Modern sporting rifle (MSR) is a firearms industry term dated to 2009 that originally referred to AR-15 semi-automatic rifles. Between 2010 and 2013, several semi-automatic shotguns were added to the list of MSRs.
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In 2011, the US market for modern sporting rifles was estimated be $489 million.
Terminology
Creating the term "modern sporting rifle" in 2009 was part of a campaign by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) to introduce the AR-15 to the hunting market. The campaign is attributed to a push by Randy Luth, founder and former president of rifle manufacturer DPMS Panther Arms, to make rifles like the AR-15 acceptable in the field and on the range. After passage of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994, the firearms industry, and many firearm owners, objected to use of the term assault weapon for firearms other than assault rifles, which have a mode capable of fully automatic firing. The NSSF said confusion was created for years by referring to AR-15-style rifles as "assault rifles" and "assault weapons". In fact, they claimed, the term "is a political term created by California anti-gun legislators to ban some semi-automatic rifles there in the 1980s." The usage was problematic for two reasons:
- AR is an abbreviation for "ArmaLite rifle," after the original manufacturer of the semiautomatic rifle that is currently referred to as the AR-15. It is commonly mistakenly thought that "AR" stands for "assault rifle" or "automatic rifle." The AR-15 model is now made by Colt's Manufacturing Company. Manufacturers of similar rifles include Bushmaster Firearms International, Smith & Wesson, Stag Arms, and Ballistic advantage.
- Assault rifles are typically defined as having the capability for fully automatic fire, while no AR-15 sold to civilian customers has this capability.
Features
Features that are commonly found in factory-produced MSRs include: