An assault weapon is generally defined by the public in the United States since 1994 as a semi-automatic firearm that is similar in name, appearance, or design to a fully automatic firearm or military weapon. Note that this term is not synonymous with assault rifle, which has an established technical definition. The general public definition used in the US was codified by the language defining semi-automatic rifles with certain characteristics in the 1994 "Assault Weapon Ban".^[1] Walther P99, a semiautomatic pistol from the late 1990s A semi-automatic firearm is a gun that requires only a trigger pull for each round that is fired, unlike a single-action revolver, a pump-action firearm, a bolt-action firearm, or a lever-action firearm, which require the shooter... M2 machine gun An automatic firearm is a firearm that will continue to load and fire ammunition as long as the trigger (or other activating device) is pressed or until it runs out of ammunition. ... The AK-47 is the worlds most common assault rifle. ...

The term assault weapon has been adopted into regulatory use, and there are a variety of different statutory definitions in local, state, and federal laws in the United States that define them by a set of characteristics they possess. Supporters of gun rights generally consider these uses of the phrase assault weapon to be pejorative when used to describe civilian firearms. This term is seldom used outside of the United States in this context. The phrase Gun politics refers to the views of different people within a particular country as to what degree of control (increased gun rights vs. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ...

In United States military parlance, assault weapon refers to weapons used primarily in assault operations. Examples include weapons used to breach obstacles during an assault, such as the SMAW, SRAW, Bangalore torpedo, and the APOBS. The military definition of an "assault weapon" was applied in WWII to flame throwers primarily used on the battlefield to assault bunkers or caves.^[2] A second definition of "assault weapon" came about as a political term to admittedly energise anti-gun sentiment for the purposes of regulation in the United States. SMAW The Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (SMAW) is a shoulder-launched rocket weapon, based on the Israeli B-300, with the primary function of being a portable anti-armor rocket launcher. ... The Predator SRAW is a small solid-fueled rocket powered missile, which is manually aimed and fired from an expendable shoulder launcher. ... Bangalore torpedo in Batey ha-Osef museum, Israel. ... The Antipersonnel Obstacle Breaching System is an explosive line charge system that allows safe breaching through complex antipersonnel obstacles. ...

The political definition, in contrast to the military definition, is non-descriptive as the semi-automatic weapons are not used in assault operations. More recently this term has begun to evolve into the terms "Semi-Automatic Assault Weapon" and "Semi-Automatic Assault Rifle." Again, these new terms are non-descriptive as the semi-automatic rifles in question are not used in assault operations.^[3]

Characteristics

Exact definitions vary from state to state, but an assault weapon is most frequently defined as a semi-automatic rifle, shotgun, or pistol which has two or more of the following characteristics:

• A detachable magazine holding more than 10 rounds. This is often referred to as a "large" or "high" capacity magazine in legislation even when it is actually the standard magazine size for the firearm in question.
• Military-style appearance, including semi-automatic replicas of military selective-fire assault rifles and machineguns
• A folding or telescoping stock
• Attached grenade launchers such as the M203 or muzzle attachments that allow the firing of a rifle grenade (note that grenades and grenade launchers are separately regulated as destructive devices by the National Firearms Act)
• On rifles and shotguns, pistol grips that extend vertically from the stock
• A bayonet lug
• Threaded barrel capable of accepting a flash suppressor, muzzle brake, or sound suppressor (Sound suppressors themselves are regulated separately from the firearm)
• Weapons that include a barrel shroud or other covering that prevents the shooter from being burned on the barrel or gas system
• On pistols, those on which the magazine attaches outside of the pistol grip
• A forward mounted pistol grip

Exactly which characteristics should be used is a matter of debate and varies between jurisdictions. In the United States, nearly a dozen States have their own differing assault weapons laws. There was also a federal Assault Weapons Ban in the United States which expired in 2004. A 30-round STANAG magazine. ... The AK is the worlds most common assault rifle. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... M203 generally refers to the U.S. Militarys designation for a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher that attaches to the M16 assault rifle or the M4 Carbine. ... A rifle grenade is a form of grenade that utilizes a rifle as a launch mechanism to increase the effective range of the grenade. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... On a firearm, a pistol grip is a portion of the gun which is held by the hand that orients the hand in a manner similar to the position one would take with a conventional pistol such as a Colt 1911. ... The US Marine Corps OKC-3S Bayonet A bayonet (from French baïonnette) is a knife- or dagger-shaped weapon designed to fit on or over the muzzle of a rifle barrel or similar weapon. ... Close-up of the flash suppressor on a Sig 550. ... The muzzle brake of the 105 mm gun on an AMX 10 RC fighting vehicle. ... HK Mark 23 with a suppressor AR-15 with Gemtech baffle suppressor (ref) A suppressor (popularly known as a silencer, although no suppressor silences a firearm completely), is a device attached to a firearm to reduce the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon. ... A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism Derringers were small and easily hidden. ... The Federal Assault Weapons Ban, or AWB, is a provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, a federal law of the United States that includes a prohibition on the sale of semiautomatic assault weapons manufactured after the date of the bans enactment. ...

Under the former federal Assault Weapons Ban, two such features made a weapon an "assault weapon", in addition to a slate of specific named weapons or replicas thereof. The current ban in California, the nation's most restrictive, applies to any one of several specific features listed above, and a list of named weapons or replicas.

