3 ms·
"Assault rifle" is a rather precise term that means it is capable of firing more than one round with a single pull of the trigger, has detachable magazines, and
by kgunnar 8y ago
"Assault rifle" is a rather precise term that means it is capable of firing more than one round with a single pull of the trigger, has detachable magazines, and is chambered for an intermediate cartridge. If anything, it is more precise than "full auto" which encompasses other types of firearms as well.
The ambiguity comes in from the more recently coined term "assault weapon" that is rather similar to "assault rifle" but means something different. Some would say this similarity was intended to confuse the matter and provide the connotation of military "machine guns" when using the term to the general populace. And to further cloud the issue, there is no universal definition for "assault weapon" when used to refer to certain firearms. Generally it is used to define cosmetic features rather than any real functional differences.
- Isamu 8y agoI know the US Army has a precise definition for an assault rifle, but I'm not so sure there is a good legal definition, and that's what I'm talking about. This holds true for New Zealand. If anything the US Army definition is probably too precise and would cast a net probably not broad enough. Also the "selective fire" of assault rifles means you can select either semi-auto or full auto, which I think should be preferred terms in legislation. That is, you ban weapons that are automatic or semi-automatic (or both.) And again, the particulars of the magazine.
- jki275 8y agoAutomatic weapons (and select fire weapons) have been heavily restricted in the US since 1986. It's not a US Army definition, it's been an internationally defined term whose use in this way dates to WWII. It's not a new thing. Banning magazines is ridiculous. Banning cosmetic features as the "AWB" in 1994 did is even more ridiculous -- it's intellectually dishonest.