More AR uppers or lowers in America?

[Rural Ruger]

Had a random question come across my mind, as to whether there are more AR uppers or lowers in America. For the sake of the discussion, let's assume both stripped and complete...total picture. On one hand, I'm thinking more lowers, as they're the 'legal' piece of the equation and the fact that they can (sometimes) be bought cheap in stripped format and stashed. One the other hand, one lower can serve a multitude of uppers, and they're not as impacted by politics, laws, etc. Not sure if we'll ever know for sure, but what are your thoughts?

[gghbi]

One lower can be used with multiple uppers so I would not be surprised to find out there are more uppers. In fact though most folks mate one upper and one lower so the offset may not be very high. If we add in all the stashed lowers (just in case) I suspect an honest count will find more lowers if all the stripped ones are included.

Sounds like I went to political school on that one...

[DonBiase]

One lower can be used with multiple uppers so I would not be surprised to find out there are more uppers. In fact though most folks mate one upper and one lower so the offset may not be very high. If we add in all the stashed lowers (just in case) I suspect an honest count will find more lowers if all the stripped ones are included.

Sounds like I went to political school on that one...

I'd want a shoe for every foot.

[Emptymag]

The only people who swap uppers are the ones who thought it would be a good way to have "four rifles for the price of one".
They soon realize that four rifles is just plain better all around.

I did that upper swap thing at first. It wasn't long before the two uppers developed into individual rifles.

I think there are way more lowers in circulation. Maybe more than all other guns combined. LOL!
They are practically giving them away and have been for a year or more now.

People bought a dozen of them to have handy to sell to unprepared saps willing to pay 6x the regular price when a panic hits.
People bought a dozen of them just because they are cheap.
I'd imagine that there are people who find them and forgot they bought them. (raises hand)

Lowers for sure.

[sota]

voted same, even though I still have (at least?) 2 stripped lowers waiting for builds, mostly because I'll build them up complete at some point. the only reason I'd swap uppers or lowers right now is to test the different stocks and triggers I have, although I do have 3 uppers that are identical, with 3 matching lowers.

I'll probably buy more lowers in the coming silly season sales, just because they're the "regulated" part so they're easier to be banned I suspect/believe.

[ExFlyinguy]

HA and then you can wonder how many 80% lowers exist.

[DonBiase]

HA and then you can wonder how many 80% lowers exist.

We're counting "paperweights"?

[ExFlyinguy]

We're counting "paperweights"?

nope

[Hodgie]

I'm basing my answer on myself and the people I know, that being said it's hands down lowers. If you don't have a stack of lowers in your gun safe then your doing it all wrong.

Think about how many gun shops have stripped lowers in their cases but no complete or even stripped uppers in the store.

Now what we all should do is trade our lowers with one another several times over so when the man comes for them we can honestly say that it's no longer in our possession.

[USMC3531]

I personally have more uppers than lowes, but do have 80% lowers for each upper so they all have "homes". But upper swapping on 1 registered lower.