Modern sporting rifle

Modern sporting rifle (MSR) is a firearms industry term dated to 2009 that originally referred to certain semi-automatic rifles similar to the AR-15. Between 2010 and 2013, some semi-automatic shotguns were added to the list of MSRs.

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 platform to the hunting market. The campaign is attributed to a push by Randy Luth, founder and former president of Defense Procurement Manufacturing Services (DPMS), 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 automatic rifles. The NSSF said confusion was created for years by referring to AR-15-style rifles as assault rifles and assault weapons. The usage was problematic for two reasons:
 * 1) AR is an abbreviation for ArmaLite, the original manufacturer of the semiautomatic rifle that is now referred to as the AR-15. The AR-15 is now made by Colt's Manufacturing. Manufacturers of similar rifles include Bushmaster Firearms International, Smith & Wesson, and Stag Arms.
 * 2) AR is also a common abbreviation for assault rifle, which is a fully automatic firearm.

Features
Many features that are commonly found in factory-produced MSRs are:
 * Semi-automatic firing
 * Rail-systems for adding additional attachments
 * Adjustable stocks
 * A pistol grip
 * Detachable magazines - most commonly 30 round capacity