People often like to list the advantages of the ar such as low recoil, accutate, high capacity, modular, etc. You'd think a gun with such merit would have sold like hotcakes from its introduction. Looking at old magazines it doesnt seem to have been very popular pre 2000. I remember in the 90's I only knew one guy that had one. It seems like the current rage for them would have occured in the sixties. The winchester model 94 was an instant hit and sold for 100 years. The AR took 50 before people recognized its virtues. Why is that?
Why did it take the AR 50 years to catch on?
- Thread starter timothy75
- Start date
I'm not sure I agree that it took 50 years. I was hooked in 1967 when it saved my butt more then once in SE Asia.
Seems like everyone I hung around with in the early 70s had to have one. We tried them in High Power but having to use the front sight to change elevation wasn't the most fun. Also the 55 grn bullet lacked a lot past 400 yards or so.
Then the Army and Colt came out with the HBAR, faster twist so heavy bullets could be used, plus rear sights to equal the Garand and M14s. That's when it really caught on in competition.
It also made it easier for juniors and ladies to compete. Now days M14/M1As at a high power match are as rare as hen's teeth.
Seems like everyone I hung around with in the early 70s had to have one. We tried them in High Power but having to use the front sight to change elevation wasn't the most fun. Also the 55 grn bullet lacked a lot past 400 yards or so.
Then the Army and Colt came out with the HBAR, faster twist so heavy bullets could be used, plus rear sights to equal the Garand and M14s. That's when it really caught on in competition.
It also made it easier for juniors and ladies to compete. Now days M14/M1As at a high power match are as rare as hen's teeth.
The 1994 AWB is the reason they are so popular now. Tell someone they can't have something and it makes them want it more.
Prior to the AWB few folks wanted an AR, mainly because of the price. When the ban took effect you suddenly had many more folks wanting AR's. You suddenly had many diffferent companies producing AR's that met the AWB restrictions. This competition forced lower prices. Today, prices are lower than ever, folks have found they are not only a SD and assault rifle, but a viable hunting and target rifle. Many, many more options available now as well. Back in 1994 a standard A-2 type rifle with 20" heavy barrel and carry handle was about the only option.
Inexpensive accurate reliable rifles, low recoil, inexpensive ammo and magazines add up to popular guns. Prior to the AWB this was not the case.
UtopiaTexasG19
New member
I have no statistics to back this up but I believe the AR platform is so popular recently because of the huge amount of Gulf War, Iraq and Afganistan veterans that have come home and are very familiar with the platform or something similiar.
one word.
Prosperity
The old black rifle with the plastic forend and stock was nothing special to the public. Sure, you could get colt and armalite rifles, but nobody did.
With the advent of explosive growth of disposable income in the 80s and 90s, we started asking for more. Police and paramilitary organizations, as well as the military special units, began customizing and altering the basic rifle. Manufacturing techniques improved, cost of manufacture dropped, and cheap labor and parts in foreign lands along with american design made it so that a person can turn the plain old AR upper and lower into a tricked out battle rifle that even the most elite forces in the world couldn't have gotten even 40 years ago.
It's all about prosperity as a country and an individual that opened the gates to the improved technology, and allowed that new technology to be available to not only police and military units, but also the civilian market. There is a multimillion dollar market out there for add ons and alterations. everyone is fighting for a piece of it.
How else can you explain the fact that thousands of people own and actually fire barrets? One of them costs more than my buick did, brand new, in 1979 ordered from the factory. It was a skyhawk, and had a special performance package. Total price as ordered came in under 6k, iirc.
Prosperity
The old black rifle with the plastic forend and stock was nothing special to the public. Sure, you could get colt and armalite rifles, but nobody did.
With the advent of explosive growth of disposable income in the 80s and 90s, we started asking for more. Police and paramilitary organizations, as well as the military special units, began customizing and altering the basic rifle. Manufacturing techniques improved, cost of manufacture dropped, and cheap labor and parts in foreign lands along with american design made it so that a person can turn the plain old AR upper and lower into a tricked out battle rifle that even the most elite forces in the world couldn't have gotten even 40 years ago.
It's all about prosperity as a country and an individual that opened the gates to the improved technology, and allowed that new technology to be available to not only police and military units, but also the civilian market. There is a multimillion dollar market out there for add ons and alterations. everyone is fighting for a piece of it.
How else can you explain the fact that thousands of people own and actually fire barrets? One of them costs more than my buick did, brand new, in 1979 ordered from the factory. It was a skyhawk, and had a special performance package. Total price as ordered came in under 6k, iirc.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
A few guys in my IPSC club in 1981-1983 had early Colt ARs. I'd call the accuracy "adequate". I messed with one, some, and didn't figure it shot any better than my Mini. I gave $300 for one of the then-new heavy-barrelled ARs; it was okay.
