So What Is an ‘Assault Rifle’ Really?

[GURPS (Premo)]

Originally Posted by tommyjo

And here is the relevant text:

DEFINITION OF SEMIAUTOMATIC ASSAULT WEAPON- Section 921(a)

A Term made up by a politician / political group with an Agenda


Military Nomenclature is the only proper description for this discussion - it removes all hyperbole and Emotion

[GURPS (Premo)]

Originally Posted by BOP

As long as I have the means, which I don't, why should I be denied a Range Rover, simply because I don't "need" one?

You do not need a Tahoe to commute to work, that is for special people - Limo-Libs and other elites

or a $ 500,000 Ferrari

[Inkd]

Originally Posted by tommyjo

There are those on here who would have you believe that there is "no such thing as an assualt weapon" or that there is no definition of such a weapon. As usual, these people are wrong. Below is the legal definition from Title XI of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. It is also worth noting if you can manage to spare a couple milliseconds to do a google or bing search you will find numerous definitions that all basically say the same thing. But, despite this, the whackos (appropriately self described above) will stick their fingers in their ears and pretend not to hear anything.

Here is the website to read the entire law:

Bill Text - 103rd Congress (1993-1994) - THOMAS (Library of Congress)

And here is the relevant text:

(b) DEFINITION OF SEMIAUTOMATIC ASSAULT WEAPON- Section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

`(30) The term `semiautomatic assault weapon' means--

`(A) any of the firearms, or copies or duplicates of the firearms in any caliber, known as--

`(i) Norinco, Mitchell, and Poly Technologies Avtomat Kalashnikovs (all models);

`(ii) Action Arms Israeli Military Industries UZI and Galil;

`(iii) Beretta Ar70 (SC-70);

`(iv) Colt AR-15;

`(v) Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR, and FNC;

`(vi) SWD M-10, M-11, M-11/9, and M-12;

`(vii) Steyr AUG;

`(viii) INTRATEC TEC-9, TEC-DC9 and TEC-22; and

`(ix) revolving cylinder shotguns, such as (or similar to) the Street Sweeper and Striker 12;

`(B) a semiautomatic rifle that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of--

`(i) a folding or telescoping stock;

`(ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon;

`(iii) a bayonet mount;

`(iv) a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor; and

`(v) a grenade launcher;

`(C) a semiautomatic pistol that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of--

`(i) an ammunition magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip;

`(ii) a threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer;

`(iii) a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the nontrigger hand without being burned;

`(iv) a manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded; and

`(v) a semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm; and

`(D) a semiautomatic shotgun that has at least 2 of--

`(i) a folding or telescoping stock;

`(ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon;

`(iii) a fixed magazine capacity in excess of 5 rounds; and

`(iv) an ability to accept a detachable magazine.'.

So by that logic, putting a fart can muffler, hood scoop and tail fin on a Honda Accord means you now have a hot rod?

[SamSpade]

Originally Posted by tommyjo

There are those on here who would have you believe that there is "no such thing as an assualt weapon" or that there is no definition of such a weapon. As usual, these people are wrong. Below is the legal definition from Title XI of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.

Aside from the fact that I wasn't asserting anything, what you just wrote 100% confirms what I conjectured - it is a legal definition, whose purpose exists to specifically describe a gun intended for a ban.

When the first rifles that were called "assault rifles" were created, they specifically described fully automatic fire weapons with detachable magazines of 20 or more cartridges. *NOW* it is sufficient for it to cosmetically resemble such a weapon.

Basically, it's a made-up definition because it changes depending on who writes the laws.