Ala Dan
Member in memoriam
I have a brand new Rock River Operator Elite (5.56) sitting in my safe;
awaiting its turn, for a trip too the range~!
awaiting its turn, for a trip too the range~!
How many folks really used those AR's they bought
- Thread starter gym
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DMK
Member
I shoot my AR15s more than anything else I own. I love those rifles.
However, I owned almost all of them and a good supply of ammo way before Obama even thought about running for the big office.
However, I owned almost all of them and a good supply of ammo way before Obama even thought about running for the big office.
Don, the only dumb questions are the ones not asked. I was just curious, and don't forget we here are more inclined to shoot our guns than the folks who bought them because they just thought they needed to, or saw them online, or at a gun show, and grabbed a few. I think Sam hit it on the head. I remember dozens of "black rifle" websites that were sold out for a year. I'm sure many of those folks, are the ones selling them on every website most of us look at.
With 20% of the country out of, or about to be out of a job, lots of stuff that normally wouldn't get sold, is going to be.
With 20% of the country out of, or about to be out of a job, lots of stuff that normally wouldn't get sold, is going to be.
What I dont care for, is the idea among the "Elite Internet Gun People" that its somehow not cool to buy guns that you dont get out and shoot.
For every person that buys a gun and never shoots it, that is more in our ranks, more ownership, more people sympathetic to our cause.
People bought guns during the obama crazy because they <very rightly> realized that this may be their last chance to ever own a military style rifle. so they added it to their collection.
Wether or not they get it out to shoot is A. none of our business. B. totally irrelevent. and C. completly 100% unverifiable.
Saying that 90% of people who buy a certain type of rifle dont use them, or inferring that they are some kind of sheep/herd mentality, just doesnt help our cause.
Especially something as "hot button" as AR style rifles are in the media / with liberals.
Its a free country, people can buy what they want, when they want, and if they intend to use it or not thats their business.
For every person that buys a gun and never shoots it, that is more in our ranks, more ownership, more people sympathetic to our cause.
People bought guns during the obama crazy because they <very rightly> realized that this may be their last chance to ever own a military style rifle. so they added it to their collection.
Wether or not they get it out to shoot is A. none of our business. B. totally irrelevent. and C. completly 100% unverifiable.
Saying that 90% of people who buy a certain type of rifle dont use them, or inferring that they are some kind of sheep/herd mentality, just doesnt help our cause.
Especially something as "hot button" as AR style rifles are in the media / with liberals.
Its a free country, people can buy what they want, when they want, and if they intend to use it or not thats their business.
Most of the questions people ask are none of their business, but in a forum where you are discussing gun related topics, it is totally appropriate to ask and gun related question. Not just the ones you approve of. If you don't care to offer your opinion, that's your right, but my right is that I can ask a question without consulting you.
Kitchen_Duty
Member
I lost all of my evil guns in a boating accident a few years ago. So, no I don't shoot them.
jayjaypunisher
Member
+10, I couldnt of said this better myself DOM, hell who cares if they are bought and go straight into the ground in a "Just-n-case"? at least they stepped up and bought a gun and stashed it for that RED DAWN event! (like that reference guys?)
I will address this question from the time Obama was about to be elected.
I live in a relatively small town,twin towns actually, (50k people). There are normally at least 2 or 3 different AR's for sale in the classifieds every week. Most people here,after seeing that the sky didn't fall immediately, sold their stuff.
I don't have one, but I do want one. With two young kids I couldn't justify the price to get something that MIGHT be outlawed at a later date.
I live in a relatively small town,twin towns actually, (50k people). There are normally at least 2 or 3 different AR's for sale in the classifieds every week. Most people here,after seeing that the sky didn't fall immediately, sold their stuff.
I don't have one, but I do want one. With two young kids I couldn't justify the price to get something that MIGHT be outlawed at a later date.
