When Exactly Did The Black Rifle Become So Popular?

[clutch]

I'm thinking the spike in popularity came after the 94 AWB sunseted.

I was in the Marines in the mid 70's so the AR platform has a connection. You consider people that served from Vietnam to current times and that is a huge number of people that are comfortable with this firearm.

For some that were not gun people to start with, the AR platform is all they have known so it is logical for them to buy one for self defense, and other purposes.

Another thing it has going for it is compared to shooting my Garand or 03a3, an AR in .223 is very reasonable in terms of expense to feed and shoots far enough for most peoples shooting pleasure.

Clutch

 

[Zoogster]

The average non firearm enthusiast does not have a lot of knowledge of firearms.

What they do know is that they were suddenly told they could not have something.
At the same time that something is what those they view as the professional firearm users (even though most have less time shooting than the average enthusiast), the military and police, were shifting over to as the standard platform.

There has always been a trend of civilians to adopt what the police are using, and that is probably a safe bet for many that have little knowledge of firearms because what the police are using is going to be something reliable, durable, and typically easy to maintain.
Civilians are also aware of what the military uses and a segment of the population has always been attracted to that, even more so now with the popularity of interactive video games.


Combine popular culture, movies, games, veterans wanting thier familiar platform, and the population seeing them with most military and police.
Then for the remaining segment still not drawn from those influences add in how modular the AR has become adding to its appeal and you have a strong base of consumers.
The modularity of the now standard flat top variants and a standardized rail system, and how easy it is to mix and match parts allows it to be more easily customized to meet an individual's needs for a particular application than most other firearms.
Internally it is also simple and can be easily maintained and understood by even the less mechanically inclined while having a receiver that easily comes apart and goes back together encouraging people to become more familiar with it.