It could have been an SAA in Colts 45 and it would be an AR-15.
It depends on the meaning of "same", I guess.
The Mini-14 is kind of the same thing, too. In fact, any rifle which fires the .223 is kind of the same thing.
And any gun which is magazine-fed is kind of the same thing. Which means the Glock is kind of the same thing as an AR15.
Anti-gunners will continue to target the AR-15 until somehow every remaining gun is NOT the same. Then they will target something else.
It may look the same. Scary black rifle.
But, it is not the same concept as an AR.