I know a great many people who are firm 2nd Amendment supporters, but not gun enthusiasts. Some are hunters, others are not. But they all believe that we have the right to own guns, for protection, or sport. But they do not believe is machinegun ownership for the general public. As one once told me, "I trust you, you know guns, and what you are doing, but lots of people don't".
And in the end, that what it boils down to, excluding the committed anti gunners, and those simply brainwashed by the anti's propaganda. Decent, intelligent people simply do not believe the common people are responsible enough to be safe with full auto weapons. And, they may be right. We can't know for sure, since that state has not existed since 1934 when restrictive regulations took effect. But I find it likely they would be right, if things were to magically be changed overnight. Too many people are alreadly irresponsible about too many things already, and adding in totally unrestricted full auto ownership doesn't seem to me to make things any better. But that's not precisely what's under discussion.
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As to the Hughs Amendment - it would not change the level of regulation as it would not touch the 1934 NFA - I can't see how it would increase dramatically the number of people willing or able to jump through those hoops...
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AH, but it would. This thread, and others like it appearing frequently on the board points to a generation of folks with a renewed interest in full auto, and their frustration at learning that they cannot enjoy it, due to the law, and the high cost of those guns legal to own (again, because of the Hughes amendment).
There are apparently a number of people, who have enough money(if the price was even remotely reasonable), and would be willing to go through the NFA process, if the law would allow them to. This is probably due to the attacks and bans on semi auto guns drawing their attention to the subject in the first place.
I mean, suppose you're well off enough to be able to afford a couple thousand for the gun you want, but not $20-40K (or more) for one of the legally transferable guns. And the law won't let you buy (or build) and register a new one. Pretty frustrating, especially when you have been shooting that AR or AK, and would like to experience it in full auto. You can afford it (or could if the price was not aritifically hugely inflated), you got a clean record, can pass any background check, can even get the local Police chief to agree, but the law says you can't do it.
I've been seeing a few of these threads lately, probably from younger folks who were not of an age or income level back when the '86 law went into effect, and are just finding out now the legal limits to full auto ownership.
If the Hughes amendment were repealed, I think that there are a lot of people would would jump at the chance, and go through the hassle to be able to put the "happy switch" in their AR for a few hundred dollars. I would, if the state I lived in allowed it.