Jolly Green
Member
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2009
- Messages
- 103
That kind of question doesn't work too well when your asking a population of shooters/collectors on a gun forum. It seems the responses are going to be more 80/20 shoot/keep, respectively. If you had a nation wide poll, you might get closer to the stats you expected.
308win
Member
Shoot it often enough to know it still works and I have owned it BO (before Obama).
Southern Rebel
Member
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2009
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- 154
gym, I think it is a very legitimate question for a gun forum. We all have an interest in what other gun owners buy and use. In this case, I suspect we all know that "most" of the buyers of the AR's were not that interested in going out and shooting them. (There were some profit-minded individuals whom the majority of which will never see any profit).
I am personally more into shooting my handguns and not so much into the rifles. However, I did buy one before the prices skyrocketed - mainly because I wanted to be sure that I had one before the "elite thinkers" of the political world decided I had no need for one. I guess that puts me into the group that bought one and then let it sit in the safe. It isn't for sale and likely never will be. The only fear I have is that I will naively take it on a boat ride with some of you guys that seem to have a problem keeping afloat when there are guns aboard!
I am personally more into shooting my handguns and not so much into the rifles. However, I did buy one before the prices skyrocketed - mainly because I wanted to be sure that I had one before the "elite thinkers" of the political world decided I had no need for one. I guess that puts me into the group that bought one and then let it sit in the safe. It isn't for sale and likely never will be. The only fear I have is that I will naively take it on a boat ride with some of you guys that seem to have a problem keeping afloat when there are guns aboard!
WoofersInc
Member
All of the AR's that I have I bought pre-Obama. I will take at least one AR with me to the range every time I go.
I got a Rock River LAR-15 lower with a CMMG 22LR upper, so I'm not sure if it technically counts as an AR for the purpose of this thread. I had the misfortune of coming back to the states and buying mine and the wife's first guns ever during the height of the Obama Panic, without realizing there was a Panic and we were paying too much until months later.
The wife likes that thing pretty well and I absolutely love it. I shoot it almost weekly and she shoots it probably about every 2 months. I'd estimate we've put 4,000 to 4,500 rounds through it in the year we've owned it.
The wife likes that thing pretty well and I absolutely love it. I shoot it almost weekly and she shoots it probably about every 2 months. I'd estimate we've put 4,000 to 4,500 rounds through it in the year we've owned it.
benEzra
Moderator Emeritus
Do also consider that the AR was AFAIK the tep selling centerfire rifle in the nation for several years before the 2008-2009 surge in sales. This was not just a flash in the pan.
I am pretty sure Glock sales surged similarly 2008-2009, but I wouldn't assume that the majority of buyers were speculators, just people who had a Glock on their "want one someday" list and decided to get it sooner rather than later.
I am pretty sure Glock sales surged similarly 2008-2009, but I wouldn't assume that the majority of buyers were speculators, just people who had a Glock on their "want one someday" list and decided to get it sooner rather than later.
I bought my AR cheap (about $750) before the Oracle was elected, because if another ban was passed, a bird in the hand would be worth two in the bush.
As it so happens, though, I shoot it nearly every weekend in NRA and CMP highpower competition. In the winter, I take it to the benchrest range with heated indoor shooting tables.
Some of my other guns don't get used much, but I love them just as well as the ones that get used often.
As it so happens, though, I shoot it nearly every weekend in NRA and CMP highpower competition. In the winter, I take it to the benchrest range with heated indoor shooting tables.
Some of my other guns don't get used much, but I love them just as well as the ones that get used often.
U.S.SFC_RET
Member
A basic AR is all I ever need. Shot the M16A1 and A2 so much that an AR is printed into my psych.
I don't need to shoot it frequently but know how to use them.
I don't need to shoot it frequently but know how to use them.
