How popular is the AR-15?

[mystery-ak]

April 30, 2024
How popular is the AR-15?
By Mike McDaniel

On April 13, American Thinker posted Should I Buy An AR-15? That article generated 99 comments, and suggested there are some 30 million ARs in private hands in America. I also suggested one of the best reasons to buy an AR-15 is the Mummified Meat Puppet Administration (MMPA) doesn’t want you to have one, that and you’re a free American and want one. It seems tens of millions of Americans agree:



The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) recently released a “Firearm Production in the United States and the Firearm Import and Export Data” report which indicates that 28,144,000 modern sporting rifles (MSRs) have been put into circulation since 1990. MSR production increased 32 percent from 2020 to 2021 alone.

“Modern sporting rifle” has become the standard term for the AR-15 and its several variants, though it arguably encompasses such arms as the Ruger Mini-14, even semiautomatic AK-47/74 variants. “AR,” by the way, is not an acronym for Assault Rifle, nor for “Assault Weapon,” a designation that does not exist in firearm nomenclature, but is an invention of the anti-liberty/gun Left designed to scare the uninformed into thinking semiautomatic AR-15s are machineguns. The AR-15 platform was invented by Eugene Stoner, who then worked for Armalite, thus “AR,” Armalite Rifle. Stoner invented the AR-10 first, chambered in .308/7.62 NATO, but scaled it down to the AR-15 in .223/5.56 NATO for the Air Force, the first military branch to adopt it, with its iconic triangular handguard, in M-16 form.

more
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/04/how_popular_is_the_ar_15.html

[GtHawk]

April 30, 2024
How popular is the AR-15?
By Mike McDaniel

On April 13, American Thinker posted Should I Buy An AR-15? That article generated 99 comments, and suggested there are some 30 million ARs in private hands in America. I also suggested one of the best reasons to buy an AR-15 is the Mummified Meat Puppet Administration (MMPA) doesn’t want you to have one, that and you’re a free American and want one. It seems tens of millions of Americans agree:



The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) recently released a “Firearm Production in the United States and the Firearm Import and Export Data” report which indicates that 28,144,000 modern sporting rifles (MSRs) have been put into circulation since 1990. MSR production increased 32 percent from 2020 to 2021 alone.

“Modern sporting rifle” has become the standard term for the AR-15 and its several variants, though it arguably encompasses such arms as the Ruger Mini-14, even semiautomatic AK-47/74 variants. “AR,” by the way, is not an acronym for Assault Rifle, nor for “Assault Weapon,” a designation that does not exist in firearm nomenclature, but is an invention of the anti-liberty/gun Left designed to scare the uninformed into thinking semiautomatic AR-15s are machineguns. The AR-15 platform was invented by Eugene Stoner, who then worked for Armalite, thus “AR,” Armalite Rifle. Stoner invented the AR-10 first, chambered in .308/7.62 NATO, but scaled it down to the AR-15 in .223/5.56 NATO for the Air Force, the first military branch to adopt it, with its iconic triangular handguard, in M-16 form.

more
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/04/how_popular_is_the_ar_15.html

I have to wonder at the estimates for AR platform rifles in America, does their number come from completely assembled rifles sold by FFL's only? Because if it doesn't include any in that number that are from 'parts', like pre ban or 80% lowers, uppers completed or not and parts kits to assemble a complete rifle then they are waaay underestimating the numbers.

[unite for individuality]

I've always thought that the .223/5.56 NATO is too small to be sufficiently effective.
The old .308/7.62, and the older .30-06 are a good size for hunting bear,
but are too large (too much recoil) for tactical use.

They're now introducing the .277 Fury, which is a little larger than halfway between the two.
I was thinking that a .270 would be about right, but the military wants longer range.

The .277 Fury has a chamber pressure of 80,000 psi!
I suspect that those rounds will be reserved for the military,
and that a lower pressure version will be sold to the public.
(That, and the full pressure round is likely to cost about $2.00 each!)

[Elderberry]

The number of ghost guns that were AR-15s and not handguns, that should have been in the count of AR-15's are down in the noise.

[Elderberry]

There are many rounds these days that are good for hunting in an AR-15. I own 2, a 6.5 Grendel and a 358 Yeti.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I have to wonder at the estimates for AR platform rifles in America, does their number come from completely assembled rifles sold by FFL's only? Because if it doesn't include any in that number that are from 'parts', like pre ban or 80% lowers, uppers completed or not and parts kits to assemble a complete rifle then they are waaay underestimating the numbers.

