benEzra
Moderator Emeritus
Oh, definitely, yes. The end of the deservedly-hated Feinstein law certainly helped continue the AR's march to the top of the U.S. civilian rifle market, and I'm sure a lot of people were putting off buying until they could get the features they wanted. I'm just saying that the surge in AR popularity began in the mid to late 1990's, and Bushmaster, Rock River Arms, DPMS, etc. grew from nothing to dominant manufacturers during that time, while the Feinstein law was still in force.the demise of the AWB gave us back the "EVIL" features i.e. collapsible stock, flash hider/threaded barrel, more then 10 rds detachable mag etc, etc.
Since the expiration of the AWB, we've seen continued innovation, and newer companies like BCM, DD, Noveske, and LM&T have come to the forefront, but AR's were very, very popular during the AWB as well.
FWIW, the Feinstein law didn't affect availability of full-capacity AR or AK magazines, because every STANAG and Warsaw Pact magazine on the planet as of 9/1994 was exempt from the ban and could be freely imported and sold. After the initial panic subsided, prices for 30-round magazines weren't much higher than what they are now, as I recall. I didn't own an AR during the ban era, but I bought a 2002 model AK in 2003, and magazines were $9.99/ea for 30's and $5.99/ea for 20's, which is a good price even today.