"Brass has no apparent tempering discoloration, which is very obvious on nearly all 5.56 NATO. Even in photos where the brass is much blurrier than in this photo."

 I'd be interested in seeing those.

OK, so the laser and the flashlight portions are offset around the front sight, so that part at least makes sense now.

The fired case would have had to go up high into the air, and then drop back down to be in line with the bore (properly oriented) for this shot to be a real "accident" but the lack of gas at the muzzle and at the action tends to make this dubious as well.

The brownish discoloration at the case neck commonly seen is from annealing of the neck area at the manufacturing plant, not from firing.   Firing "blueish purplish" discolorations like in the M-1 carbine happen from the use of a WHOLE LOT of hot fast powders, and this doesn't happen for very much in the M-4.    However, some carbon discoloration of cases from chamber release blow by (in direct gas actuated guns) does happen.

Still, quite the controversy for a simple picture of a guy shooting a M4 don't you think ????

I tend to vote photo shopped doctored, personally ......

Maybe, the publisher P-shopped to get publicity.
Look how long we've been talking about it...

The everytown.org photo might be intentional too.
They're intended audience may not be familiar with guns, and showing the full cartridge would be more recognizable to them.

The Discovery Channel animation is truly unforgivable.  
I can't believe that one is real.  
Like showing a Saturn 5 rocket with all the stages still in tact orbiting the moon....  

In 1874, Billy Dixon shot a .50-90 Sharp’s, at a distance of 1,538 Yards, 7/8 of a mile.
And saved 28 people, from 300 (+/-) Comanche, Kiowa and Southern Cheyenne Indians.
Because he killed a big chief.

Carlos Hathcock, a sniper in Vietnam, his longest shot was 2,500 yards (1.42 miles).
He also killed another sniper by shooting at a glint of light in the jungle foliage.
When he approached the fallen enemy he noticed that the bullet had passed through the scope,
and entered into the enemy sniper’s eye.

Those have been replicated !

Doubt very much that a .223 case, from a AR type firearm,
could at any point in it’s travels, end up exactly in front of the bore,
without ANY opening, or part opening, or gas, coming from the port of the gun,
with out any discoloration on the casing, or any flash or powder from the barrel.

But hey, let the MythBusters do it
LOLOLOLLOLOLOLO

As far as the photo of a .223 Bullet,
in it’s brass casing, going down the barrel.
Very typical of the UL, FDS’s telling lies,
to convince people to BAN GUNS.