I'm guessing they just count lowers -- either in complete rifles or on their own.  It's really the only way to know.

I just bought/built my first one, and its a chambered in .350 Legend.   Straight walled cartridge legal for deer in my state, and happens to use the same BCG at a 5.56 round as well.  I suppose I'll get around to buying that barrel someday.  But for me, it's a hunting rifle.

[GtHawk]

I'm guessing they just count lowers -- either in complete rifles or on their own.  It's really the only way to know.

I just bought/built my first one, and its a chambered in .350 Legend.   Straight walled cartridge legal for deer in my state, and happens to use the same BCG at a 5.56 round as well.  I suppose I'll get around to buying that barrel someday.  But for me, it's a hunting rifle.

Nice thing about the AR platform is that all it takes is different upper and maybe different mags and you have a choice of 15? calibers you can fire using a standard .556 lower receiver, so the argument about AR's being useless for hunting fails.

[Elderberry]

Much more than "15"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AR_platform_cartridges

[roamer_1]

Nice thing about the AR platform is that all it takes is different upper and maybe different mags and you have a choice of 15? calibers you can fire using a standard .556 lower receiver, so the argument about AR's being useless for hunting fails.

Sorta. .308? 30.06? Serviceable for deer. Elk if you're lucky and can get close. Decent. But just barely reaching into big iron. Good to 150-250 yards, maybe. Pigs, I guess (I ain't got those around here)...
Super good varmint gun in the .223... I've said as much. So yeah... hunting, I guess.

Popular enough I guess, since most folks just go for deer.

When it gets interesting... Big magnum rounds... collapsible. Something you could pack in, then assemble and reach across mountains... Enough poop to go after bighorn and mountain goat, elk over 400 yards...

You ain't even in the ballpark for moose, griz, and kodiak

[Elderberry]

The Eskimos in Alaska kill Polar Bear and Walrus with the.22 Hornet

[LMAO]

I have no use for an AR 15

But if someone wants to own one go for it

[GtHawk]

Sorta. .308? 30.06? Serviceable for deer. Elk if you're lucky and can get close. Decent. But just barely reaching into big iron. Good to 150-250 yards, maybe. Pigs, I guess (I ain't got those around here)...
Super good varmint gun in the .223... I've said as much. So yeah... hunting, I guess.

Popular enough I guess, since most folks just go for deer.

When it gets interesting... Big magnum rounds... collapsible. Something you could pack in, then assemble and reach across mountains... Enough poop to go after bighorn and mountain goat, elk over 400 yards...

You ain't even in the ballpark for moose, griz, and kodiak

I think it can be reliably stated that no one would really consider going after big game at 400 yards with an AR- 15, but I think the AR-10 in .308 will reach out to 1400 yards.

[roamer_1]

The Eskimos in Alaska kill Polar Bear and Walrus with the.22 Hornet

There's a story round here of a camp cook killing a big male griz with a .22...  As the bear stood, towering over him, he shoved the gun in the bear's open mouth, aiming for the pallet, and pulled the trigger.

You're welcome to give that a whirl. 

None for me, thanks. I'll take my chances with that ol 45/70 government.

[roamer_1]

I think it can be reliably stated that no one would really consider going after big game at 400 yards with an AR- 15, but I think the AR-10 in .308 will reach out to 1400 yards.

I ran with a .308 savage back in the day... Figured it was a good all-around gun. And it was. but it didn't take long before I realized I needed a faster action in the saddle and in the bush. So I bought my 30/30 Winchester and began to carry that, consigning the .308 to hunting blinds and such.

But then I went after elk. I don't remember if I ever blooded that .308 with an elk, because I went pretty quickly to a 30.06 with a scope. But I was still beating through miles of tangled brush to try and get a shot. It sucked so bad, and half the time I was in too close and spooked em... Quick shot, nothing but hair in the scope.

It wasn't till my first Bighorn that I figured it out... now I use big iron, with good optics. I find a ravine the elk travel to get to pasture or water, and I find high ground overlooking that travel, and I wait.

No more brush beating, no more uncontrolled shots _ I take my pick now. It's always a fairly long shot that way... say 400 yards and up... 600-800 is alright. 1000 yards is a stretch.

All that to say, if you're getting 1400 yards out of a .308, you must be dunkin them rounds in secret sauce.