The AR-15 is just a rifle. The only real differences between it and your grandfather’s lever action deer rifle are that it can shoot a little faster and has a larger magazine capacity. Oh, and the deer rifle’s 30x30 cartridge is more deadly than the AR-15’s .223 varmint round.

Victim disarmament will not work. Eliminating gun free zones would probably help. Repealing mala prohibita legislation, which criminalizes activity with no victim (e.g. the war on drugs), would make a huge difference.