"The question becomes very simple in the end ... Is it better to have licensed gun dealers sell weapons or the black market ... "
Are you kidding? That isn't even close to the question.
How about not churning them out at the rate of tens of thousands per day?
How about not allowing lax gun laws in Indiana to result in the streets of South Chicago being flooded with high powered hand guns?
Here's a quick question. If the legitimate weapons market is for x weapons per year and you're manufacturing and selling 3x weapons per year, who are you selling them to?
How about not allowing a situation where someone can commit a crime with a serial-numbered weapon and you're still unable to know how he got it? That answer we know. It would cut into profits.