After Viet Nam and before Desert Storm, there was a period where the AR platform was pretty dormant and surplus Colts started hitting the civilian market...Some with good and some with bad reputations....
A few manufacturers were sitting on a bunch of parts and one or two of them started promoting their use in the civilian market by sponsoring 'action' type shooting matches...DPMS was one of those and I attended a few of their three gun matches where the prize tables were considerably higher you normally find...I'm talking a limit if 200 shooters and tables worth $140k-$180k...Then CMMG started sponsoring their own matches..A viable following started to exist...
Most of the early problems associated with the first military versions had been resolved and then a limited number of people started applying the platform to the hunting scene...as well as discussion boards on the internet that wound up providing a lot of opinions, potential modifications, and 'how to' articles...
As word of the inherent accuracy started getting circulated, popularity blossomed and now the retail merchant class is getting fully involved with them..
Quote:I have too agree, with the shear numbers of AR's being sold and stocked in places like Walmart and Ace hardware stores. I don't see them being put on any ban list anytime soon....If Obama is re-elected and in the light of Fast & Furious blowing up in their faces, I would tend to agree with a lack of controls being placed on the weapons, but that still leaves an effort on the part of the government to restrict the access to ammunition and reloading supplies..
The AR platform, as with most other long guns, are really awkward clubs and boat paddles...