I understand some people might look away from the AR-15 because it’s the gun everyone has which takes away from the cool factor, or maybe you just dislike its connotation due to high use among right-wing folk, but this person speaks the truth.
AR-15s are common because they work. Customizations and spare parts are cheap, effective, and widely available. So are good magazines, which are typically a shockingly difficult part to design well and the place where many otherwise decent guns fail. .223 Remington has one of most varied supplies of ammunition on the market, beaten only by things like 12 gauge.
Don’t buy weird shit until you own one of these (or at least a pump-action 12 gauge ffs).
No lie! They’ve been available to civilians since the 60s. They weren’t popular because they’re not the best in any particular class. But they’re easy and don’t kick.
Sure, but also wheelguns were also considered more reliable and better than semi autos at the time.
AR ban expiration came around the same time as people were getting more used to gucci guns and mods.
There were a lot of other guns that got unbanned at the same time. The AR platform just happened to be ready for a resurgence right around the time that the expiration.
AR-15s are popular because there’s a single standard, and all the parts made should fit that standard, and more-or-less work. I can buy a barrel from any one of ten or more manufacturers, and I know that it’s going to fit on my receiver (although I might need a different gas tube). You can’t do that with a Ruger Mini-14, you definitely can’t do it with any of the fuck-knows-how-many AK variants. ARs do have their own shortcomings it’s true, but all rifles have shortcomings; the AR-15 platform does a pretty good job of balancing the competing needs and desires.
I don’t think that opinions will necessarily change even if NATO decides to use a new rifle. Even if the US and NATO eventually adopt the Sig XM7 in 6.8x51mm, AR-15s will still be cheap, ammo plentiful, and they’ll all still be on the same standard. (Plus, the 6.8x51mm cartridge is a real barrel burner; if you’re a higher volume shooter, you’ll get maybe 5000 rounds out of it before accuracy is shot–pardon the pun–to hell.) But, we’ll see. So far the design has stuck around and been refined for over 50 years. Hell, people still use the 1911, and that’s over 100 years old.
AR-15s will still be cheap, ammo plentiful, and they’ll all still be on the same standard.
Oh, they will… Just like the AK. Then, we’ll have people arguing over if everyone should switch to the XM7 platform, over the AR, because the AR is so useless, and incapable of anything reliable, yadda yadda yadda.
Again, the AR is only as popular as it is because of a marketing campaign by the US gun industry, that started backed in the early 80’s, in order to sell machismo to returning Vietnam vets. I mean, they weren’t all that popular in the 70’s, even thought you could mail order a full auto rifle. People were declaring the M1 Garand to be far superior, because “So many parts, ease of maintenance, everyone knows how to use them, ergonomics don’t need training” etc etc etc.
The exact thing you hear people say about the AR vs AK, or AR vs M1, etc etc
I understand some people might look away from the AR-15 because it’s the gun everyone has which takes away from the cool factor, or maybe you just dislike its connotation due to high use among right-wing folk, but this person speaks the truth.
AR-15s are common because they work. Customizations and spare parts are cheap, effective, and widely available. So are good magazines, which are typically a shockingly difficult part to design well and the place where many otherwise decent guns fail. .223 Remington has one of most varied supplies of ammunition on the market, beaten only by things like 12 gauge.
Don’t buy weird shit until you own one of these (or at least a pump-action 12 gauge ffs).
Nobody cared about the ar-15 unyil it got banned snd then unbanned.
No lie! They’ve been available to civilians since the 60s. They weren’t popular because they’re not the best in any particular class. But they’re easy and don’t kick.
Sure, but also wheelguns were also considered more reliable and better than semi autos at the time.
AR ban expiration came around the same time as people were getting more used to gucci guns and mods.
There were a lot of other guns that got unbanned at the same time. The AR platform just happened to be ready for a resurgence right around the time that the expiration.
ARs are common because the US military and NATO use them.
Same reason sig Sauer pistols are popular.
Popular is not the same as “superior”.
Once the US moves off the AR platform, so will all the gun nuts.
I say this as a former armorer who got to see why ARs might not be the best choice.
AR-15s are popular because there’s a single standard, and all the parts made should fit that standard, and more-or-less work. I can buy a barrel from any one of ten or more manufacturers, and I know that it’s going to fit on my receiver (although I might need a different gas tube). You can’t do that with a Ruger Mini-14, you definitely can’t do it with any of the fuck-knows-how-many AK variants. ARs do have their own shortcomings it’s true, but all rifles have shortcomings; the AR-15 platform does a pretty good job of balancing the competing needs and desires.
True, but primarily, because NATO wants them in a certain spec.
Again, once the US military switche from it, then so will everyone’s opinion.
I don’t think that opinions will necessarily change even if NATO decides to use a new rifle. Even if the US and NATO eventually adopt the Sig XM7 in 6.8x51mm, AR-15s will still be cheap, ammo plentiful, and they’ll all still be on the same standard. (Plus, the 6.8x51mm cartridge is a real barrel burner; if you’re a higher volume shooter, you’ll get maybe 5000 rounds out of it before accuracy is shot–pardon the pun–to hell.) But, we’ll see. So far the design has stuck around and been refined for over 50 years. Hell, people still use the 1911, and that’s over 100 years old.
Oh, they will… Just like the AK. Then, we’ll have people arguing over if everyone should switch to the XM7 platform, over the AR, because the AR is so useless, and incapable of anything reliable, yadda yadda yadda.
Again, the AR is only as popular as it is because of a marketing campaign by the US gun industry, that started backed in the early 80’s, in order to sell machismo to returning Vietnam vets. I mean, they weren’t all that popular in the 70’s, even thought you could mail order a full auto rifle. People were declaring the M1 Garand to be far superior, because “So many parts, ease of maintenance, everyone knows how to use them, ergonomics don’t need training” etc etc etc.
The exact thing you hear people say about the AR vs AK, or AR vs M1, etc etc