Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against guns. I just don't understand the popularity of AR weapons for household use. I carried an M-16 during my 2 tours in Viet Nam and felt that was essential for that. I also had an M-60 on base for any attacks there. Since then, I have never had any interest in AR weapons.
I still have a 20-gauge shotgun that I rarely use any more and a .177 break barrel air gun that I like to use for target practice and keeping varmints from eating the fruit off of my trees.
I guess I sort of feel like having an AR weapon is kind of like driving a NHRA Pro-Stock race car as a daily driver. That would be awesome but overkill.
I am sure I don't need to ask but I would like to know why AR weapons are so popular.
For many, it's just another rifle. It has the benefit of being very easily customizable for whatever the person wants to use it for, which is a big plus.
You want to target shoot? They have mods for it.
You want to hunt? More mods.
Three gun? Even more.
Pretty much any use one has for a rifle or rifle caliber pistol, there is mods and parts for it.
Depending on where one lives, an argument can be made for home/self defense as well.
Since I live in the suburbs, a pistol or shotgun with buckshot makes more sense but the modularity and ability to quickly swap whatever size magazine you chose to use, there are a lot of pros to the platform.
If we were allowed to use an semiautomatic platform to hunt here, I would probably have one with a 5 round magazine and the approriate caliber. But we aren't. So, I carry a guide gun instead.
The AR has come a long way from the rifle that was introduced in the Vietnam era. I like carrying the M4 way better than the M16 when deployed.