[templar]

... what was the most powerful weapon available to man when the 2nd Amendment was crafted?

Heavy artillery, rockets. Many americans had their own privately owned artillery at the time, both naval and land based.

[ThirstyMan]

TM: ... what was the most powerful weapon available to man when the 2nd Amendment was crafted?
Templar: Heavy artillery, rockets. Many americans had their own privately owned artillery at the time, both naval and land based.

Which makes me wonder how we justify the demarcation of civilian vs military ownership of any weapons of mass destruction. You say the most advanced weaponry of the day of the Founding Fathers was available to the average citizens.
or am I misreading your logic here?
Somehow the 2nd Ammendment gets trashed when we make any distinction, doesn't it? After all how can I defend against a tank without a proper weapon?