Americans love their guns and they love their AR-15s.

A new national survey found there are about 40 million AR-15 rifles across the United States. Data shows 25% of gun owners have at least one while about 13% own a similarly styled semi-automatic rifle.

AR-15s are constantly under the microscope with lawmakers in various states looking to implement restrictions or bans on their ownership and usage. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to address the issue in their next session, which begins in October.

The 2026 National Firearms Survey proclaims to be one of the most thorough ever conducted. It found there are 88 million gun owners in America or roughly 33 percent of the population. Together, they own 461 million firearms or about 5.2 per owner. Of that total, 208 million are handguns, 154 million are rifles and 99 million are shotguns.

“Firearms ownership in America has continued to broaden and deepen,” wrote William English, Georgetown University professor and political economist, who produced the report. 

The survey found women now make up 45.7% of gun owners. It also shows an uptick in minority ownership. Thirty-three percent of black Americans are gun owners along with 28% of Hispanic Americans and more than 19% of Asian Americans.

Hunt 2 Conserve is a strong advocate of the Second Amendment.

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.