OregonJohnny
Member
That's an interesting point. I actually came into reloading the other way around. That is, a few years ago, I wanted to get into reloading simply because I hated shooting my Ruger Redhawk .44 Magnum with full-power factory ammo, and couldn't find or couldn't afford .44 Special. All I wanted to do was load some soft-shooting .44 once in a while.
Then, when the ammo shortage hit, all I did was quickly stock up on components and dies, and I suddenly had everything I needed to supply myself with thousands of rounds of handloaded ammo in multiple calibers.
I'm glad I didn't take the plunge and pay $1,700 for a $900 AR-15 back in late 2008. Now that things have calmed down, I still can't justify an AR purchase. Instead, I'm working to become as proficient as possible with my 18" pump shotgun, lever-rifles, and handguns. So maybe I'm one of the lucky few that held out, and in doing so, had a moment of clarity.
Who cares? More of them were sold and maybe it increased the number of gun owners or the number of gun owners who aren't opposed to EBRs. The more sold, the better. I keep hearing this snickering in the background....all these Obama fans who are saying "See...we told you so! He isn't going to try and take your guns"! Sure, some people stocked up because they thought there was going to be a ban. They bought tons of stuff. But even the people who weren't stocking up because of that ended up stocking up anyways because the availability was becoming poor.
If you go to the store and they are sold out of the ammo you want 9 out of 10 trips...then all of a sudden you see 10 boxes...even if you didn't need them all you would probably buy them. They weren't buying them because they were afraid of Obama banning the ammo. They bought them because they were afraid the next 9 times they went shopping it wouldn't be there. It's like a feeding frenzy I guess.
Value is subjective. The people who paid more didn't get ripped off. They paid more because it was worth more to them. Simple as that. I think the mad buying rush and the gun rights advocates coming out the woodwork ready for a fight is one of the reasons why there wasn't any type of AWB or something of the like....so far.
If you go to the store and they are sold out of the ammo you want 9 out of 10 trips...then all of a sudden you see 10 boxes...even if you didn't need them all you would probably buy them. They weren't buying them because they were afraid of Obama banning the ammo. They bought them because they were afraid the next 9 times they went shopping it wouldn't be there. It's like a feeding frenzy I guess.
Value is subjective. The people who paid more didn't get ripped off. They paid more because it was worth more to them. Simple as that. I think the mad buying rush and the gun rights advocates coming out the woodwork ready for a fight is one of the reasons why there wasn't any type of AWB or something of the like....so far.
Tacbandit
Member
Most stuff in my safe has been shot, some more than others. I do however, have a few that haven't yet been shot. One of them is an AR I bought new about 2 years ago. Oh heck, I'll get around to them soon...
U-235
Member
I'm mostly a handgun guy but I built an AR-15 in the summer before the stampede started. I shoot it occasionally, every few months or so. I shoot my handguns at 2-3 times per month.
RockyMtnTactical
Member
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- Oct 21, 2006
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- 3,539
Used? Like in what way? If you mean, fired them, I would say the vast majority probably "used" them to some degree or another.
Kentucky_Rifleman
Member
I'm not sure where all this hostility came from. The OP asked a reasonable question, inviting us to speculate about how much use the ARs/AKs bought in the last 18 months actually get.
I went back and looked closely at his original question. If there is any subtext that implies people who bought EBRs in the past 18 months are stupid, I don't see it.
Also, regarding elitism among Internet gun folks about shooting vs. collecting, there was a thread about that recently. As I recall, lots of people voiced which side of the fence they were on, and several offered good reasoning about why. I don't recall any particular acrimony in that discussion, certainly nothing like the fire this thread has started.
If you don't like the thread, don't respond. The fact that there are 48 posts as I'm writing this indicates that several people find it interesting enough to respond to.
As far as the question goes, I've often been curious about this exact same thing in regard to other guns as well, the big S&W 500, for instance, would gather a lot of dust in my cabinet, but I'm sure there are others that shoot them fairly regularly. I see nothing wrong with being curious about the shooting/collecting experiences of others.
KR
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