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The Wild Ride of AR Sales

Record breaking sales and record breaking back orders prove that the AR has locked in its deserved place in the American firearms line up.

It's no secret that political controversy has been one of the key catalysts driving AR sales through the roof for the past two years. Since the expiration of the Assault Weapons Bill during the Bush Administration, sales of ARs, AR accessories, and the ammo to feed them have hit an all-time high.

A Little History

This feverish rise in rifle acquisitions has seen several spikes. The Clinton Administration pushed the Assault Weapons Bill through the Senate on September 13, 1994. Prior to the bill's passing, Americans were going through the first wave of "AR fever" sending sales soaring. Although the Assault Weapon Ban of 1994 did stem the tide of AR sales somewhat with a magazine capacity limit and a few non-AR models coming off the shelves, various compliance options still enabled classic AR rifle sales to grow.

On March 24, 2004 the ban expired. A last minute amendment from Senator Dianne Feinstein of California tried to extend the ban another 10 years, but the amendment was soundly voted down on the Senate floor by a resounding vote of 8-90.

Returning military personnel and hunters continued to spur AR rifle growth. Even a major downturn in the economy couldn't stop the massive surge of AR sales from 2007 through 2008, while the country debated who would become our next president.

At the start of 2009, sales continued to clip at a record pace. If you strolled into almost any gun shop in February of this year, chances are you found only one or two rifles on the shelf, and they were most likely already sold. Many shelves were entirely bare of ARs.

With hunters now choosing the AR platform for everything from coyotes to big game, sales have marched ahead even in the firm grip of these difficult economic times. In a rare retail moment in firearms history, larger retailers are not doing as well as the independent stores. The combination of all these trends, along with scarce ammo availability and strong handgun sales, has the independent gun dealer experiencing one of the most profitable periods ever seen in the firearms industry.

http://www.military.com/entertainment/outdoor-guide/ar-hunting/wild-ride-ar-sales.html