Re: Why bother at all ?
You could own those in the UK. Just needs an s.5 firearms licence, and some very plausible justification.
US approach is similar. NFA includes 'special' weapons and components you could licence from the ATF and buy a stamp for. That leads to some oddities. So NFA defines SBRs (Short Barreled Rifle) based on some defined characteristics, so need an ATF licence & registration. Or buy a 5.56mm 'pistol' with an arm brace that looks like an SBR, but apparently isn't.
.50 cals are mostly legal, and allow YT owners to shoot themselves in the head. That's more a training issue, ie shooting AR500 plate set at 90° from point blank range is a rather bad idea. Or other oddities, like the Raufoss Mk 211. Contains RDX or PETN high explosive, and popular on YT.
Gun politics is weird like that. As are people. Buy a Barret .50 because it's cool and heavily advertised. Tell yourself it's because .50BMG is the best long-range cartridge. Don't ask why competitive shooters use cartridges like 6mm PPC, 6.5 Creedmore, or even .338 Lapua instead.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
