America Loves Buying This Semi-Automatic Rifle – and That Won’t Change Anytime Soon

Colorado Senate Republicans recently stated that Senate Bill 3, which was introduced in the 2025 Regular Session, has the potential to be “one of the most extreme gun control bills in Colorado’s history.” SB-003, sponosred by Senators Tom Sullivan and Julie Gonzales, as well as Representatives Andrew Boesenecker and Meg Froelich, would ban the purchase, […] The post America Loves Buying This Semi-Automatic Rifle – and That Won’t Change Anytime Soon appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Feb 10, 2025 - 15:12

America Loves Buying This Semi-Automatic Rifle – and That Won’t Change Anytime Soon

Colorado Senate Republicans recently stated that Senate Bill 3, which was introduced in the 2025 Regular Session, has the potential to be “one of the most extreme gun control bills in Colorado’s history.” SB-003, sponosred by Senators Tom Sullivan and Julie Gonzales, as well as Representatives Andrew Boesenecker and Meg Froelich, would ban the purchase, manufacturing, distributing, or transferring of a specified semiautomatic firearm. The sponsors clarified the language in the bill, explaining that this referred to “a semiautomatic rifle or semiautomatic shotgun with a detachable magazine or a gas-operated semiautomatic handgun with a detachable magazine.” AR- and AK-style guns would be included. Banning these weapons comes from efforts to reduce gun violence and improve community safety. However, many gun owners feel that this could violate their rights to own a weapon. Given the popularity and widespread use of semi-automatic rifles, it seems like gun owners may greatly oppose this bill. However, what will happen next remains to be seen.

An estimated 1 in 20 Americans (5%) own at least one AR-style rifle, with AR-15s being highly touted. But there are plenty of other popular semi-automatic rifles that Americans love. To identify the 10 most popular semi-automatic rifles in America, 24/7 Wall St. used a report from Gun Genius, which analyzed sales data from GunBroker.com, one of the largest online firearm marketplaces. Our list ranks rifles according to sales volume in 2023, although specific figures are not available. Additional data on domestic manufacturing locations and production volume comes from a 2021 report by the ATF. This list reflects sales trends on online marketplaces, not overall gun sales. Unlike most online purchases, firearms require transfer through a Federally Licensed Firearm Dealer (FFL). FFLs are typically local gun stores that conduct background checks before shipping the firearms to the buyer. In addition, although base models of many popular rifles can be found for a few hundred dollars, prices can vary significantly depending on specific features and customizations. (Meet the 33 gunmakers behind America’s favorite rifles.)

Why We’re Covering This

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America’s gun market is booming, and the most popular firearms tell us a lot about what’s going on in the nation. Certain gun companies are consistently topping the sales charts. Such data provides useful information for investing in defense stocks. The types of guns people buy may also provide insights into contemporary events. A sudden rise in popularity for a particular rifle, for example, can sometimes reflect growing tensions at home and overseas. In addition, America’s gun industry plays a big role in politics. The most popular rifles can illustrate the power of manufacturing companies and how they influence our culture and decision-making.

These are the 10 best-selling semi-automatic rifles in America: