Peter,
As a long term gun owner, I only ever had 1 semi-automatic rifle and that was in the collection (a Us M1 Carbine). I have, as you, never found a reason to own one for actual use. On my licenses I can go out and legally by a semi-auto for the collection (or even a full-auto), but they must be rendered deactivated (my collector license allows me to own ANY weapon category). My shooter's license also is endorsed appropriately for Cat C ,Cat D and H but I have no need. I have only 2 rifles on my shooter's licence - a .22 bolt action I use for serious target use, and a 1942 German K.98 (a U.S veteran WW2 souvenir) I use for military style target shooting. Everything else is on my collector licence.
Semi auto firearms are still openly available to properly licensed individuals in Australia -
www.usedguns.com.au for a start - though naturally the price has skyrocketted.
And the blackmarket is rife with any firearm you want. ANY! And remarkably openly too - brazen in fact.
A gun is just an object. It's purpose is primarily to kill. Yet it takes a human mind to set the motions to do so. Any object - even a telescope - can be made to kill in the hands of someone determined to harm. Fix the broken minds first.
