a war zone. If you want to protect your home/business from such folks, a weapon designed to lay down suppressing fire is ideal. The AR-15 is the civilian version of the M16 battle rifle, which was designed more for suppressing fire than direct killing.
Thank you for your thoughtful and information-laden reply Walt. So it's all about protecting yourself from the government then? I see. Happy Friday to thee.
Even in the UK where you need a license to carry a gun, people can still get guns, and if not guns they use knifes, anyone breaking into your home will have a weapon, and anything can be made into a weapon.