Just how difficult is it to manufacture automatic weaponry from scratch?

[MT2008]

Originally Posted by Mazryonh

Something like that would be ideal for those with a predilection for indiscriminate carnage and mayhem

As Funkychinaman pointed out, anyone who wants to carry out "indiscriminate carnage" is better off using explosives than firearms. And if we're talking about manufacturing, it's much easier to manufacture explosives than guns.

But I'm not sure why this would matter to criminals because most criminals do not aspire to carry out "indiscriminate carnage". Terrorists are another story, of course.

Originally Posted by Mazryonh

It's probably a lot easier to get straw buyers to buy individually small amounts of pistol ammo that is then used for illicit, untraceable SMGs (since they never had serial numbers in the first place) than to buy rifle ammunition without raising lots of red flags.

What place in the world are we talking about here?

If it's the U.S., you are clearly wrong. ANY time of rifle ammo raises far fewer flags than pistol ammo. When was the last time you even bought ammo (do you own any firearms)? I have to show my driver's license to the cashier at Dick's every time I buy 9x19mm. Whereas I've never had to show my license when buying .223 or 7.62x39mm.

If you are talking about the rest of world, I would venture that there is more 7.62x39mm floating around than almost any other caliber, just as there are more AKs than any other type of small arm.

Originally Posted by Mazryonh

From what I've seen, the "wrong people" will try to exploit gaps in law enforcement methods when they can.

Not when they can; when they need to. Very big difference.

Right now, there just isn't much of a need for anyone in the U.S. (assuming that's what we're talking about) to manufacture firearms - whether full-auto AKs or SMGs - because full-auto doesn't have too many practical uses and semi-auto clones of the latest military/LE weapons are readily available in the U.S.