1. Under the current system, law-abiding citizens have to jump through hoops to get an automatic weapon. Criminals simply have to buy one on the black market, or steal one. The current system isn't making anyone safer (except the criminals).
2. A criminal with an automatic weapon isn't necessarily any more dangerous than one with a semi-automatic. Read the story of Charles Whitman, the Texas tower sniper.
I don't expect you to change your mind, at least not right away. But I do hope you'll have a different view of what the media has labeled "gun nuts."
1. Yes, you must jump through hoops to acquire a Class 3 FFP; this is for the 'collector' or 'enthusiast' who just has to have one. If a criminal is caught with a fully automatic weapon; the judge tends to throw the book at the perp. This is fine with me.
2. I would argue that an idiot with a machine gun is far more dangerous than with a semi-automatic weapon. Instead of emptying a 9 round clip; he can unload 40 rounds, reload and drop another 40 on his drive-by. I'd much rather try my luck at dodging 9 rounds than 80.
As for 'gun nuts'; I'm a gun nut. I have deer rifles, shotguns and a couple of pistols laying around the house. I have no problem 'dropping' a perp on an attempted break-in. To me, that's part of the risk a robber has to take.
By the same tone, I can afford my 9mm Taurus; it's an equalizer against the bad guys. I can not afford the fully automatic weapon, and wouldn't be crazy about having my neighbors owning one either. If my neighbor fires off a round, the odds are better than 99% he'll miss me. If he opens up with a machine gun; he may miss me, but he's gonna do a LOT of damage to everythign around him. Someone is going to get hurt/killed.
I don't know if you served in the military; but I believe very few soldiers who have used fully automatic weapons would want them freely available on the street.