AR-15 and Variants in U.S. Civilian Circulation?

[30 cal slut]

Saw an article published in G&A that referenced the AR-15 (and all its variants) as "the most popular centerfire rifle in the U.S."

But the article did not quantify.

I know BATFE tracks total units (serial numbers) manufactured domestically, but trying to estimate AR's built is not going to be a precise number. This is due to the fact that there are approximately two dozen manufacturers of AR variants, and not all models are called AR15's.

Does anyone have a breakdown of total AR's in circulation (read: private possession, including private possession by LEO's), even if it's just an estimate?

I'm curious.

1) The AR-15 is clearly suitable for militia duty.

2) By all appearances, the AR-15 is "in common use at the time." But we would like to quantify this.

I guess you know what I'm driving at.

[JBnTX]

I think it will be very hard to "ban" such a popular rifle.

Instead of Assault Rifle, maybe we should refer to them
as "Homeland Defense Rifles".

How could the liberals ban such a rifle?
They're already weak on homeland defense.

[Hayduke]

Instead of Assault Rifle, maybe we should refer to them
as "Homeland Defense Rifles".

this is how i'm going to refer to mine from now on!

[HwyKnight]

I think it will be very hard to "ban" such a popular rifle.

Instead of Assault Rifle, maybe we should refer to them
as "Homeland Defense Rifles".

How could the liberals ban such a rifle?
They're already weak on homeland defense.

We need a new t-shirt design......Got HDR?

[lalakai]

in all seriousness, i think this is a very good approach.

not AR-15's, not M4's, not Black Rifles, not assault rifles, not 556's, not semi-autos

but Homeland Defense Rifles.

we should start a separate forum section for HDR's. Grant can work it in at his shop also. Coordinate with a few of TOS's, and get some momentum rolling.

There's more perception in the "name" then the actual item.

JBnTX gets a cookie!!!! very good idea.

[A-Bear680]

This:

Saw an article published in G&A that referenced the AR-15 (and all its variants) as "the most popular centerfire rifle in the U.S."

.... (snip for brevity)...

(1) The AR-15 is clearly suitable for militia duty.

2) By all appearances, the AR-15 is "in common use at the time." But we would like to quantify this.

I guess you know what I'm driving at.

There have got to be some numbers available somewhere. And they are likely to be huge. That's another big change since 1993.
Take the huge increases in AR's , AK's , and other civilianized military rifles like
VZ58's , add the Heller ruling and things don't look so bad at all.

[joffe]

Vltor says they have '7 million' ARs to produce accessories to.. (http://nordicg3kscommunity.yuku.com/sreply/5675/t/VLTOR-Photos-from-the-2009-SHOT-Show-.html)

Number seems kinda low to me.

[30 cal slut]

interesting. 7 million does sound somewhat low.

i have a call into NSSF, maybe they have industry numbers that might back this up.

[VooDoo6Actual]

It MUST be true if it was in a MAGAZINE.

[TY44934]

interesting. 7 million does sound somewhat low.

i have a call into NSSF, maybe they have industry numbers that might back this up.

Actually, I think you should avoid trying to discover the number "actually" out there - as it's probably lower than that.

Why?

Because, production numbers will fail to account for the following losses:

-confiscations by police (there are a lot of ARs in evidence rooms that will be destroyed).

-illegal exports (lot of ARs going to Mexico in violation of both country's laws)

-legal exports (probably not tracked by most data)

-turn-ins (also probably not tracked but still kept separate from "evidence" guns)


Just find out the numbers from BATFE or NSSF and put that out there as "in circulation."

It might include military guns too. So be it. Point is, we now have a RIGHT to own semi auto AR-15s and that right SHALL NOT be infringed.

Carry on the good work.

[Army Chief]

There is a case to be made here, certainly.

My concern is not so much that the government will attempt an outright ban, so much as it might get back on the ridiculous "evil features" bandwagon. In other words, we could be facing the rather untenable prospect of having California-like restrictions (or worse) applied on a national level in lieu of open prohibition.

This would surely be a softer sell to the legislature, who could then report back to their constituents that they "upheld their Second Amendment rights" and only enacted a few reasonable restrictions. In political terms, bans have been costly, but reasonable restrictions certainly don't alarm the public at large; nor (sadly) do they seem to raise the ire of our fellow sportsmen or hunters.

Want an HDR? No problem. Just remove the muzzle device, and the bayonet lug, and the detachable magazine, and the collapsible stock and the pistol grip, and ... well, you get the idea. I don't know what you have left over after all of that, but it certainly isn't an AR-15.

AC

[BAC]

Heh, HR1022, which attempted to be more harsh than the '94 crime law, failed, and cost the "gun control" movement quite a bit of support from self-described moderates. Recognizing that HR1022 was too harsh, a newer version that matched the old law word-for-word was drafted, but the damage was already done and it failed too. The political climate is a lot different than it was in 1994: the crime law passed in '94 had no similar law passed to draw experience from, Heller did not exist to clarify that BANs were unconstitutional, the industry and market were infants compared to their size today, and despite the Democratic majority, a lot of the newer Democrats are more pro-gun than many Republicans. I'm probably missing a couple factors, too.

I don't know about the name "homeland defense rifle". Too long for an American's attention span. Why wouldn't "America's rifle" (or something else more simple) work?


-B

[ThirdWatcher]

I don't know about the name "homeland defense rifle". Too long for an American's attention span. Why wouldn't "America's rifle" (or something else more simple) work?


-B

I just call my M&P-15 "my rifle". I refer to the others as "my other rifles".:D

[Stan_TheGunNut]

I see higher taxes on firearms sales and ammo becomiing the norm other than an outright ban. Registration and making AR15's and other semi autos NFA type items with similar restrictions might also become reality.

[Gramps]

For years, when I have been hunting with a gun, it has been my "Hunting" tool.

For many a year now, when my guns are at home in the safe or wherever, they have always become my "Home Defense" tools.

Do I have any guns? No, but I sure as hell have "Tools"!