What is an assault rifle? (2 Viewers)

Panzer ace said:
Interesting post and a great thread. The last paragraph leads me to wonder if more definitions and/or clarifications are in order? For example the term "many" can be construed in vast and different ways?
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Very good point and certainly the term "many" would be subject to some debate. Defining how many deaths would constitute a mass murder or massacre is in the eye of the beholder. With the shooter using a standard hand gun, hunting rifle or shotgun it would be much more difficult to mow down a room full of people compared to an automatic weapon with a high content clip. Don't want to get too technical but when you have to aim one shot at a time as opposed to spraying bullets in a matter of seconds I believe there is more chance for survival and retaliation. You can also say that there is no necessity to having an automatic weapon for "civilian" purposes.....home defense, hunting or target shooting.
Some gun owners feel it is their constitutional right to own a multi-round automatic weapon and that gets very political but there is no evidence that it makes you safer and in fact it is much more challenging to hunt with a rifle, shotgun or in my experience a bow.
So in conclusion my definition of an assault rifle is a weapon that is designed for causing maximum harm in a militarized environment but not necessary for civilian use.

This of course is my personal belief and hopefully I have not ventured into the political/moral realm.
 
nysoldiers said:
Very good point and certainly the term "many" would be subject to some debate. Defining how many deaths would constitute a mass murder or massacre is in the eye of the beholder. With the shooter using a standard hand gun, hunting rifle or shotgun it would be much more difficult to mow down a room full of people compared to an automatic weapon with a high content clip. Don't want to get too technical but when you have to aim one shot at a time as opposed to spraying bullets in a matter of seconds I believe there is more chance for survival and retaliation. You can also say that there is no necessity to having an automatic weapon for "civilian" purposes.....home defense, hunting or target shooting.
Some gun owners feel it is their constitutional right to own a multi-round automatic weapon and that gets very political but there is no evidence that it makes you safer and in fact it is much more challenging to hunt with a rifle, shotgun or in my experience a bow.
So in conclusion my definition of an assault rifle is a weapon that is designed for causing maximum harm in a militarized environment but not necessary for civilian use.

This of course is my personal belief and hopefully I have not ventured into the political/moral realm.
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For what it is worth, I don't think your response is political.

I enjoy target shooting with my semi-automatic rifles and handguns as much as I do with my bolt action rifles and wheelguns. I do not see any of my firearms as assault weapons.
 
Gentle Friends,

The recent Orlando tragedy is on everyone's mind and we each have opinions regarding the event and the political issues related to the event. However, the Treefrog Forum is not the appropriate place to discuss politics. Discussion of the politics involved in this case goes well beyond the original question of what defines an assault rifle. Please remain loyal to the original question posed in this thread or you risk have the thread closed.

Thanks for your understanding.

Warmest personal regards,

Pat
 
I understand everyone's post and opinions, but the original question is a very black and white question with a very straightforward answer - an assault weapon is an fully automatic military grade weapon. It has nothing to do with the size of magazines, etc. It is fully regulated by the Federal Government, not the States, the States have zero input into the regulation of assault weapons. In order to own a legal assault rifle or gun or weapon, you have to have a valid and up to date federal firearms license. Silencers are also legal and regulated by the federal government. So, in theory, a law abiding US citizen has the right to be in possession of a automatic machine gun or a silenced weapon. As an fyi - Thompson Fully automatic machine guns range between $12,000 and $20,000, that is just one type of "machine gun".

Hope this helps or clarifies the original question.

Tom
 
For those who might be interested the AR15 was the weapon used by the shooter in the well known Port Arthur shooting in 1996 where 35 were killed at a well known tourist location.

Meanwhile AR15 sales have jumped massively in USA since Orlando with one dealer claiming to have sold 15,000. Now somebody help me out but would that be 15,000 with or without background checks ?
 
Straight from Wikipedia........
Definition
The term assault rifle is generally attributed to Adolf Hitler, who for propaganda purposes used the German word "Sturmgewehr" (which translates to "assault rifle"), as the new name for the MP43, subsequently known as the Sturmgewehr 44 or StG 44.[8][11][12][13][14][15] Other sources dispute that Hitler had much to do with coining the new name besides signing the production order.[16] The StG 44 is generally considered the first selective fire military rifle to popularize the assault rifle concept. Today, the term assault rifle is used to define firearms sharing the same basic characteristics as the StG 44.[citation needed]

In a strict definition, a firearm must have at least the following characteristics to be considered an assault rifle:[2][3][4]

It must be an individual weapon
It must be capable of selective fire
It must have an intermediate-power cartridge: more power than a pistol but less than a standard rifle or battle rifle
Its ammunition must be supplied from a detachable box magazine[5]
And it should have an effective range of at least 300 metres (330 yards)
Rifles that meet most of these criteria, but not all, are technically not assault rifles, despite frequently being called such.

