I purchased an AR15 after the ban expired. Why? Good Question... First off realize that I have been target shooting since I was very young (~10) and guns are common place in my family. Nobody in my family or anybody that I know has ever committed a crime with ANY firearm, not to mention the AR15. AR15s are very good target rifles, because of their design they are easy to shoot, they are very accurate and that is largely why myself and others buy them. They are very similar to what the military uses, however they are not full automatic. In fact the 5.56 round (.223) and the M4/M16 (military version of AR15) have been regarded by some as being inadequate for military use. They require more maintenance than other combat rifles and the round is not considered as effective in combat by some as compared to other options. The original M16 was a huge failure during the early parts of the Vietnam war, it was not well suited to the harsh environment of combat. The AR15 is a very modular platform that allows for easy customizing and for civilian use is not limited to the 5.56 (.223) round, there are many calibers that are available and that is very appealing. To consider this rifle more dangerous than a traditional target or hunting rifle is misleading, any firearm in the wrong hands is dangerous;The Virginia tech shooting involved only handguns and was a horrible tragedy. I don't hunt anymore, I am only a target shooter and I enjoy target shooting with all types of weapons from traditional (old school) to modern weapons like the AR15. Am I a threat to anybody because I own an AR15?, absolutely not and I do firmly believe in my 2nd amendment rights to own one for all lawful purposes. Do I think everybody should have one, no I don't but no more than with any other firearm. I do believe in logical gun control, I have no issue with our government keeping tabs on what I own however people need to really look at what our gun rights were originally intended for.
I wanted to add that as law abiding gun owners it is our responsibility to insure our guns are kept under lock and key, I firmly believe in using gun safes for storage.