Which is really ironic because when you are fighting a foreign aggressor (which was basically what American patriots were doing), what you really don't want is

Which is really ironic because when you are fighting a foreign aggressor (which was basically what American patriots were doing), what you really don't want is everyone running around on their own with their own guns. You need trained soldiers who can take commands and hold a line. Once you have them, for all your purpose, you can just keep all your guns in a locked armory, and it takes half a day to summon your soldiers and distribute weapons should the need arise. And if you don't have the training, the best automatic rifles on the world won't help you. If your fighters can't even run to the nearest police station without hopping on a car, forget about it. You think you'll take the interstate to the battlefield when tyranny descends and black helicopters are flying around?