At one point, while the AR-15 and derivatives were banned, the IWI Tavor and the venerable SKS were not. While the SKS is a semi auto rifle, it does not come with a detachable magazine, you can get stock kits that place the receiver and barrel into a new stock that now accepts removable magazines. The Tavor is a bullpup design that uses AR style mags and has all of the same functionality, though it looks way different. I remember watching AvE where he was showing off an AR looking firearm made in Canada, but it was functionally a little different and didn’t use interchangeable parts.
This may have changed recently because I know they did add things to the prohibited list last year. But it illustrates the issue with selectively trying to whack a mole specific weapons. You ban one, but for some reason don’t add another that works more or less the same way. Or a new design comes out that is not on the list. Then you have the issue that they are now experiencing where you bought a rifle that was legally imported into Canada, you got the proper licenses etc, and they legally sold it to you, and with a stroke of a pen you now own a prohibited weapon. 
Sure they were. They were using Thompsons and sawed down Browning BARs. It was why the 1934 NFA act was enacted and they were taxed out of the range of ownership for most people with what equates to a $3800 tax. But yes, there were a plethora of designs back then of semi autonomic, magazine fed rifles. Only a handful of guns from 100 years ago are remembered now, but you had dozens of makers in the US and Europe coming up with new designs every year. Same with handguns and the like.
Sure, the AR platform is more common today, but it was available and affordable for most people since the 60s. Other platforms like the Mini-14 were even more common for the longest time.
Look here - Harrods Catalog - 1912, page 460. Winchester Model 1907 or 1910, magazines fed semi-automatic rifle delivered to your door in the UK for a bit over 5 pounds - which would be about a bit under 600 pounds today - which is a bit over $800. The price of an “average” AR today.
Point is - they were available and had less restrictive laws.
Point to me a period of time where we had more restrictive gun laws and how much better the crime rate was. Which laws are you talking about and when were theses laws “gutted”? If you’re going to mention the AWB, that sunset, and it didn’t actually ban assault rifles, it banned certain features. For the most part gun laws have only have only increased. Colorado has a magazine size limit, for example, passed in 2013.
The only real loosening is the ability for people to legally CCW. Not that the laws before prevented anyone who wanted to carry from doing so.
You can say you want more restrictive laws. Fine. Go on with your bad self. But making a point that isn’t true isn’t help your point.
