So What Is an ‘Assault Rifle’ Really?

[GURPS]

So What Is an ‘Assault Rifle’ Really? We Look at the Definitions and How the Term Is ‘Demonized’


“It’s a way to demonize something for a political agenda and misconstrue [the guns] and the public on the Second Amendment,” Allwood said.

Allwood, who the day he spoke with TheBlaze was traveling around helping police departments with their rifles, pointed out that all arguments for further gun control regulations or bans seem to go back the question “what would you possibly need this for?” Or rather, why would someone need the civilian equivalent to a military firearm?

Allwood said many gun control advocates would tie this question to hunting. In other words, why would a hunter need such a firearm? As the governor of New York Anthony Coumo said his State of the State address this week, “no one hunts with an assault rifle.” To which Allwood would respond, 1) there are practical applications in hunting with a so-called assault rifle and, 2) “the Second Amendment wasn’t designed for hunting,” an association which he thinks started being made in the 1980s.

“We need these rifles because the government has them,” Allwood explained.

He stopped there to say he realizes this is where gun enthusiasts and riflemen are made out to seem like anti-government “whack jobs” by the media, but that’s just not true.

“I don’t want people to think of me as anti-government. Most gun owners are not anti-government,” Allwood said.

He added that the Founding Fathers drafted the Second Amendment with protection of the citizens and their freedoms in mind.

 

[abcxyz]

The 2A is so citizens can protect themselves from threats, foreign and domestic.

The movie "Red Dawn" is being edited in to "Red, White and Blue Dawn".

 

[SamSpade]

I was generally under the impression that the term "assault rifle" was primarily coined to mean "a specific kind of rifle the government wants to ban". It does have a specific definition, but it's kind of meaningless unless you're crafting a law to ban it.

 

[tommyjo]

I was generally under the impression that the term "assault rifle" was primarily coined to mean "a specific kind of rifle the government wants to ban". It does have a specific definition, but it's kind of meaningless unless you're crafting a law to ban it.

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.'.

 

[aps45819]

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.
`(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 you can have all those cosmetic items but only have them on the gun one at a time.
how freakin' stupid is that

 

[DoWhat]

Here is the website to read the entire law:


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

I have a M-12 to shoot deer that come in my yard.
I have only missed 2 times.

 

[MMDad]

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.

Looks like Sam was right. The definition of an "assault weapon" is "a specific kind of rifle the government wants to ban".

 

[czygvtwkr]

But I want a grenade launcher and a bayonet dammit!

 

[PsyOps]

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.

So, because of old farts sitting in leather chairs say so, legal, we have to accept that definition? The term 'assault' is the operative word here. Every weapon, in it's rooted purpose is used to assault someone or something. Attaching it to specific weapons only serves the purpose of riling of emotions to create a negative image of that weapon for the purpose of getting widespread support in banning them.

 

[BOP]

I don't need a Range Rover when a Focus will serve much the same purpose (except for the overcompensation part), but I'd sure like to have one.

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?

 

[GURPS]

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]

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]

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]

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.