Best selling?

[benEzra]

Not apples and oranges at all. None of those AR15A2's are built with the same parts from the same company, while only loosely theoretically to the same specs.

It's not a matter of "loosely theoretically to the same specs." AR's from Bushmaster, Rock River, and DPMS are as alike as Remington M700's from different years or at different price points. It's not theoretical; the parts are completely interchangeable.

So, was the "M1 Garand" the premier US .30-06 service rifle of WW2 through the early Fifties, or would you consider it more correct to say we issued the International Harvester Rifle, the Springfield rifle, etc. and treat them as independent of each other? Like M1 Garands, AR-15s regardless of branding use completely interchangeable parts. They are arguably more alike than early and late Winchester 94's.

The AR-15 platform is the top selling centerfire rifle in America. One can obscure that fact by pretending it is actually 30 different, unrelated rifles, but that doesn't really foster understanding, IMO.

 

[JWF III]

Limiting the AR to only particular brands and models is like limiting the Remington 700 or Winchester 94 to certain years, barrel types (and in-house only), and stock styles.

I disagree.

Saying AR 15 (by any of the too many manufacturers), is like saying Mauser style bolt action. That could mean any of the Mausers. Springfield 1903s are Mauser actions. As are 1917s, pre-64 Winchesters (and later models), CZs. Remington's even built many Mauser actions. Plus many, many more.

If it goes one way, it has to go both ways. With that being the case, the AR still loses out to the Mausers. They had a ~70 year head start, and they're still being built. ARs have a long way to go to catch up.

Per the OP question, I'd have to agree with the Marlin Model 60. With the 10/22 a close second, and the Marlin 39 up there as well. Centerfire, US sales only, Win. 94.

Wyman

 

[benEzra]

Saying AR 15 (by any of the too many manufacturers), is like saying Mauser style bolt action. That could mean any of the Mausers. Springfield 1903s are Mauser actions. As are 1917s, pre-64 Winchesters (and later models), CZs. Remington's even built many Mauser actions. Plus many, many more.

No, it's like saying Mauser Model 1898, or Mauser 98k, or M1 Garand. One design, based on the same TDP, made by multiple companies/facilities so carefully that components from the different facilities fit and function in each others' rifles.

I'm not talking loosely about Stoner-style rifles in general and all their derivatives, I'm talking specifically about the AR-15. Not the AR-10, not the AR-180B, not the SCAR or Sig 556, the AR-15.

Can you take apart a Mauser 1898, a Springfield 1903, and a 1962 Winchester Model 70, throw all the parts in a pile, assemble them mix-n-matched, and have three fully functional mixed-manufacturer Mausers? Were Mauser, Springfield, and Winchester receivers made from the exact same forgings from the same forges? No? Then they're not comparable. You *could* do the mix'n-match thing with three Garands, or three AR-15's, made at different facilities.