Why Everyone Needs an AR15 - With SUMMARY!

[DK23]

^^ Perfect! Thanks

No worries, glad to help.

[Emptymag]

No real point starting another thread when this topic can be tied into this thread...

WHY do Americans Own AR15s?

I am unable to view the article (they limit how many times you can view for free), but here it is for those who CAN view it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...15-gun-owners/

This video addresses some of the points (which I'm unable to view)

[Ilikebuckets]

Here is the article.


Why do Americans own AR-15s?

The Washington Post and Ipsos asked nearly 400 AR-15 owners why they own the rifle

The AR-15 is the best-selling rifle in the United States, industry figures indicate. Almost every major gunmaker now produces its own version of the weapon, which dominates gun dealers* walls and websites.

Critics claim that the military-style gun has no legitimate civilian use * yet about 1 in 20 Americans own one. So who chooses to buy an AR-15, and why?

The Washington Post and Ipsos asked nearly 400 AR-15 owners to explain their reasons for having the weapon, what they use it for and how often they fire it.

American Icon

A series examining the AR-15, a weapon with a singular hold on a divided nation

Colt acquired the AR-15 patent and trademark from Armalite in 1959. The patent expired, leaving many companies to produce their own weapons, commonly called AR-style rifles. While Colt still holds the trademark, *AR-15* has become a ubiquitous term for a popular style of gas-operated, magazine-fed semiautomatic rifles. For this reason, we refer to the rifle broadly as the AR-15 in this series.

The survey found that AR-15 owners come from red, blue and purple states. Compared with Americans as a whole, AR-15 owners are significantly more likely to be White, male and between the ages 40 and 65. They*re also more likely to have higher incomes, to have served in the military and to be Republican. And AR-15 owners are more likely to live in states former president Donald Trump won in 2020 than adults overall.

Self-defense was the most popular reason for owning an AR-15. Other popular answers included recreation, target shooting and hunting, while some pointed to owning an AR-15 as their Second Amendment right.


Why people own AR-15-style rifles

Q: In a few words, what are the main reasons you own an AR-15-style rifle?

(Open-ended responses coded into categories.)

Self-defense/ Protect home/ self/family

33%

Target shooting/

Take to range/

Competition

15%

Fun/Recreation/Sport

15%

Second Amendment/

It's my right/

Because I can

12%

Like the way it looks/

Like it/

Because I want to

9%

Easy to use/

Simple/

Accurate

6%

Total does not equal 100 because up

to two answers were accepted.

Customizable platform/

Versatile

4%

Other reason

5%

Used in military

Use as police officer/

For work

4%

Source: Sept. 30-Oct. 11, 2022, Washington

Post-Ipsos poll of 399 AR-15-style rifle owners

with an error margin of +/- 5.5 percentage points.

Collection/

Collector

2%

In case of chaos/

Government tyranny

3%

Angers liberals/

People want to ban them/

They make other people afraid

2%

Was a gift/

Inherited it

2%

The Post-Ipsos poll is one of the most detailed nationally representative surveys to date focused on the opinions of AR-15 owners.

The gun industry estimates there are about 20 million AR-15s in circulation. There is no way to independently confirm that number, but polling can estimate how many Americans own them.

Demographics of AR-15 owners

South

West

Midwest

Northeast

Under $50K

$50K-$99K

$100K+

Age 18-39

Age 40-64

Age 65+

No college degree

College degree

Republican

Democratic

Independent

Other/None

Served in military

Did not serve in military

Note: Totals may not equal 100 because of rounding.

Source: Sept. 30-Oct. 11, 2022, Washington Post-Ipsos poll of 2,104 gun owners including 399 AR-15-style rifle owners with an overall error margin of +/- 2.5 percentage points and 5.5 points among AR-15 owners. Most U.S. adult demographics based on Census Bureau's 2022 Annual Social and Economic Supplement; Urban/Suburban/Rural from Ipsos KnowledgePanel estimate; party identification from November 2022 Washington Post-ABC News poll.

National surveys by Ipsos in 2022 found that 31 percent of adults own guns. The Post-Ipsos survey of AR-15 owners estimates that 20 percent of gun owners own an AR-15-style rifle. Taken together, the polls find that 6 percent of Americans own an AR-15, about 1 in 20.

The data suggests that with a U.S. population of 260.8 million adults, about 16 million Americans own an AR-15.

AR-15 owners explain why they have the weapon

Watch All

Videos by Jon Gerberg

Is each of the following a reason why you own an AR-15?


Major reason

Minor reason

Not a reason

Protect self, family and property

In case law and order breaks down

It is important to who I am as an American

Ease of customizing or modifying the rifle

Potential for new laws restricting AR-15 sales

Note: *No opinion* indicated in gray. Totals may not equal 100 because of rounding.

Source: Sept. 30-Oct. 11, 2022, Washington Post-Ipsos poll of 399 AR-15-style rifle owners with an error margin of +/- 5.5 percentage points.

*To ensure I would not be outgunned if I had to defend my family and property with the rate that society is going.* A 52-year-old man

AR-15 owners are not firing their weapons frequently

Q: How often do you fire your AR-15(s)?

Source: Sept. 30-Oct. 11, 2022, Washington Post-Ipsos poll of 399 AR-15-style rifle owners with an error margin of +/- 5.5 percentage points.

*I own it to protect my family members.* A 52-year-old woman

Military training and AR-15 usage

Q: In military training or combat, did you ever fire an M4 or M16?

28% served in the military

Source: Sept. 30-Oct. 11, 2022, Washington Post-Ipsos poll of 399 AR-15-style rifle owners with an error margin of +/- 5.5 percentage points.

About this story

This Washington Post-Ipsos poll was conducted Sept. 30-Oct. 11, 2022, among 2,104 gun owners, including 399 AR-15-style rifle owners. The sample was drawn through the Ipsos KnowledgePanel, an ongoing panel recruited through random sampling of U.S. households. Results among AR-15 owners have a margin of error of plus or minus 5.5 percentage points. The estimate that 31 percent of U.S. adults own any gun is from an Ipsos KnowledgePanel survey of more than 31,000 adults in November and December 2022.

Reporting by Emily Guskin. Videos by Jon Gerberg. Graphics and design by Aadit Tambe. Motion graphics by Osman Malik.

Illustration by Anna Lefkowitz; iStock. Design and development by Anna Lefkowitz, Aadit Tambe and Rekha Tenjarla. Design editing by Madison Walls. Video editing by Angela M. Hill. Graphics editing by Chiqui Esteban.

Editing by Scott Clement, Peter Wallsten and Wendy Galietta. Additional editing by Jordan Melendrez, Kim Chapman and Tom Justice.

Additional support from Sarah Murray, Courtney Beesch, Angel Mendoza, Kyley Schultz, Brandon Carter, Ashleigh Wilson, Jai-Leen James and Bryan Flaherty.