Statistics compiled by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) reveal more than 16 million AR and AK-style firearms were produced for Americans in the period 1990-2016.
On August 31, 2018, Breitbart News reported over nine million such rifles were manufactured during the eight years of Obama’s presidency alone.
The NSSF numbers give a broader look at the figures and demonstrate that ARs and AKs truly are commonly owned firearms.
Breitbart News has the NSSF chart and it shows that 74,000 ARs/AKs were produced and/or imported in 1990. That number grew to 288,000 in 1993, 380,000 in 2003, and 633,000 in 2008.
During Obama’s presidency the number was even higher. For example, there were 1,006,000 ARs/AKs produced and/or imported in 2009, 1,630,000 in 2012, and 2,275,000 in 2013. Estimated production and/or import in 2016 was 2,330,000.
The Wall Street Journal makes clear that America’s love affair with AR-style rifles did not end with Obama’s presidency. Rather, ARs made up over $2.5 billion of the overall $10 billion firearms market in the U.S. last year.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.
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