While many here might not condone the

[stix213]

I agree with your entire list.

I have trouble going along with large explosives, chem/bio weapons, nukes, cruise missiles, ICBMs, etc.

Small explosives that could disable a vehicle would be useful for urban fighting. I don't see the usefulness in possessing a device that could destroy several city blocks.

[DonaldBabbett]

How are you going to get out if they set your house on fire?

Well, I better have a number of escape exits with an M2 covering each one still.

[BeFrank]

Good example

Well, anything in the NBC realm is significantly different from a rock crusher etc.
re: Owning nukes Look at Pakistan. Its a nuclear power that is inches from becoming a failed state. Consider the way numerous nations are in a sweat about what happens if/when anarchy breaks out there. The US and many other powers have contingecy plans to grab/destroy those nukes befoe ISIS/ Al Qaeda can grab them. As someone pointed out earlier, Armies are needed to guard nuclear weapons. Warren Buffet/ Bill Gates probably couldn't afford to buy or develop a Special and properly guard and maintain it.
so I guess its a moot point anyway Biologicals, on the other hand...

So, all the nuclear non-proliferation treaties and world wide pressure and Pakistan, North Korea, India and Israel all have nukes. Virtually all of them have biological and chemical weapons as well.
And the point of making them illegal?
If there is no law against something that does not automatically mean that it is a problem and laws do not stop bad behavior. The only thing stopping you from acquiring and using WMD's is your personal ability and moral character.
So no, I don't think these things need to be outlawed, it's a waste of time and sets a bad precedent for our liberty. Does that mean I would like everyone in town to have explosives and weaponized plague virus? No! Do I want a law that says people can't have those things? No!

[Mitch]

The general public should be able to have any weapon sytem available to the military. The limiting factor is usually cost of the system, availability, or good jusdgement that that particular weapon system is a wide area weapon.

Yeah, I always thought the nuke argument was a lame straw man. As far as I'm concerned, anyone who can afford nukes can have them. But since not even Bill Gates can afford to produce a bomb, it's a pretty silly argument.

The Manhattan Project was the greatest engineering wonder of human history. The industrial infrastructure required to build an atomic bomb is really staggering.

[spfabrication]

There was a time when I was the go-to guy for precise special weapon delivery. How I do miss the old days...

[jimx]

isn't it safe to say that most here would agree that any law-abiding American citizen should be allowed to keep any weapon, tactical equipment or protective gear that virtually any police or sheriff's department in the nation has?

I would disagree. Personaly, I don't want a 15 yo walking out of Wallmart with FA and explosives.

The general public should be able to have any weapon sytem available to the military. The limiting factor is usually cost of the system, availability, or good jusdgement that that particular weapon system is a wide area weapon.

I don't want the average Joe owing artillery.

For the people that think it OK for everyone to have NBC items, perhaps you should find a different hobby.

[chuckdc]

I don't think ANYONE should have biological weapons, and that includes governments. There really isn't a proper way to secure them that is idiot-proof enough. Remember those vials of smallpox that were found in a storage room at the FDA? "Oops" the previous people that had the storage room forgot about them about 20 years ago. Freakin' SMALLPOX! Close to as lethal as some of the Ebola family, and absolutely 100% without doubt airborne transmissible. Like, if you can see it, you're too darn close. 20 feet and more distance. Don't need it to produce a vaccine for it, either, so get rid of it.

That's one class of weapons that just doesnt need to be around.