How is the Gunner feat in AL?

[Witty Username]

How effective is the gunner feat in AL? I expect this is a nested question.
sub-questions
1. Do guns exist in AL?
2. Can a player get access to guns and Tasha's? As I understand you wouldn't be able to start with a gun because of the PHB+1 rule.
3. Is Gunner worth taking for the negating disadvantage for attacking with a ranged weapon within 5ft, even if guns don't exist?

How does this work, if at all?

[Quietus]

1. Do guns exist in AL?
- Yes. You can't simply outright purchase them, and I don't know exactly where you get them - I assume they drop in some module or another, or as a special cert you can get at events, but they do exist. Bullets are expensive and draw from your very limited pool of gold.

2. Can a player get access to guns and Tasha's? As I understand you wouldn't be able to start with a gun because of the PHB+1 rule.
- Probably not, at least right now. Right now AL is split into two seasons, the current season 10, and everything else, under "historic". Tasha's is only available in Season 10, and that only encompasses the Rime of the Frostmaiden hardcover and the related adventures. I haven't read Rime, as I'm more player than DM, but unless there are guns in it, the two are incompatible.

3. Is Gunner worth taking for the negating disadvantage for attacking with a ranged weapon within 5ft, even if guns don't exist?
- It competes with Crossbow Expert. XBE gets you the bonus action attack, but no ASI. You'll have to weigh these against your class abilities and stat allocation requirements. If you already have a lot of bonus action competition, and have reason to want to be in melee range for some reason, or want to be in melee range with something that isn't a hand crossbow, Gunner likely comes out ahead.

[meandean]

Can't speak to AL specifically. It's one of those things that theoretically should be situationally useful -- +1 DEX plus it does something, which beats, say, Weapon Master. But it's hard to imagine the situation where it actually is.

Who would often be using ranged spell attacks on people within melee range? There aren't a ton of ranged spell attacks to begin with. But okay, Eldritch Blast is one, so maybe a Warlock. What Warlock is going to be in melee often? Probably only a Hexblade. Does a Hexblade need to spend a feat on improving their ability to Eldritch Blast people in melee range? Unless they aren't Pact of the Blade for some strange reason, then no, they don't really.

Okay, what about martials? Surely a crossbow user will take Crossbow Expert. Okay, so a longbow user? Are you in melee often as a longbow archer? If so, why? Hell, even if this were somehow a problem, I'd rather dip Rogue 2 and be able to Disengage, rather than trying to longbow someone in my face. Is there any better option if all I need is a +1 DEX feat? Yeah, there is, Piercer.

So, absent guns, I struggle to think of when Gunner would be your best option.