New Orleans .....

[Pepper]

Wikidpedia says:
In the United States, full-automatic weapons are technically federally legal, but have very restrictive requirements. They must have been manufactured and registered before May 19, 1986, require a single payment of a $200 transfer tax, approval must be met in writing prior to purchase from the local sheriff or chief of police, the ATF, submitting a photograph and fingerprints, and waiting around 6 months. Written persmission must be given by the ATF at least 30 days in advance if one wishes to take his full-automatic firearm out of his state. Due to the static number of full-automatic firearms on the market (fixed at 1986 levels), their collective value continues to increase. Most full-automatic firearms for sale cost in excess of $8,000, which for many seeking to make a legal purchase is the most prohibitve factor. Several states have decided to prohibit the sales of full-automatic firearms altogether. In most US states however, one can buy many semi-automatic firearms over the counter if the buyer meets basic legal requirements, and after completing the proper paperwork and a criminal background check.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_con...gun_control.29

I think you'd be lucky to have more than 10 automatic rifles floating around due to gunshops being looted, although I have no actual experience in shopping for such guns. Typical gunshop weapons in US I think are pistols, shotguns, hunting rifles, and perhaps a limited assortment of semi-auto assault rifles (but far less frequently).

One curiousity I read about some time ago was that the .50 Browning sniper rifle (used by Heavy Snipers in game) can be legally purchased by civilians in the U.S. because it is not automatic. I think Congress was trying to have it reclassified as some sort of small cannon to ban this practice, as the sales had been rising quickly (and presumably the guns were being shipped to places like Kosovo).