I'll admit I may be part of the recent panic about impending gun legislation. In my defense I've been interested in shooting most of my life. I just wasn't brought up around it and never owned a gun.
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I feel ya dude. I was raised just outside a major city, then moved to the downtown of a different city for college. it wasnt until I moved to Indiana and met a new group of friends that I got interested in the shooting sports.
It's a risk either way, but unless you got tons of cash you cant wait to get rid of, Id wait on the AR. The ban (probably) wont pass, if it doesnt then a year from now you'll be ticked that you dropped 2k on an $800 gun.
But, I dont know the future, I could be wrong.