Why millions of Americans — including me — own the AR-15

[tortoise1956]

98. I bought one years ago, didn't use it

I sold it after Sandy Hook for more than I paid for it.

I bought another one about 3 months ago, it was a partial assembly required (stripped lower and assembled upper). It's strictly a range gun - I haven't shot a living creature for more than 30 years, and I have no intention of ever doing it again.

There are several things I really like about this weapon:
1. It is an inherently simple design - an amateur DIY'er like me can tear down and re-assemble it very easily.
2. There's a huge market of aftermarket parts, and customizing it is very easy. (Which in itself is extremely appealing to my inner tinkerer...)
3. It's a lot of fun to shoot, and not too bad as far as accuracy.

And, though I know it's childish, the mere fact that I have one is bound to piss someone off, somewhere...