Wow got to say I'm surprised this has made it 4 pages so far.
2 years back it would have been squashed maybe times a changing.
It's been moderated a few times already. Boarder-lining the locking none the less.
I'll lay it out here. It boils down into two issues for the site. One is the major support for keeping the lights on we get from GP in advertising. The other is the legality part of it. We simply don't want to assume any liability, direct or indirect, of breach of contract or illegal activities. That's the honest truth in both matters. It's not some power/ego trip. There's a whole host of discussions I'd enjoy here (HMMWV's, Firearms, NFA items, exc.), but without a doubt things seem to go off the deep end, so it puts us where we're at.
I'd like to make an observation/statement/relation on a similar action. (There's firearm talk ahead, but this isn't for the promotion of firearms, just showing a related instance) A couple years back a company and other companies designed a "brace" that can be used on pistols. These devices were marketed for those with disability to help with the sport of shooting. Well, the brace also allowed for a shooter to shoulder a pistol. Now does this sound too bad? No, not on the forefront. But it kinda hit a gray area of the law. A pistol, when a stock is installed and the weapon is shouldered (even if it's not a "stock") becomes a NFA item. (National Firearms Act) Meaning you need to have the firearm registered with the NFA registry and pay the $200 stamp. [A lengthy and troublesome process] The ATF was kind of in a bad place for this. The brace was intended as a improvement to those whom might be handicap. So they initially stated that there was no issue with the brace or use of it (in any fashion). Things would have been fine at this point right? Wrong. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry decided that they wanted their own opinion letter in their name. [I'd delve into the legality of things, but that's a discussion of it's own. Basically the BAFTE doesn't write "approval" letters. They only write letters that an item is not *currently* a NFA item or outright declares them a NFA item] What's wrong with that? Nothing again on the face of it. But the tech branch of the BATFE was inundated by these requests. Basically it boiled over to a point where they were overwhelmed. They ended up reversing their decision due to this. The rule then became that the brace was still completely legal as designed, but merely using it in any fashion where it was shouldered changed the classification of the item. In essence, so many people wanted a letter stating what they had already said that the department changed their position to simply stop the flood. "Poking the bear" if you will, caused everyone to get bitten.
Now with that said, I think a scenario like that could happen with HMMWVs. (We're seeing it in a state level at least) People seem to have the same mindset of "it must be my way" they don't think about the negative indirect impact that comes from it. I'd much rather see all the effort people make in the matter, being used in a fashion like we did with the GA laws for MVs. But perhaps on a national level.
That is purely my opinion in the matter, it does not reflect any other business/government/or even site's position.