+1 so hard it hurts
A few points. Hobo isn't supposed to suck as a role. That makes no in game sense to keep as much fun out of a role as possible. The popular idea that the class should be destitute and literally just do trash runs is wild to me, there's no reason to do that. I especially disagree with your view that it should suck even harder, stripping the player. That would kill the class 100%.
If it breaks your immersion, does it not break it when people have a log of shit hovering off the side of their head. Or when they go flying across the map on a bhop, or when a skeleton unleashes rocket after rocket at a single room apartment and everyone just goes about their day?
If you too want to bring up crime statistics from IRL, it's been shown homeless also committ violent crime in large numbers, often with stolen rifles or shotguns. It's very feasible a hobo could get his hands on a rifle. There was a train car in San Francisco or LA that a bunch of people, many homeless, robbed and stole dozens of guns back in 2020. If we are going on these same lines, no machine guns for reg citizens. The average man could never afford one so it breaks my immersion to see everyone have them.
My main reason for support is because I've been jailed/warned/etc for using rifle as hobo even in cases of defense of RDM where the other player is jailed for his rdm and I'm jailed for using rifle. The rule is stupid, and if it's old it's been a stupid rule for a long, looong time.