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it doesn't take a lot of research to find that the original cost of 'the stamp' was arbitrary - the government knew then (as they know now) that the NFA was not going to curb crime - the stamp was set at that price because it absolutely priced legal ownership well beyond the grasp of the rank and file citizen...

Right from the ATF Website:

While the NFA was enacted by Congress as an exercise of its authority to tax, the NFA had an underlying purpose unrelated to revenue collection. As the legislative history of the law discloses, its underlying purpose was to curtail, if not prohibit, transactions in NFA firearms. Congress found these firearms to pose a significant crime problem because of their frequent use in crime, particularly the gangland crimes of that era such as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. The $200 making and transfer taxes on most NFA firearms were considered quite severe and adequate to carry out Congress’ purpose to discourage or eliminate transactions in these firearms. The $200 tax has not changed since 1934.

They knew citizens couldn't afford it and criminals wouldn't pursue it because IT SERVES AS A REGISTRATION DATA BASE and criminals don't register their weapons. Gun control isn't about guns - its about control.
...of course I ask that you forget the fact that it was crime on crime violence co-mingled with elements of government corruption while THE CITIZENS got left holding the bag with an infringement on their rights and a directive to pay "taxes" secondary to shitty governance and even shittier police work


SAME AS IT EVER WAS