[Spktyr]

Here’s why. (I’m a FAL guy but I had to pick up one after a while.)

1. Combat chatter.
2. Ease of ‘borrowing’ ammo and mags.
3. For the weight of your tanker M1A and one mag, you can carry an AR that reaches out just as far and ten fully loaded mags.
4. Barbie for men.
5. Familiarity with operation of the most common rifle on the continent. You might have to ‘borrow’ in a hurry one day.
6. Because liberals don’t want you to have one.

[Noumenon]

I’m a FAL shooter myself, but my 72 hour kit has an AR carbine as part of the loadout. For all the reasons you’ve specified.