YES 7 of my ancestors brought their own muskets to Bunker Hill; one was 70 years old. 7 others rushed to Saratoga in 1777 with their own muskets and pitchforks [automatic bayonet weapons]. They were farmers from Massachusetts.
Today they would have either an SKS (best option for beginners), an AR-15, or some other semi-auto military style rifle. The recent undoing of law enforcement in Southern California illustrates just how useful these weapons are in an urban enviroment. Ten men with 9mm handguns are a problem, ten men with accurate semi-auto rifles are a MAJOR problem. You can’t even peek your head around the corner from 4 blocks away if you know someone is walking around the neighborhood with a AR. This is precisely why they cannot cotton these types of weapons in the hands of freemen. Such as these CANNOT be subdued without tremendous effort.. Just sayin’.