According to an article in [[b]Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement[/b], July 2001, over 30 million AR15/M16's have been produced, and the gun may catch up to the Kalashnikov AK which has topped 50 million.

Oh, absolutely it will top this number.  You have to think, the Avtomat Kalishnikov brand of weapons has been in use/service by both civilians and military for half a century.  The M15/16 has seen mostly just military service, merely 30 years ago.  The M15 really got popular in the 90's, which is seen in Service and Match rifle competitions around the nation, as M14's were slowly ousted by the use of the '16, by both military personnel and civilians.

I would be willing to bet that half of those 30M that were produced were within the last decade ALONE.  Give us another 10 years, and (assuming legislature doesn't prove otherwise) the AR15 will be the most widely used civilian and USGI issued gun in the world.

[i]Quality speaks for itself[/i]
Jewbroni~

i got to know a retired Army Colonel a few years back and stoped by to see him a while back--he introduced me to a retired Colt engineer--the engineer owns AR15 Ser # 7  wonder what something like that may be worth to a bunch of nuts like us....Dick

A guess that would definitely qualify as a preban....

A small fortune.[8D]

ColtShorty

GOA KABA COA JPFO SAF NRA

"I won't be wronged,  I won't be insulted
and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do
these things to other people and I require
the same from them."

Look it's already up to 30,000,225 with the current LEGP orders....


John

I wonder how many Winchester 1894's, Remington 870's & Ruger 10/22's have been built?

I need to buy more.

I bet SteyrAUG has #6 [:)]

No, I bet Steyr has #2! LOL

Make that 30,000,226 ARs.  I am building a post ban shooter.

I had GC00020X up until recently. Sure wish I kept it though.

ArmaLite states that some 8,000,000 ARs have been mfg. todate.

and that doesnt even include all the completed 80% lowers floating around or the homebrewed ars made in other countrys

I read somewhere that the Remington 870 has  sold more than other firearm since it was first released followed by the ruger 10/22.


Six

Would be fun to see the break down by Manufacturer.

During 'Nam, do you think Colt was even the #1 producer?  Or was someplace like the GM Hydramotive plant #1?

Yeah, AND I DON'T EVEN OWN AN M16!!  This proves that there are enough out there for me to have one.  Just one.



[b]Sixgun357[/b]:  The 870 is the most numerous [i]commercial[/i] arm.  It has sold a little over 9 million.  The military style guns sell much more than sporting guns.

Remington is lying, the 870 is no older than the AR, and the military are not large shotgun buyers.

Both the AR and AK have a long way to go to catch the 1898 Mauser- over 120 million produced in the last 103 years.  There were quite a lot of them turning up in footage from the Bosnian and Kosovo wars.  A lot of soldiers in the Regular Croation Army were still using them even though they could have had AK's if they wanted. (The Bosnians and Kosavars had rather less of a choice I'm afraid)

Ahhh, the Mauser, of course!  I think you're right ArmedLiberal, there are HUNDREDS of places where they are used, and dozens of different countries had production facilities for them.  

Yes, the AR has a long way to go to catch up.  As far as the AK, the AK has seen its best days already, while the future lies predominately in the AR.  Which raises a good question:  M1 Garand, M14, M16...which is next?  I think that the AR15, more or less, will be the dominant issue rifle for YEARS to come.  The reason this is so is because of how "modular" the rifle is.  If they find a better sight or bullet/barrel system, they can very well keep the entire lower structure of the M15/16, and replace the upper with a more "contemporary" piece - maybe they'll be AR/M18's, for example.

Until we get to where we're using concentrated pulse lasers, stand issue smart-missles, gauss rifles, or rail guns, I firmly believe the AR15 is the present and the future of small arms ballistics in the military, hands down.  Agree/Disagree?

Jewbroni~

30 million?  I am skeptical.

The AR has been produced by what, three countries?  A total of something like six firms?  I don't think there is any way the total could be as high as 30 million rifles.  I seem to remember that the first AR rifles went into Vietnam in 1962:  by the summer of 1967, production was at about 650,000 guns.  I think serial number 1000000 came off in late '68 or early '69.  I am sure once ground forces left SE Asia, the need for new M16A1 rifles dropped dramatically.  Make a few for Isreal and Taiwan (before they started making their own), and you're pretty much done.  So that makes a total of maybe 5 million M16, M16A1, XM177 etc.  Now, along comes 1983 and the US switches to the M16A2.  Gotta build enough for everybody, how many is that?  I would think 3 million rifles is enough for a peace time US army (remember they only made 1.4 million M14s).  Canada tools up to build them too, but we only need about 120,000, as many again to sell to the Dutch.  And while those of us on this board may average a lot of ARs, I doubt that in bulk of the population 1 person in 50 has one.  Call it another 5 million for civilian use.

I bet someone told that reporter over the phone there were 13 million produced, and he thought he heard 30.  I just can't believe the higher number for a rifle that has been used in one major conflict.

BattleRife

I concur with Battlerifle, there can't be more than 5,000,000 Ar's in civilian hands. Everywhere I go I see 870's, but rarely do I see AR's.If they just weren't so expensive![>(]

I think 30 million is way too high.  I think about 15 million would be closer to truth with less than 1 million in civilian hands in this country.  However I think there are/were more than 3 countries that produced AR-15/M-16 rifles (6 I think).  Also, I have heard about 65 million AK-47's (and copies) were produced world wide by about 12-14 countries.    

Yup, over 30M.  If we're talking M-16s, then our government bought them, used a few, stockpiled a few, and then GAVE THE REST AWAY TO OTHER COUNTRIES BY THE TON!  I love the AR, but I can't stand seeing so many of them in use by thugs around the world.  The Isrealis got free M-16A1s so they can sell their Galils to Colombia (among others).  I'm also pissed off because with 30M M-16s in the world, there should be no reason why we can't own one (okay, some people here can, but the going rate is $8500).  I'll bet you can buy an 11.5" M-16 in Palestine for like $100.      

Go to the site www.fas.org (which is anti-gun, btw) and look at how much equipment and arms our government gives away.  I no longer wonder why our taxes are so high!  I hate to say it, but I tend to agree with those who say we should limit our arms exports, it only gets more Americans killed in the long run.  

I don't think our Government gave away that many M-16 to our "friends".  Other than Israel who did we give so many to?  We gave some to few Latin American countries but who else??