As I said, I was a young lad, way too young to own a gun at that time. All I can do is explain what I saw. Sure, plenty of people had them, I’m sure some were even bought and sold as you said, but the guys I knew that had them literally would not bring them out, wouldn’t shoot them, told little about them, etc. they were quite literally hid away in closets and didn’t come out other than to be fingered every now and then. It’s possible they didn’t know but I’d like to think they knew considering one of them was an ffl. Regardless, there seemed to be a certain stigma that had these gents very afraid.
What I do know is, this AWB is very different than the last. Other than that, I keep an open mind, so enlighten me.