How many AR-15s out there?

C17A · April 25, 2015, 07:02 PM

Perhaps this was answered in a previous post...

About how many civilian AR-15s have been built to date? It may be hard to get an exact count from all the makers combined (Colt, Bushmaster, etc), but what is a good number?

TIA

rickyrick · April 25, 2015, 07:28 PM

Has to be tens or hundreds of millions pr more... Many are un-serialized because the receivers are home built

Just a WAG on my part

Art Eatman · April 25, 2015, 07:41 PM

From BATFE data and info from the FBI about NICS, it looks like maybe 110 million firearms of all sorts sold since 1993.

My guess would be that up to 20 million could be ARs. A few million AKs/SKS/? and odds are that there have been sales of a truly big bunch of hand guns. A lesser percentage of shotguns and non-semi-auto rifles.

But I'm just guessing.

chris in va · April 25, 2015, 08:47 PM

Nobody knows for sure, thankfully.

C17A · April 27, 2015, 11:36 PM

The reason I ask is, the gun grabbers would like to say "AR-15s are not that popular, and have no sporting use, therefore we can ban them."

I'm of the opinion there are millions of AR-15s out there. When I was at the (crowded, public) range recently, it seemed every other rifle on the line was an AR-15. There were a few scoped hunting rifles, a few mil-surps, and AR-15s.

I just would like evidence to back up my opinion, other than anecdotal.

skizzums · April 28, 2015, 12:22 AM

i know all of mine but one, my first, are on 80% lower. I truly have no idea how anyone could realistically quantify how many receivers are out there. "the guardian" newpaper site, a very leftist site I may add, says the AR15 is quite possibly America's most popular firearm, with up to 20% of guns being sold ar AR "pattern" rifles. I don't think many can make the argument they are unpopular. I have seen number from colt, bushmaster, dpms, sw&w combined in the 20 millions for commercial, unconfirmed

here is another kind of recent(2014) lefty article on the subject. so I think the argument of it's popularity is a no-go
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...ated/19836755/

Quote:

In congressional testimony last year, the National Shooting Sports Foundation estimated assault-style weapons domestically in the range of 5 million to 8.2 million.

Road_Clam · April 28, 2015, 07:15 AM

I have to say at my gun club , about 5 out of 7 shooters is sportin' some type of AR variant. They are definitely the predominant sporting rifle especially with the younger crowd.

tirod · April 28, 2015, 07:52 AM

We need to eliminate "sporting purposes" in the law more than anything. It's not a valid concept and is getting used against us, even more to divide us.

If the next administration is one exercising their third term as Co-President it will be used against us, if not earlier. That track record is clear, the AWB and destroying most of the M14's and 1911's is what they accomplished.

There won't be any middle ground next time, you are either pro 2A or under their heel. They have already said they plan to ban all 5.56 using sporting purposes as their legal leverage.

That is why our reps are introducing bills to eliminate "sporting purposes": http://dougcollins.house.gov/press-r...n-in-gun-laws/

At the present time it has become more important than National CCW reciprocity or eliminating the NFA and GCA wholesale.

rebs · April 28, 2015, 08:08 AM

what is the law on 80% lowers ? can it only be kept on your property or can you take it to a shooting range ?

rickyrick · April 28, 2015, 09:17 AM

You can't sell it

skizzums · April 28, 2015, 11:34 AM

nothng special about 80% recievers, just can't sell or transfer..........

disclaimer: I have heard there are circumstances which it CAN be transferred, just to avoid the argument.........but, when you buy an 80%, don't plan to ever get rid of it.

tirod · April 28, 2015, 07:29 PM

You can sell or transfer an 80%. What you can't do is make a bajillion of them and do it for profit repeatedly.

One gun every five years or so won't likely (and I didn't stay an a Holiday Express ) get you in trouble. But - define bajillion. Somebody cranking out enough and selling them is going to get on the ATF's radar for not having a license to manufacture.

You don't have to serial number your personal one - because you are not a licensed maker. But a buyer or FFL may well insist on some kind of unique identifier. However, many guns before 1968 and the GCA didn't have serial numbers, especially the less expensive entry level guns. So even that is neither here nor there.

If you do use an identifier, be careful as all the cute ones might already be used - like, HAJISTALKER or J4CK BAU3R. IIRC something like NCC1701 is taken, too. A duplicated SN won't likely (caveat) get you in trouble but ya never know.

A marking service can engrave whatever you want on a lower and there's a lot more than that out there. But, if its just one lower 'cause you don't want any numbers on it, moot point.

Gunplummer · April 28, 2015, 07:55 PM

I recently saw lowers were dirt cheap and was going to buy one and throw one together. I checked online for M16-A1 parts kits and they are gone. I suspect by questions on some forums that a lot of these kits will never see full assembly, still, there are a lot that will. The "Build your own" thing started in the mid 70's and that is a lot of years between then and now.

