Quote:
Originally Posted by Robulous78
Oh? you can't just break out the hack-saw like the rest of us? 
Maybe this is a dumb question... but in a world where a few mods can turn many rifles into 900rpm bump fire lead-storms, and most pistols have at least the option for a high capacity magazine, what difference does it make how short a barrel is? |
Well, that goes back to the history of the NFA, which was conveniently passed right at the end of prohibition, when all those agents were about to find themselves without a job. Never heard of a government agency ever getting SMALLER now have you? They had to come up with something for guys to do once all the horrible liquor was legal again.
So why the individual items?
Silencer - This was also during the great depression, people needed food, and they had a problem with poachers selling illegal meat.
Machine Guns - They needed extra charges to hold chicago gangsters on, and they were carrying tommy guns.
SBRs - not sure on this one, might be more of the machine gun logic.
So why $200? well, $200 seems like nothing to pay today, that's about the price of a new smartphone! But just imagine trying to pony up $200 back in 1934!