How many AR-15,s are there?

[shooter]

 Does anyone know a rough number on how many AR-15,s and clones there are?   

  I found that colt started selling the semi in 1964.   
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_AR-15

   have to include all the rifles. carbines. lower recievers sold, and all the 80% lowers.

   Wikipedia estimated there were between 10 to 12 million  made by 2016.   but I wonder how close that is

   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AR-15_style_rifle

    seems lie out of the millions made. only a handful cause trouble each year. is pretty good odds.

[shooter]

  I think this is close. I posted this on jack hiedels page,  ( no need to figure out how to spell his name, wont be running that long)

     from what I can find, there are roughly 15 million AR-15,s in the U,S.    that don't count all the other mag fed weapons, M1a mini14 sks. ak-47.  FAL.s and H&K.s   I think all these would put the total over 20 million  there were 7 mass shooting last year,   so you want to punish about 20 million legal gun owners who don't cause a problem,  because of 7 shooters?  enforce the laws we already have, its already illegal to murder someone,

[BranchMillardian]

I think it might actually be higher. A few years ago I looked into this too. I think it was around the 2012 campaign and Sandy Hook shooting hysteria and concluded 15-20 million. I was curious about the number because I was intrigued by the "III Percent" concept, and just wanted to crunch numbers.

But then this came out a couple years ago:

https://bearingarms.com/bob-o/2016/10/25/told-600-million-guns-united-states/

Heck, there were over 150 million NCIS background checks just during the Obama years (and that's not even a 1:1 check to purchase ratio):

https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/nics_firearm_checks_-_month_year.pdf/view

I didn't actually buy much then. But everyone I knew were first time gun owners wanting my help in deciding what to buy. Obama got elected and people freaked out, and ran out to buy because "Obama's gonna ban guns". It was like a scene from the movie "The Grapes of Wrath", only instead of loading up the family truckster with furniture, the family dog, and pa and ma kettle, people were running out to buy AR's, hi-cap pistols and 1000rd boxes of ammunition to ferret away.

So in the last ten years I think not only did the firearms in circulation increase, but overall gun owners grew too. I'm thinking it's closer to 80-100 million gun owners in the country...and I wouldn't be surprised if it more like 30+ million AR's.

[Les]

I don't know how anyone could come anywhere close to estimating, maybe taking figures the manufacturers put out for completed rifles.  But with all the parts in existence and more being made/bought daily that number could be very low. 

[Hardwood83]

Fortunately "we" don't know exactly but I would be shocked if it's only 20 million.
So answers: "a lot" but still not enough. I've done my part....allegedly.

[Mntnman]

Why would anybody have one?









They do better in groups.

[Waltherfan]

I've found they seem to be pregnant when you bring one home. Before long there's another one.

[shooter]

I've found they seem to be pregnant when you bring one home. Before long there's another one.

Another one? mine has litters, 6 or 8 will show up

[Hardwood83]

nice sentiment