History of AR popularity

[HeavyDuty]

A perspicacious friend bought me a stripped lower in 1999 during one of the runs-up to further restrictions in CA. I had no interest and sold it in WA state in 2003. Never liked them much, always thought other exotics were cooler, never really had ready cash for any of them, especially during the 94-2004 AWB.

After 2012 something changed in the world, and in me. Then I moved to a relatively free state, and the die was cast. Started building a KISS carbine in 2017. After the local riots of 2020 and all the foolishness since, there's no way I'd not have one.

But is it stocked in Brazilian rosewood?

[Lex Luthier]

But is it stocked in Brazilian rosewood?

No. (Long-discontinued) Magpul Foliage Green, because I wear quite a bit of plaid & have a large beard and mustachios.

[HeavyDuty]

No. (Long-discontinued) Magpul Foliage Green, because I wear quite a bit of plaid & have a large beard and mustachios.

Foliage was one of the more useful colors up in IL, and I bet it would be down here too. I have a fair number of ARs wearing it…

[Joe in PNG]

But is it stocked in Brazilian rosewood?

Does a good tonewood stock make the buffer ping more musical?

[Borderland]

A perspicacious friend bought me a stripped lower in 1999 during one of the runs-up to further restrictions in CA. I had no interest and sold it in WA state in 2003. Never liked them much, always thought other exotics were cooler, never really had ready cash for any of them, especially during the 94-2004 AWB.

After 2012 something changed in the world, and in me. Then I moved to a relatively free state, and the die was cast. Started building a KISS carbine in 2017. After the local riots of 2020 and all the foolishness since, there's no way I'd not have one.

Well, you do more or less live in a combat zone. Should be standard issue.

[Malamute]

They were moderately popular in my area (Flagstaff) in the 1980s, but they werent really in my area of interest. I first got one in the mid 80s. I wasnt the least bit interested previously, and I dont really recall what sparked the interest, but after some informal plinking and zeroing, the first time I hunted rabbits with the Colt SP1 I made a first round hit on a running cottontail at around 25 or 30 yards. I was hooked. I carried one knocking around in the hills off and on, (the carry handle uppers work quite nicely for in-hand carry with the thumb through the handle) and hunted prairie dogs in Wy with it, it was good for about 7/10 at 300 yards off the hood of the truck with the PMC m193 ball ammo that was commonly available at the time. I never really shot groups much, but it was generally good for 3 shots in just under an inch at 100 yards when checking zero. This was usually sitting or some improvised rest.


The first one was traded away, I had a couple others over time, they also were sold or traded off. I had one around '05-'06 when surplus ammo was cheap, like $165-$175/1000. I was shooting it pretty regularly, a Colt H-bar Match flat top. Id shoot a case every couple months just plinking at rocks and the steel plates we had out, the majority was 300-600 yards shooting. The long range A2 sights were pretty good for out to 800 or so yards and allowed a right on hold at the longer distances. I was in good shape at the time and played around with shooting it two handed like a pistol on the 300 yard plate and tried it one handed a few times with enough success to keep it fun. I could only hold the H-bar up one handed long enough for a couple shots at a time.

Im strongly inclined towards the 20" rifles with fixed stocks, the A2 stock fits me just fine. Ive messed with a couple others more recently, Ill likely keep one around as a plinker for longer range and easy on my wimpy shoulder, but am not really a huge fan overall. I like shooting wood stocked bolt guns much more. I guess Id put it in the category of having a black plastic pistol, seems like a good idea to have one, but not really my favorite thing to shoot.

[Borderland]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...ture-politics/

From the Washington Post, while obviously not a friend to the cause, it is still an interesting read with figures and marketing discussions. Not particularly friendly to Trump who is an anti but changes actions for venial election issues.

Expect a continuing of state AWBs unless (hear me clouds) ....

I have a sub just to see how the libs are rolling these days. It's a dark cloud to be sure. Watch your state legislatures for any bills regarding magazine or rifle restrictions. Be sure to correspond with your legislators. The supreme court won't save you. That's a fact.

Trump is a Bill Clinton democrat. Just parading as GOP. He reinvented himself.

[Joe in PNG]

Looking back on my decades of gun store browsing, military style semi-autos were fairly rare during the 80's. You would see a few old M1 Carbines along with the various cheap SMLE's, Mausers, and Springers* on the cheap rack, but most of the stuff behind the counter tended to be Remchester bolt or lever guns with the occasional Colt SP1- which usually cost a premium back then.

Then the end of the Cold War meant that we got to see lots of cheap SKS and thumbholed' AK variants a while.


*one does eventually come to regret all the cheap milsurp guns one could have bought when milsurp guns were cheap.

[Borderland]

Looking back on my decades of gun store browsing, military style semi-autos were fairly rare during the 80's. You would see a few old M1 Carbines along with the various cheap SMLE's, Mausers, and Springers* on the cheap rack, but most of the stuff behind the counter tended to be Remchester bolt or lever guns with the occasional Colt SP1- which usually cost a premium back then.

Then the end of the Cold War meant that we got to see lots of cheap SKS and thumbholed' AK variants a while.


*one does eventually come to regret all the cheap milsurp guns one could have bought when milsurp guns were cheap.

The US was awash with SKS carbines 30 years ago. So was cheap ammo. I know a guy (I assume he's a guy) who bought an SKS and a crate of ammo. At the time I thought he was a fool. He still has it.

[Malamute]

Looking back on my decades of gun store browsing, military style semi-autos were fairly rare during the 80's. You would see a few old M1 Carbines along with the various cheap SMLE's, Mausers, and Springers* on the cheap rack, but most of the stuff behind the counter tended to be Remchester bolt or lever guns with the occasional Colt SP1- which usually cost a premium back then.

Then the end of the Cold War meant that we got to see lots of cheap SKS and thumbholed' AK variants a while.


*one does eventually come to regret all the cheap milsurp guns one could have bought when milsurp guns were cheap.

Was that in PNG or in the States?

A shop I frequented in Flag had quite a variety of mil style rifles in, Steyr AUG, Valmets (regular and the heavy long barrel version), AKs, FNs, H-K, M1A, Daewoo, AR180, about anything available seemed to turn up in at least limited quantities. He also had all manner of .mil bolt guns and early semi auto stuff like M1s, M1 carbines, sks, some of the FN 49s, among others. He didnt keep large amounts of the stuff around full time, but there was always something interesting around, and its where people went looking for things like that since he had interesting stuff on hand so often. He also had stuff like a Winchester Hotchkiss bolt action 45-70 and other cool old stuff. I sure miss that shop...