Does this make sense to anyone? You want a AR-15 type gun. If you buy a Bushmaster type 97 pistol, it has a 7.5" barrel, comes in either 5.56mm or .223 Rem. It has a 30 round magazine and costs about $900.00. It can be legally owned as any other pistol you have.
But, if you want a AR-15 in a rifle that has a 7.5" barrel, is semi-automatic, and either a 5.56mm or a .223Rem, the gun is sublect to NFA class 3 permit only. And carries the required $200 transfer fee.
Makes sense... Huh?