In older catalogs, Springfield Armory (the makers of the M1A, a civilian M14 rifle) show photos from Perry of an entire line of shooters with M14 rifles. That’s the way shooting was just a few years ago. Its an old photo.

Today, the AR-15/M-16 family of rifles is the ABSOLUTE king of the firing line!

This is the very gun that a bunch of hate-mongering political idiots deride and want to ban as being an assault weapon with no legitimate sporting purpose!

In the first week, where everyone uses a “service rifle” (military rifle) easily 90% of the shooters were using the AR. maybe 9% using M14/M1A rifles (including me) and 1% with M1 Garand rifles. In the second week, there were a lot of “match rifles” many of which were based on the AR-15, others were bolt actions. But still the majority were AR-15/M-16 service rifles. All the military teams use them. But the USMC needs to remove the M14 decal from their armorer’s van.

We joked about how in a few years there would be an antique rifle match for M14’s like there is the Garand match today.

There were at least 4 M-16 companies on commercial row. Bushmaster, Armalite/Eagle, DPMS and Olympic, I don’t recall seeing Pac-west, but I think they were there. Springfield Armory was there, to their credit, and they sold a few receivers. But COLT was NOT!!! Colt started it all with the AR-15 in the 1960’s, and National Match shooting is the most visible competitive sport where AR-15’s or the “Match Target” can be used.

Most all the AR rifles on the line had a trigger job, float tube and sight improvements. Numerous AR gunsmiths were there, Derrick Martin (accuracy speaks), Phil Arrington (Arrington Accuracy), Frank White (compass lake), Scott Medisha (MF ltd) and others. Several rifles had fancy paint jobs.

After I clean my M1A, I will put it in the safe and shoot the AR exclusively next season. And I will buy more of them!        Poole, 1999