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How did the AR-15 become the most popular gun in America?

An AR-15-style gun was used in the attempt to assassinate Donald Trump. The firearm has been used in numerous mass shootings in Pennsylvania and across the United States. The number of AR-15s owned by civilians in the 1990s was estimated at 400,000. But by the 2020s, that estimate increased to 20 million. Its rise in popularity can be attributed to political factors and marketing efforts, according to Wall Street Journal reporter Cameron McWhirter, who cowrote a book on the history of the gun called “American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15” with his colleague Zusha Elinson.
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