[Atlas Sneezed]

In addition to the increasing cost of magazines and rifles with certain practical features (all the militaries of the world can't be wrong), one major effect of the ban has not yet been noted here:

It prevents citizens from obtaining modern rifles of certain designs. Even if one can afford the inflated cost of a pre-ban AR, HK, FAL, etc, one is stuck with 30-year-old technology. I am denied the chance to buy a MODERN rifle because of the ban.

I am also denied the chance to buy a modern pistol with normal magazine capacity. New guns come out all the time, but there is no existing stock of magazines for them.

These factors will grow in significance over the generations, as we are stuck with 1970s or older guns that become so scarce and valuable that they will not be widely distributed among free citizens, but will be "safe-queens" like current machine guns (of which there exists one for every thousand citizens -- not much of a counterbalanace to a standing army!)

[xsrdx]

It prevents citizens from obtaining modern rifles of certain designs.

Bingo.

Advanced design SEMI AUTO rifles from SIG, HK and others are TOTALLY UNAVAILABLE to the civilian population. That is an ENORMOUS penalty, as civilians are FORCED by this stupid bill and the import ban, to buy aging and obsolescent equipment that will eventually be junk - just like Chuck and Diane intended.

I am also denied the chance to buy a modern pistol with normal magazine capacity.

Exactly to the point. If you buy a handgun of recent design, normal capacity magazines are UNAVAILABLE to you unless you are law enforcement.

And further- The AW Ban creates criminals out of lawful citizens by making it all but impossible to figure out what's legal and what isn't.

Ultimately, it creates a class of HAVES - the law enforcement community - and HAVE NOTS - the proletariat; hapless civilian shooters.

Any gun owner that posits that the AW Ban hasn't affected them is fooling themselves and ignoring reality.