You normally don't have a prison sentence as the downside to an oil change.
I really don't want to burst your bubble, but building an AR really isn't "gunsmithing". Any mechanically adept person with a few tools can put one together in an hour or two.
It takes years and lots of customers to build a reputation as a gunsmith and to be able to charge a "living wage" premium for that business. Frankly, it's not a very lucrative field unless you also have the ability to supplement that income with gun sales. Hence, the FFL.
I really don't want to burst your bubble, but building an AR really isn't "gunsmithing". Any mechanically adept person with a few tools can put one together in an hour or two.
It takes years and lots of customers to build a reputation as a gunsmith and to be able to charge a "living wage" premium for that business. Frankly, it's not a very lucrative field unless you also have the ability to supplement that income with gun sales. Hence, the FFL.