I don’t think that opinions will necessarily change even if NATO decides to use a new rifle. Even if the US and NATO eventually adopt the Sig XM7 in 6.8x51mm, AR-15s will still be cheap, ammo plentiful, and they’ll all still be on the same standard. (Plus, the 6.8x51mm cartridge is a real barrel burner; if you’re a higher volume shooter, you’ll get maybe 5000 rounds out of it before accuracy is shot–pardon the pun–to hell.) But, we’ll see. So far the design has stuck around and been refined for over 50 years. Hell, people still use the 1911, and that’s over 100 years old.
AR-15s will still be cheap, ammo plentiful, and they’ll all still be on the same standard.
Oh, they will… Just like the AK. Then, we’ll have people arguing over if everyone should switch to the XM7 platform, over the AR, because the AR is so useless, and incapable of anything reliable, yadda yadda yadda.
Again, the AR is only as popular as it is because of a marketing campaign by the US gun industry, that started backed in the early 80’s, in order to sell machismo to returning Vietnam vets. I mean, they weren’t all that popular in the 70’s, even thought you could mail order a full auto rifle. People were declaring the M1 Garand to be far superior, because “So many parts, ease of maintenance, everyone knows how to use them, ergonomics don’t need training” etc etc etc.
The exact thing you hear people say about the AR vs AK, or AR vs M1, etc etc
I don’t think that opinions will necessarily change even if NATO decides to use a new rifle. Even if the US and NATO eventually adopt the Sig XM7 in 6.8x51mm, AR-15s will still be cheap, ammo plentiful, and they’ll all still be on the same standard. (Plus, the 6.8x51mm cartridge is a real barrel burner; if you’re a higher volume shooter, you’ll get maybe 5000 rounds out of it before accuracy is shot–pardon the pun–to hell.) But, we’ll see. So far the design has stuck around and been refined for over 50 years. Hell, people still use the 1911, and that’s over 100 years old.
Oh, they will… Just like the AK. Then, we’ll have people arguing over if everyone should switch to the XM7 platform, over the AR, because the AR is so useless, and incapable of anything reliable, yadda yadda yadda.
Again, the AR is only as popular as it is because of a marketing campaign by the US gun industry, that started backed in the early 80’s, in order to sell machismo to returning Vietnam vets. I mean, they weren’t all that popular in the 70’s, even thought you could mail order a full auto rifle. People were declaring the M1 Garand to be far superior, because “So many parts, ease of maintenance, everyone knows how to use them, ergonomics don’t need training” etc etc etc.
The exact thing you hear people say about the AR vs AK, or AR vs M1, etc etc