Assault Weapons Definition

[plasticman]

Hi,

I know this can be a touchy subject and can get alittle heated, but here goes.

With the tragedy of the Colorado Shooting, alot of the media and anti gun liberals are crying for a ban on assault weapons. Ok, thats not surprising to me or makes me angry. But what bothers me is that the pro gun groups (NRA i.e.) hates that word "assault rifle". Pro gunners argue that there AR 15's and AK's are NOT assault rifle's. Most Pro gunners and the NRA compare the AR to a bolt action rifle. Huh? Look, I have no problem of calling an AR-15 or an AK an assault rifle. As long as your not trying to take it away from me, then call it what ever the hell you want. Listening to Glenn Beck today and he had Ted Nugent on the radio. (I love Ted Nugent by the way) Well, what he said, I couldn't believe it. He said that the media was hammering home the message about the AR was an assault rifle. And he was pissed about that. But what got me is that he said that the shooter at colorado was shooting for 20 minutes and that the shooter could of shot more people with a bolt action rifle! WHAT?!?!?!?

So, what constitutes an assault rifle an assault rifle? Fully Automatic? For me - "if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, then its a duck"

[plasticman]

Ok, here is Ted Nugents exact quote

"In 20 minutes you don’t need an assault weapon, you don’t need a machine gun, which he (shooter) didn’t have either of, but you could do more damage with a single shot or a bolt action because he had 20 minutes."

Mr. Nugent, you are completely wrong on this. This is why the liberal media has a field day with us pro-gunners


You can get the whole transcript from
glennbeck.com

[Exbiker]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STeyS6LYIx4

[camper]

It's whatever they want to ban at that moment.

camper

[Hawkeye54]

Please don't feed the trolls!

[father-of-five]

Long live "The Mad Minute!"

[MrBi11]

If I smash you in the face with an over ripe banana, it by definition becomes an 'assault weapon' .

[NShortino]

There isn't a legal definition of assault rifle, at least that I know of, on a federal level. Even the former ban didn't have a general definition, it was just a list of brands and models that were off limits. Some states, like NJ, define their bans by things like accessories (adjustable stock, flash hider, pistol grip, removable mags, shoulder-thingy-that-goes-up). Most gun enthusiasts will agree though that what defines an assault rifle is that it is full auto. More importantly though, is the fact that none of that matters other than the connotation that the media means by it.

By calling it "assault" they're implying that it is meant for exactly that, assaulting someone. I personally don't ever plan on using a firearm to assault anyone, so I prefer to use a term more fitting of it's purpose. Most AR's (and others) are referred to as 'modern sporting rifles' because they are designed for and used in shooting sports. In some states, unlike even ours, it is perfectly legal to hunt with an AK, and as such you could call it a 'hunting rifle'. Many of us own our tactical rifles (another less-offensive term) for defense, and may call them 'home defense rifles'.

The important part in all of that is to show that modern semi-auto (and even full auto) rifles have MANY uses, which could be different for each person. But the media doesn't want you to think that. They want you to believe they are evil weapons which only serve one purpose... to ASSAULT someone, which simply isn't true.


As per Nugent's comment, while it may be a stretch of an argument, it is not without some merit. I've seen a video on here of a guy shooting wild boar with, I believe, a bolt action, in which he shoots a decent number of boars very quickly. It's not full-auto, but it was still faster than most people could accurately shoot a semi. With training, shooting a lever action (or pump) can be almost as quick as a semi, the only big difference being a lack of easy reloads.
Just think, a wild spray of .223 can wound a large number quickly, but a few aimed shots of 30-06 will KILL reliably. And lets not forget the mag issues. Sure, you can get a 100 rd drum mag, but how many times have you heard of those jamming (as it allegedly did recently). A bolt action wouldn't have that problem. Or go farther to the extreme; How many arrows could you fire off from a bow in 20 minutes? Sure you'd need a big quiver and it's definitely slower, but what is the survivability against a broadhead compared to a bullet? I personally wouldn't want try either.

[Carnes]

Assault weapon? Assault rifle? Meh, whatever.

Muskets were designed to affect an assault in some form or another. Whether it was assaulting game animals, criminals or an opposing force, a weapon is a weapon and it is intended for the sake of affecting an assault.

There's no such thing as a 'sporting musket,' as opposed to an 'assault musket. In reality the same thing applies to ARs, AKs, Glocks, and whatever else. Sure, you can use an assault weapon for sporting purposes (theoretically to practice effecting a better assault), but to try to use 'sporting,' or otherwise, as a defense against liberal manipulation of the language only makes things worse.

Don't run from the truth, drive deeper into it and drag the opposition with you. Otherwise they will just see through you for trying to play the same game they started. When arguing with idiots, you run the risk of them draging you down to their level, and beating you with experience. Same applies with people that try to manipulate language.

Yeah, it's an assault rifle. So what?

[gascolator]

Maybe anyone who complains about "AR's" should be invited to come to a rifle range and shoot an M1 Garand and then an AR15. Then ask them which one they want to shoot again.

And THAT is why people want "Assault Rifles."