Will the AR-15 be fondly remembered like the Garand?

[John Kepler]

In avocational shooting, there's room for aesthetics and absolute accuracy. If your gig is competition, no problem - go for the rocket rifle and its greater accuracy. They do have their own cache'.

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No question....and it's completely possible to do both depending on the "hat" you choose to wear at any given moment. But the context of this thread asks the question of WHETHER the AR/M16 will be "...fondly remembered like the Garand". At that point, the context of the question dictates the "hat" being worn.

Based on conversations with my son and his "battle-buddies", my own experience, and my "non-emo" analysis, the answer is yes, and that it's already happening. There is a reservoir of "discontent" with the M16 that is largely confined to people of a given age....a discontent that vets from later era's largely do not share. For some, this dichotomy is simply unacceptable, they fail to acknowledge that any engineering design evolves, and that the rifle they didn't like bears about as much relationship to what is currently being used as the "old iron" they wax so nostalgic over. I had my own issues with the AR back in the day...I got over them, or rather the rifle evolved beyond them.

My most telling example in favor of the AR? As a firearms instructor, my students universally learn to shoot better, faster with the AR than ANY other HP/centerfire platform I've seen, and there really isn't a close second. That factoid alone says volumes!

With all of this said....this is subjective speculation where people of otherwise very similar minds can disagree rather violently depending on the "base assumptions" they choose to make. Also, it isn't a "zero-sum" game...one can quite easily occupy both positions and still function!