An AR-15 owner explains the allure.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) estimates there have been at least 15 million AR-15s and AR-15-style rifles sold in the United States since 1990, including a dramatic uptick in sales after the assault weapons ban expired in 2004.
The majority of such gun owners — 65 percent — are like Rodriguez in that they have never served in the U.S. military or in law enforcement, and 9 in 10 say their main reason for owning one is for recreational target shooting, according to a 2013 NSSF consumer survey.
The NSSF, an association of gun manufacturers and sellers — which several years ago started calling ARs “modern sporting rifles” — likes to hype the idea of the AR’s versatility as the key to its appeal: a gun for hunting, home security and whatever else you might need.