Why do Americans own AR-15s?
The Washington Post and Ipsos asked nearly 400 AR-15 owners why they own the rifle
A series examining the AR-15, a weapon with a singular hold on a divided nation
About the terminology
The AR-15 is the best-selling rifle in the United States, industry figures indicate. Almost every major gunmaker now produces its own version of the weapon, which dominates gun dealers’ walls and websites.
Critics claim that the military-style gun has no legitimate civilian use — yet about 1 in 20 Americans own one. So who chooses to buy an AR-15, and why?
The Washington Post and Ipsos asked nearly 400 AR-15 owners to explain their reasons for having the weapon, what they use it for and how often they fire it.
The survey found that AR-15 owners come from red, blue and purple states. Compared with Americans as a whole, AR-15 owners are significantly more likely to be White, male and between the ages 40 and 65. They’re also more likely to have higher incomes, to have served in the military and to be Republican. And AR-15 owners are more likely to live in states former president Donald Trump won in 2020 than adults overall.
Self-defense was the most popular reason for owning an AR-15. Other popular answers included recreation, target shooting and hunting, while some pointed to owning an AR-15 as their Second Amendment right.
Why people own
AR-15-style rifles
Q: In a few words, what are the main reasons you own an AR-15-style rifle? (Open-ended responses coded into categories.)
Self-defense/
Protect home/self/family
33%
Target shooting/
Take to range/
Competition
15%
Fun/
Recreation/
Sport
15%
Hunting
12%
Second Amendment/
It's my right/
Because I can
12%
Used in military/
Use as police
officer/
For work
4%
Like the way it looks/
Like it/
Because I want to
9%
Easy to use/Simple/
Accurate
6%
Customizable
platform/
Versatile
4%
Other reason
5%
In case of chaos/
Government tyranny
3%
Collection/
Collector
2%
Was a gift/
Inherited it
2%
No answer
2%
2%
Total does not equal 100 because up to two answers were accepted.
Angers liberals/
People want to ban them/
They make other people afraid
Source: Sept. 30-Oct. 11, 2022, Washington Post-Ipsos poll of 399 AR-15-style rifle owners with an error margin of +/- 5.5 percentage points.
Why people own AR-15-style rifles
Q: In a few words, what are the main reasons you own an AR-15-style rifle?
(Open-ended responses coded into categories.)
Self-defense/ Protect home/ self/family
33%
Target shooting/
Take to range/
Competition
15%
Fun/Recreation/Sport
15%
Hunting
12%
Second Amendment/
It's my right/
Because I can
12%
Like the way it looks/
Like it/
Because I want to
9%
Easy to use/
Simple/
Accurate
6%
Total does not equal 100 because up
to two answers were accepted.
Customizable platform/
Versatile
4%
Other reason
5%
Used in military
Use as police officer/
For work
4%
Source: Sept. 30-Oct. 11, 2022, Washington
Post-Ipsos poll of 399 AR-15-style rifle owners
with an error margin of +/- 5.5 percentage points.
Collection/
Collector
2%
In case of chaos/
Government tyranny
3%
Angers liberals/
People want to ban them/
They make other people afraid
2%
Was a gift/
Inherited it
2%
No answer
2%
Why people own AR-15-style rifles
Q: In a few words, what are the main reasons you own an AR-15-style rifle? (Open-ended responses coded into categories.)
Self-defense/
Protect home/
self/family
33%
Target shooting/
Take to range/
Competition
15%
Recreation/
Fun/Sport
15%
Second Amendment/
It's my right/
Because I can
12%
Hunting
12%
Easy to use/Simple/
Accurate
6%
Angers liberals/
People want to ban them/
They make other people afraid
2%
In case of chaos/
Government tyranny
3%
Used in military/Used
as police officer/
For work
4%
Other
reason
5%
Like the way it looks/
Like it/
Because I want to
9%
Customizable platform/
Versatile
4%
Was a gift/
Inherited it
2%
Collection/
Collector
2%
Total does not equal 100 because up to two answers were accepted.
Source: Sept. 30-Oct. 11, 2022, Washington Post-Ipsos poll of 399 AR-15-style rifle owners with an error margin of +/- 5.5 percentage points.
No answer
2%
The Post-Ipsos poll is one of the most detailed nationally representative surveys to date focused on the opinions of AR-15 owners.
The gun industry estimates there are about 20 million AR-15s in circulation. There is no way to independently confirm that number, but polling can estimate how many Americans own them.
Demographics of AR-15 owners
National surveys by Ipsos in 2022 found that 31 percent of adults own guns. The Post-Ipsos survey of AR-15 owners estimates that 20 percent of gun owners own an AR-15-style rifle. Taken together, the polls find that 6 percent of Americans own an AR-15, about 1 in 20.
The data suggests that with a U.S. population of 260.8 million adults, about 16 million Americans own an AR-15.
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