A letter of my composing was published today in my local small-town (quite rural in tone and outlook, but also home of a land grant university) newspaper, wherein I asserted that no assault rifle, which I defined as a firearm capable of repetitive automatic fire with a single pull of the trigger, currently is being sold by licensed gun dealers in the USA.
Did I err?
I suppose the M-1 Garand would be considered an assault weapon now. I think the Germans and Japanese considered it was. 8 rounds, one pull of the trigger fires one round. The Germans had their fully automatic weapons, but the ordinary soldier carried a bolt action weapon that could not match the M-1 in fire power.
They sell full auto if you go thru the NFA process with the BATFE. I dunno how those guys can afford to shoot'em and it's not very accurate. But hey, if it trips yer trigger, knock yerself out. I don't think there's been a crime committed with a legal full auto weapon obtained by one of us peons.
Yes. It is perfectly legal to buy and own fully automatic firearms if you pay the $200 tax and pass the background check. A bigger obstacle is that such weapons are now VERY expensive (I have seen $30K listed for some). But they can be sold (and anyone dealing in them WILL be a licensed gun dealer) and bought.
You erred.
Every "Class III" licensed dealer in the country has "firearm(s) capable of repetitive automatic fire with a single pull of the trigger".
None of them available for sale to the general public were manufactured after 1986. A citizen who wishes to buy one must submit to a background check, and pay a $200 tax to the BATF. And they cost in the tens of thousands of dollars.
There is an enhanced background check, $200 tax stamp and your county sherrif needs to sign off.
That said, a semi auto AR 15 costs about $600+. Full auto in the vicinity of $20,000.