AR-15 Hottest Selling Rifle

Welcome to the gun show where the AR-15 is the hottest ticket in town.

One gun owner says he uses his AR-15 for target practice and predators.

"It functions real well, very accurate, light weight. I like it, it's reliable," he said.

The AR-15 is the most commonly used rifle for marksmanship training and competition. But, it's been the target of a lot of criticism ever since the Connecticut school shooting.

And all that negative talk about the AR-15 is turning into a positive for gun shop owners. They are selling them as fast as they can get them.

"Ya, a lot well into the hundreds," Gary's Gun Shop owner Steve Naatjes said.

Naatjes says the AR-15 is in high demand because people are afraid they won't be able to buy one if the President has his way. 

"Anytime there's any impending gun legislation, we get busier," Naatjes said.

And the high demand is also inflating the price.

"You see them on the Internet for crazy money anymore. The guns were probably $1,000 before, $1,500 plus now," Naatjes said.

Gun opponents like to portray the AR-15 as an automatic weapon designed for use on the battlefield simply because they look cosmetically like their military counterparts.

But Naatjes says they're made for the civilian market.

"They are semi-automatic, just like grandpa's 740 Remington and 742 Remington, just because it has wood on it makes it look better, but it's the same thing," Naatjes said.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation surveyed AR-15 gun owners and found nearly 90% of those who own one use it for recreational target shooting.