Additionally, in California, any rifle chambered to fire the .50 BMG cartridge is defined by statute as an assault weapon, regardless of action type. There have been similar efforts to outlaw the .50 BMG at the federal level by classifying these weapons under the 1934 National Firearms Act^{[citation needed]}, which provides for federal regulation of machine guns, short-barreled shotguns and rifles, suppressors, and destructive devices. A . ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A destructive device is a firearm or explosive device that, in the United States, is regulated by the National Firearms Act of 1934. ...

Common misconceptions

The close similarity to the term assault rifle and wide variety of definitions has led to considerable confusion over this term. In addition, inaccurate media reporting and political propaganda have created a common public misperception that this term covers many items regulated in the United States by the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934. For instance, although grenade launchers are covered in many of the assault weapons laws, grenade launchers and each individual grenade is already controlled, registered, and taxed as a "destructive device" under the NFA. The AK-47 is the worlds most common assault rifle. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A destructive device is a firearm or explosive device that, in the United States, is regulated by the National Firearms Act of 1934. ...

Perhaps the largest area of confusion surrounding this term is the difference between a machine-gun and an assault weapon. A machine-gun is universally recognized as a fully automatic weapon, while the current statutory definitions for assault weapons describe them as semi-automatic. Further, the National Firearms Act of 1934 specifically addresses fully automatic weapons, and the private ownership and usage of them is extremely regulated. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

There is also the perception that firearms that fall under this category can be easily modified for fully automatic fire. This is not the case since the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) regulations for manufacturers place certain restrictions on firearm product design to comply with the provisions of the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934 and the amendments to the McClure-Volkmer Act of 1986 that pertain to machine-gun ownership. These regulations require that semi-automatic firearms sold in the United States be especially difficult to convert to fully automatic operation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF) is a law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

The use of the term assault weapon and its similar appearance to military rifles has led to a misconception that they are more dangerous or powerful than other semi-automatic firearms and hence in need of additional regulation.

Supporters and Detractors

There are a wide variety of opinions concerning the appropriateness of legislative attempts to ban assault weapons and the suitability of these weapons for private ownership. This section merely attempts to provide the reader with some of the more widely held viewpoints for further consideration.

Those who support legislative attempts to ban assault weapons, including but not limited to groups such as the Brady Campaign and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, are highly critical of the private ownership of these weapons. They hold that assault weapons are designed to maximize lethal effects through a rapid rate of fire and by being spray-fired from the hip. They further contend that because of their design, a shooter can maintain control of an assault weapon even while firing many rounds in rapid succession, and thus, assault weapons pose an especially serious threat to public safety and should be banned. They also believe that all Americans have the right to be safe from gun violence; the availability and lethality of guns, and especially assault weapons, make death or severe injury more likely in domestic violence, criminal activity, suicide attempts, and unintentional shootings; and that it is possible to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by gun violence in general with reasonable, common sense policy, but especially through banning assault weapons. Many who oppose weapons of all kinds, but especially assault weapons, contend that there is no need in modern society for weapons, and that weapons only serve to escalate hostile situations, such as in hostage-taking or spree killings. The Brady Campaign or The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence or The Brady Campaign united with the Million Mom March was founded in 1974 as The National Council to Control Handguns (NCCH) by Dr. Mark Borinsky, a victim of gun violence. ... The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence or CSGV is a non-partisan group of 45 organizations and 100,000 individual members founded in 1974 that seeks to ban handguns and assault weapons in the United States. ... Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold in the cafeteria at Columbine High School, shortly before committing suicide. ...

Those who oppose attempts to ban "assault weapons", including groups such as the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America, hold that the statutory laws defining "assault weapons" describe cosmetic appearances, only. As such, the operating characteristics of, and the firepower of these weapons is not significantly different from many other firearms having a different appearance. To bolster this argument, it is often pointed out that many weapons commonly classified as "assault weapons", such as semi-automatic versions of military assault rifles, use smaller calibers and less-powerful ammunition than many legal hunting rifles. They also suggest that these weapons are generally suitable for target shooting, collecting, and when necessary, civil and self defense (for example, to defend life and property during civil disturbances and emergencies when law enforcement services are not available, as evidenced in their successful usage by Korean-American store owners during the 1992 Los Angeles riots). They further contend that these types of weapons are not frequently used in crime, as evidenced by US Department of Justice statistics. Authors supporting gun rights such as Kenneth W. Royce additionally counter the "rapid rate of fire and spray-fired from the hip" beliefs by stating that rapid rates of fire do not necessarily increase the lethal effects of weapons, but all too often serve only to convert money (for purchasing ammunition) into noise at a more rapid rate. The end result, according to such authors, is that "assault weapons" only pose an apparent threat to public safety through their appearance, and banning them is for purely political reasons, and not for increasing public safety. Many who oppose attempts to ban assault weapons also assert that the right of Americans to possess them is guaranteed by the Second Amendment. This article concerns the National Rifle Association of the USA. For the UK organisation, see National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom The National Rifle Association, or NRA, is a non-profit group for the promotion of marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection of hunting and personal protection firearm rights... Gun Owners of America is the second largest gun rights organization in America. ... The AK is the worlds most common assault rifle. ... The 1992 Los Angeles riots, also known as the Rodney King uprising or the Rodney King riots, were sparked on April 29, 1992 when a mostly white jury acquitted four police officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King, after he fled from police. ... Kenneth W. Royce is an American author who also writes under the pen-name of Boston T. Party. ... The Bill of Rights in the National Archives Amendment II (the Second Amendment) of the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, declares the necessity for a well regulated militia, and prohibits infringement of the right of the people to keep and bear arms. ...

See also

• Assault rifle
• Assault weapons ban
• National Firearms Act