I understand where your heart and mind is when you say "all rational gunowners," but can't help feeling that is a somewhat loaded statement. Allow me a moment to explain why.
You see, I feel I am a rational gun owner. I maintain a collection of firearms, some purchased through licensed dealers with the appropriate background check, others through private sales. I've never pointed a gun at a human being, loaded or unloaded, or even at an object I had no intention of shooting. I have fired 10's of thousands of rounds and never accidentally shot someone or something. I have never had a firearm negligently discharge at all, let alone near or in the direction of an unintended object. Ask a chef if they've ever accidentally cut themselves with tools of their trade and the answer is undoubtedly "Yes." As an amateur enthusiast of firearms, I have a perfect safety record. Amongst other enthusiasts, professional or amateur, my safety record isn't an exception...but the norm. How does "rational" gun control methods benefit me in or protect the public from me in any way?
Firearms technology is fully matured and a few hundred years old. How long can we expect to regulate this knowledge? The mechanics behind the operation of a firearm is incredibly simple. Children can be (and often are) fully trained to operate, strip, and build a firearm. Once the materials science makes manufacturing simple, what hope do we have in implementing rational gun control?
The lower being the gun was always a bad idea. It should be the action.
I AGREE. AR-15's would be lumped in with a majority of rifles made since The 30's and not the target of such overreach. The action of the AR platform is so simple and elegant that underneath the plastics and tactical matte-black finish is a rifle no different than your grandpa's wooden stock hunting rifle. Regulating the action would only further highlight the irrational nature of such policy.
Again, I get where you are going with this, but most gun control is not rational--just stated as such to make people believe it really is. Gun control is just a tool politicians use to polarize the voter base. It's easier to keep finding a way to be re-elected than it is to cure the underlying socio-economic problems that produce the need or desire for people to resort to gun related crime. Don't believe me? Ask yourself why our president is looking to restrict Assault Rifles when 90% of gun crimes are commited with pistols and shotguns. The low hanging fruit isn't even being picked here.