ROUGH COUNT SO FAR: Running about even, by responses given. No clear winner. It is interesting to note that the semi AR-15 came on the scene in the early 60's, but was sold and made only by Colt, and they were filling military contracts, so no great production, or demand for maybe the first 10 years. As other manufacturers started to offer AR guns, and they became accepted and popular, sales went ballistic (pun intended). Then, the ever present interest in the AK got whetted by the Valmet, early Maadi, and then the Chinese AK's came. At the fall of the iron curtain, gun importers were jumping on the former Eastern Bloc countries and Yugo, Bulgarian, Romanian, and other kits and guns came in, at prices way below AR's. In a relatively short decade, a LOT of AK's got purchased by guys who couldn't or wouldn't pay for AR's, or simply wanted to have what hadn't been available for a long time, a tough fighting rifle for a budget price. I don't know if the AK has reached or passed the numbers of AR's in the hands of US civilians, but the AK certainly has reached SOME respectable number. Keep the count going!