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 are joining others from across the nation in Washington this weekend to demonstrate against gun violence. 

The rally is organized by survivors of the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead. Following the massacre, some retailers said they will no longer carry AR-15s and other semi-automatic weapons. 

MPR News asked gun owners in Minnesota if their views on guns have changed given the recent events. 

Do you own an AR-15 or similar style semi-automatic rifle?

Who owns a permit to carry a gun in public?

We want to hear from you. Do you own an AR-15 or similar style weapon? 

Click this link to share your thoughts or to read the questions we asked

Did you receive firearms training before you purchased your first weapon?

Yes, I enrolled in Hunter's Safety Course. It is an endorsement on my MN Drivers license.

Why did you decide to purchase these weapons?

For personal protection, sport and hunting.

Why did you choose to purchase an AR-15, opposed to another semi-automatic rifle?

For use in Shooting Competitions at my local gun club.

What do you think of retailers like Walmart and Dick's Sporting Goods instituting their own policies that limits access for some people to purchase weapons?

I think it is the ideal expression of freedom. It is their right and choice to sell what they want. Just like it is mine to decide what I purchase and own, AR-15 variants included.

First guns for hunting.  Most other guns for target shooting and a couple for self-defense.

MN Hunter safety course as a young hunter.

Initially purchased because I believed they would be banned under Obama's first term.  I have since come to appreciate the rifle far more than my initial opinion of them.  There are a number of features that make the AR platform an excellent deer rifle.  The adjustable stock allows the rifle to be adjusted for my son and daughter as well as for when we have heavy hunting clothes vs. lighter clothing.  Light recoil makes the rifle easier to shoot for smaller people.  There are many more reasons.

I believe it is their right to deny serving any customer but it is also my right to shop those stores as a last resort and to take my business to places that support my beliefs.

Why did you decide to purchase these weapons

I've acquired them legally over the years. I've bought and sold them because it's my right protected under the Constitution. I've always sold to those with a permit to carry. I also like to go to the gun range and shoot them periodically. A lot of people such as myself collect them for the value they hold. Guns usually don't go down in value if taken care of. I also like to customize my rifles to my own liking.

I took gun safety in 6th grade at my school in the early 90's. It was an elective. It's also on my driver's license.

I have 3 AR-15's and 1 AK47. AR-15 is the civilian version of the full auto M4/M16 military rifle. It's kinda a pride thing why I choose to own them. It's the American standard.

I don't agree with Walmart and Dick's pandering to the anti-gun lobby. However, I think Dick's coming out first was a brilliant marketing move. Dick's gun sales is a very small portion of their business. As a "gun person," I'd never purchase firearms from there in the first place because of the limited selection. What they did was make more people feel warm and fuzzy.

My parents, non-gun owners, signed me up for the firearm safety certificate course as a 12-year-old. Otherwise, I did not have additional training prior to purchasing. I have since taken the course to earn my permit to carry and additional self-defense courses.

I enjoy building my shooting skills. I also want to protect my family and myself.

They will lose my business. They are backing down on a basic right.

No, but they are not readily available for use.

I went through gun safety programs with both my daughter and son.

They both belonged to my father and were acquired when he died.

Why did you choose to not purchase an AR-15?

I do not believe these assault weapons should be available to the general public. They are weapons of war.

I agree. When Madison produced the Bill of Rights he could not have conceptualized the full meaning of his words. There is quite a difference between the muzzle loading musket of 1776-1789 and the AR-15 with huge magazine capacity. This is one instance where the Constitution should be amended.

My dad was an avid hunter. He shot trap league every week in the summer. Now I'm a dad and my family hunts and shoots trap. I'm becoming something of a gun collector along the way.

Yes. I took firearm safety when I was 12. I've taken more classes along the way. I've had a permit to carry nearly all my adult life.

I chose an AR-15 because they are very common rifles.  They adjust to any size person, and back again easily. A 12-year-old of average intelligence can handle one.

I think it's a private business. Let them run it how they want. I don't agree that adults should have rights restrictions. Either you're an adult at 18 or 21. If an 18-year-old isn't mature enough to drink a beer, they sure shouldn't be tried as an adult or join the services until 21 either.

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As students head to Washington to call for an end to gun violence some Minnesota gun owners are sharing their views on the weapons that have come into the crosshairs of a movement bolstered by a new wave of youthful energy.

Minnesota gun owners share their views on AR-15s and semi-automatic weapons

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