Part of it for me was that by 1980 or so, I'd already been shooting and hunting for forty years, and wasn't particularly enamored of the pistol-grip configuration. And I still don't really care for black plastic. But that's just personal preference, is all.
The big jump in the use of para-military rifles came about courtesy Clinton and the Ban. As the media folks are fond of saying, "Advertising sells!" and all the para-military rifles got tons of free advertising. "Unintended Consequences", revisited.
Part of it for me was that by 1980 or so, I'd already been shooting and hunting for forty years, and wasn't particularly enamored of the pistol-grip configuration. And I still don't really care for black plastic. But that's just personal preference, is all.
The big jump in the use of para-military rifles came about courtesy Clinton and the Ban. As the media folks are fond of saying, "Advertising sells!" and all the para-military rifles got tons of free advertising. "Unintended Consequences", revisited.
It's two things. There's the perceived risk of losing them, ie the '94 AWB, and Obama Panic.
The other part is the ease of producing the lower. Any shop with a CNC machine and extra production capacity can pop them out. Get your manufacturer's FFL, download a .cad model from the internet, design a cool logo for the magwell, and you are in the game. Hard parts like headspacing can be done by someone else who might not even need an FFL. Just press the button on the CNC machine and watch that thing go.
The other part is the ease of producing the lower. Any shop with a CNC machine and extra production capacity can pop them out. Get your manufacturer's FFL, download a .cad model from the internet, design a cool logo for the magwell, and you are in the game. Hard parts like headspacing can be done by someone else who might not even need an FFL. Just press the button on the CNC machine and watch that thing go.
I had one about 25 years ago and I'm absolutely certain that I wasn't ahead of the game. But I don't think it was seen as "modular" at the time.
I predict that if the army adopts a completely different rifle, it will become even more popular, its abilities will increase and its virtues will become even more obvious. If it were a different army had been using it (some do, you know), then all of that would be even more true. If it ever goes out of production, it will become the ultimate weapon. However, since one can buy a brand new Sharps falling block rifle, I rather doubt the AR-15 will be going out of production any time soon.
I predict that if the army adopts a completely different rifle, it will become even more popular, its abilities will increase and its virtues will become even more obvious. If it were a different army had been using it (some do, you know), then all of that would be even more true. If it ever goes out of production, it will become the ultimate weapon. However, since one can buy a brand new Sharps falling block rifle, I rather doubt the AR-15 will be going out of production any time soon.
Maybe, flash suppressers where there from day one, colapsible stocks were available since the 1970's. But length of barrels is a more recent development. I remember wanting a carbine length AR but the costs were too high, even back then.
You have many more models and types available today and a better selection of accessories and in relation to one's income they are much cheaper today then they were then.
A really good hunting rifle would cost about $250.00 back then and an AR about $600.00, today a good hunting rifle will cost about $1,000.00 and a AR about $650.00. And ammo was not cheap for it either, I remember paying $3.00 for a box of 20 rounds. (LOL) How things have changed.
Jim
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The Henry repeating lever action had been around since the late 1850's, and issued in the Civil War. Why did it take until the 1894 to get popular?
Smokeless powder, that's why.
I was hunting with the HK91 and a 1stGen Aimpoint in the late '70's. Most non prior service shooters were still living the glory days of the bolt actions, and the 94 was still the most popular overall. Hunters and shooters are very conservative.
After 20 million soldiers, sailors, airman, and Marines were trained on the M16 for 45 years, it became part of the culture. What has likely pushed it even more? Legalizing the 5.56 as a deer hunting round. NOW we get to own OUR battle rifle and hunt with it, just like Grandpa does his Garand.
AR15's are also competitively priced, the cost of manufacture means it's a closer choice between an S&W or a Remington 700. You could put the same scope on either. Same for bipod. But, you can't load and shoot the 700 at night against hogs as easily, or on a competitive range against targets. It takes a selfloading action like it or not.
More games to play with the AR, more things to do, more things to put on them to do it.
Smokeless powder, that's why.
I was hunting with the HK91 and a 1stGen Aimpoint in the late '70's. Most non prior service shooters were still living the glory days of the bolt actions, and the 94 was still the most popular overall. Hunters and shooters are very conservative.
After 20 million soldiers, sailors, airman, and Marines were trained on the M16 for 45 years, it became part of the culture. What has likely pushed it even more? Legalizing the 5.56 as a deer hunting round. NOW we get to own OUR battle rifle and hunt with it, just like Grandpa does his Garand.
AR15's are also competitively priced, the cost of manufacture means it's a closer choice between an S&W or a Remington 700. You could put the same scope on either. Same for bipod. But, you can't load and shoot the 700 at night against hogs as easily, or on a competitive range against targets. It takes a selfloading action like it or not.
More games to play with the AR, more things to do, more things to put on them to do it.
Coltman 77
New member
kraigwy nailed it with this post:
I'd suggest the OP study some history before he posits such theories in the future.
I'd suggest the OP study some history before he posits such theories in the future.