Went to an organizational meeting for a new chapter of MDA today.

[jimmy the one]

82. thanks for the support

your link: And due to the way the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms regulates AR-15s, the rifle’s configuration is easy to change. The ATF considers the lower receiver of the AR-15 to be the actual licensed firearm; most everything else is considered to be just parts. Given the rapid disassembly of the AR-15, owners can swap upper receivers quickly to suit their needs.

Today’s tricked out AR-15s also appeal to gun enthusiasts who want to use what the professional use. ARs are the rifle of choice for special operations units, police SWAT teams, competitive shooters; that elite caché has influence on what guns are bought by the general public.

Says it in a nutshell; aside from target shooting's minimal involvement (imo) most all ar15 rifle owners want to own military style rifles without having to ever serve a single day in the military or well reg'd militia. Some kind of elan', status symbol for upper class white men, like owning a porsche.

The AR-15’s immense popularity has thrust it to the forefront of the American gun control debate. The rifle was a target for the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, and several states specifically mention it by name in their own assault weapon laws. Legislators focused on the cosmetic features of semi-auto rifles like the AR-15..

Immense popularity? amongst far right wing gun owners mainly. Most all gun owners would not want to own an ar15, and I mean nearly 99% of americans do not own one, & about 95% of gun owners do not. Its alleged popularity stems from a plurality strength, as I've said.

The AR-15 is perhaps the most ubiquitous firearm in American culture. The so-called “little black rifle” has become one of the most popular guns in civilian hands with an estimated four million AR-family rifles in circulation in the US, according to statistics gathered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
http://taskandpurpose.com/heres-ar-15-grew-become-americas-favorite-firearm/

different link: The AR-15 is at the heart of the gun control debate. The civilian version of the M16, it's the most popular rifle in the country, with some 4 million in the hands of gun owners and a wildly passionate fan base. Its use in the mass shootings in Newtown, Conn., and Aurora, Colo., thrust the AR-15 into the national spotlight.

just what we need in communities: .... "The AR-15 is, essentially, a gun that was designed to inflict maximum casualties, death, and injury, in close to medium range. That's what it does," said gun control advocate and former NRA member Tom Diaz. "The real problem is that we allow that kind of firepower to come into a theater or into a first-grade class."

NSSF contradicting Diaz above with blitherdom: "It's a question of cosmetics. It's not a question of functioning," said.. president of the National Sports Shooting Foundation. "The rifles are sane, safe, reliable types of firearms used by millions of citizens for lawful purposes. They are not just killing machines." http://www.cnbc.com/id/100673826