April 25, 2015, 07:02 PM	#1
C17A Member Join Date: November 23, 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 37	How many AR-15s out there? Perhaps this was answered in a previous post... About how many civilian AR-15s have been built to date? It may be hard to get an exact count from all the makers combined (Colt, Bushmaster, etc), but what is a good number? TIA

April 25, 2015, 07:28 PM	#2
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,238	Has to be tens or hundreds of millions pr more... Many are un-serialized because the receivers are home built Just a WAG on my part __________________ Woohoo, I’m back In Texas!!!

April 28, 2015, 07:15 AM	#7
Road_Clam Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 2013 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 1,695	I have to say at my gun club , about 5 out of 7 shooters is sportin' some type of AR variant. They are definitely the predominant sporting rifle especially with the younger crowd. __________________ "To be old an wise you must have been young and stupid"

April 28, 2015, 09:17 AM	#10
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,238	You can't sell it __________________ Woohoo, I’m back In Texas!!!

April 28, 2015, 11:34 AM	#11
skizzums Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2013 Location: Douglasville, Ga Posts: 4,615	nothng special about 80% recievers, just can't sell or transfer.......... disclaimer: I have heard there are circumstances which it CAN be transferred, just to avoid the argument.........but, when you buy an 80%, don't plan to ever get rid of it. __________________ My head is bloody, but unbowed

April 25, 2015, 07:41 PM	#3
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	From BATFE data and info from the FBI about NICS, it looks like maybe 110 million firearms of all sorts sold since 1993. My guess would be that up to 20 million could be ARs. A few million AKs/SKS/? and odds are that there have been sales of a truly big bunch of hand guns. A lesser percentage of shotguns and non-semi-auto rifles. But I'm just guessing.

April 25, 2015, 08:47 PM	#4
chris in va Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 13,806	Nobody knows for sure, thankfully.

April 27, 2015, 11:36 PM	#5
C17A Member Join Date: November 23, 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 37	The reason I ask is, the gun grabbers would like to say "AR-15s are not that popular, and have no sporting use, therefore we can ban them." I'm of the opinion there are millions of AR-15s out there. When I was at the (crowded, public) range recently, it seemed every other rifle on the line was an AR-15. There were a few scoped hunting rifles, a few mil-surps, and AR-15s. I just would like evidence to back up my opinion, other than anecdotal.

April 28, 2015, 07:52 AM	#8
tirod Junior member Join Date: January 21, 2009 Posts: 1,672	We need to eliminate "sporting purposes" in the law more than anything. It's not a valid concept and is getting used against us, even more to divide us. If the next administration is one exercising their third term as Co-President it will be used against us, if not earlier. That track record is clear, the AWB and destroying most of the M14's and 1911's is what they accomplished. There won't be any middle ground next time, you are either pro 2A or under their heel. They have already said they plan to ban all 5.56 using sporting purposes as their legal leverage. That is why our reps are introducing bills to eliminate "sporting purposes": http://dougcollins.house.gov/press-r...n-in-gun-laws/ At the present time it has become more important than National CCW reciprocity or eliminating the NFA and GCA wholesale.

April 28, 2015, 08:08 AM	#9
rebs Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2012 Posts: 3,881	what is the law on 80% lowers ? can it only be kept on your property or can you take it to a shooting range ?

April 28, 2015, 07:29 PM	#12
tirod Junior member Join Date: January 21, 2009 Posts: 1,672	You can sell or transfer an 80%. What you can't do is make a bajillion of them and do it for profit repeatedly. One gun every five years or so won't likely (and I didn't stay an a Holiday Express ) get you in trouble. But - define bajillion. Somebody cranking out enough and selling them is going to get on the ATF's radar for not having a license to manufacture. You don't have to serial number your personal one - because you are not a licensed maker. But a buyer or FFL may well insist on some kind of unique identifier. However, many guns before 1968 and the GCA didn't have serial numbers, especially the less expensive entry level guns. So even that is neither here nor there. If you do use an identifier, be careful as all the cute ones might already be used - like, HAJISTALKER or J4CK BAU3R. IIRC something like NCC1701 is taken, too. A duplicated SN won't likely (caveat) get you in trouble but ya never know. A marking service can engrave whatever you want on a lower and there's a lot more than that out there. But, if its just one lower 'cause you don't want any numbers on it, moot point.

April 28, 2015, 07:55 PM	#13
Gunplummer Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: South East Pa. Posts: 3,364	I recently saw lowers were dirt cheap and was going to buy one and throw one together. I checked online for M16-A1 parts kits and they are gone. I suspect by questions on some forums that a lot of these kits will never see full assembly, still, there are a lot that will. The "Build your own" thing started in the mid 70's and that is a lot of years between then and now.