This is not necessarily true.
In any practical sense any semi-auto rifle is potentially as deadly as a AR15. The only functional difference is the capacity of the magazine.
Take for instance the Rugar Mini-14. The standard 5 round magazine would require 4 extra magazines to equal the 20 round standard magazine for a AR-15 (my AR-15 did come with a 5 round magazine from Colt).
But the Mini-14 does have 20 and 30 round after market magazines that are available which can give it equal fire power to the AR-15.
In all reality any semi-auto hunting rifle with a detachable box magazine has the same potential as an AR-15. It only needs for some sheet metal worker to come up with an after market high capacity magazine.
Only the esthetics and ease of modification make a hunting rifle different from the AR-15.
I'd wager that with a hacksaw, a propane torch, some silver solder, and some scrap sheetmetal for gusseting you could graft a couple of mags together and have it work reliably.
I quibbled and said the usual civilian hunting rifle. The Mini -14 is the main exception because it is effectively identical in capability to the AR-15 variants and the other civilianized “ASSAULT RIFLES”.
There arent a lot of civilian semi-auto rifles in a useful caliber (.22’s arent included) with detachable box magazines. Other than the Mini-14 these are mainly collectibles.
I quibbled and said the usual civilian hunting rifle. The Mini -14 is the main exception because it is effectively identical in capability to the AR-15 variants and the other civilianized “ASSAULT RIFLES”.
There arent a lot of civilian semi-auto rifles in a useful caliber (.22’s arent included) with detachable box magazines. Other than the Mini-14 these are mainly collectibles.