For example:

Select-fire M2 Carbines are not assault rifles; their effective range is only 200 yards.[17]
Select-fire rifles such as the FN FAL battle rifle are not assault rifles; they fire full-powered rifle cartridges.
Semi-automatic-only rifles like variants of the Colt AR-15 are not assault rifles; they do not have select-fire capabilities.
Semi-auto rifles with fixed magazines like the SKS are not assault rifles; they do not have detachable box magazines and are not capable of automatic fire.
The U.S. Army defines assault rifles as "short, compact, selective-fire weapons that fire a cartridge intermediate in power between submachine gun and rifle cartridges
 
The Military Workshop said:
For those who might be interested the AR15 was the weapon used by the shooter in the well known Port Arthur shooting in 1996 where 35 were killed at a well known tourist location.

Meanwhile AR15 sales have jumped massively in USA since Orlando with one dealer claiming to have sold 15,000. Now somebody help me out but would that be 15,000 with or without background checks ?
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Bret,

An AR 15 is not a by definition assault rifle. It depends on what version it is. The one you are referring to is a semi auto (you have to pull the trigger for every shot), therefore, it is simply a 7.62mm rifle.

The majority of AR15 semi autos that are purchased in America are for target or range shooting. 99% of them are owned by gun collectors, hunters or hobbyists or all 3. They are not what you would see used by any military for a war or assault, especially with the other side using fully automatic AK 47s.

As for background checks, since they are not assault rifles and are NOT therefore Federally regulated, each State has their own rules with regard to this type of firearm. For instance, in my State of Maryland, there is a laundry list of what can or can't be on the gun and it is a registered weapon, whereby to own one, I have to be approved by the State through a check and a transfer by a licensed dealer.

Again, it is different in every State.

I am trying to stick to the definitions in the spirit of the thread and leaving my personal opinion out of it, I hope this is helpful.

Tom
 
tdubel said:
Bret,

An AR 15 is not a by definition assault rifle. It depends on what version it is. The one you are referring to is a semi auto (you have to pull the trigger for every shot), therefore, it is simply a 7.62mm rifle.

The majority of AR15 semi autos that are purchased in America are for target or range shooting. 99% of them are owned by gun collectors, hunters or hobbyists or all 3. They are not what you would see used by any military for a war or assault, especially with the other side using fully automatic AK 47s.

As for background checks, since they are not assault rifles and are NOT therefore Federally regulated, each State has their own rules with regard to this type of firearm. For instance, in my State of Maryland, there is a laundry list of what can or can't be on the gun and it is a registered weapon, whereby to own one, I have to be approved by the State through a check and a transfer by a licensed dealer.

Again, it is different in every State.

I am trying to stick to the definitions in the spirit of the thread and leaving my personal opinion out of it, I hope this is helpful.

Tom
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Tom, The AR-15 fires .223 Caliber ammunition

Wayne
 
tdubel said:
sorry, I must be tired, but yes, it is the .223, I was thinking of the SKS...........Opps.

TD
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Tom, On that note......If the shooter had an SKS with 30 round mags, the power of a 7.62 round at close range could have gone through 2 bodies. The .223 tends to tumble in the body. Both of them are devastating rounds
if one is hit.

Wayne
 
Go for Broke said:
Due to recent news, its 24-hour coverage and the constant use of the term "assault rifle", what exactly is an assault rifle and what makes an AR-15 an assault rifle? The AR-15 is semi-automatic, just like some hunting rifles. Is it its high capacity 30-round mags and/or compact length? Some might argue, why own one when you can't hunt with it. But you can hunt with it and is very handy in denser brush. I don't own one as I'm kind of old fashion. I would get a M-1A (civilian M-14) though. All my hunting friends got AR-15s. I think we see it so much whenever someone goes crazy, because its a neat looking weapon and appeals to most people who wants to own a rifle. Any thoughts?
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I have to be honest, I'm struggling with this thread and it's like trying to avoid the 'elephant in the room' when you start splitting hairs over what constitutes an assault rifle and what doesn't or whether you can hunt with one or not.

The fact is military style weapons are designed for one thing. Sure you can use them for target practice or hunting, but the prime purpose and true function of them is to shoot people and they are very effective in that role which has been proven time and time again.
 
Desertkiwi said:
I have to be honest, I'm struggling with this thread and it's like trying to avoid the 'elephant in the room' when you start splitting hairs over what constitutes an assault rifle and what doesn't or whether you can hunt with one or not.

The fact is military style weapons are designed for one thing. Sure you can use them for target practice or hunting, but the prime purpose and true function of them is to shoot people and they are very effective in that role which has been proven time and time again.
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The bottom line is they are legal to own with the proper paperwork in the USA which goes with the definition asked for in the thread, and the definition is very clear as is Federal Law.

Also, I or anyone else can just as easily do serious bodily injury with 22 peashooters, guns of any kind have inherent risk in the wrong hands. No true purpose of any gun that is owned by a civilian is to shoot people, at least I would hope not in civilized society and I think stats will back that up in that there are many more legal gun owners than religious or mentally incompetent lunatics.

TD
 
If the ar-15 had a wooden stock, a longer barrel, and wasn't black would we be calling it "military style"? The problem with the ar-15 and the like, is the look of them to the ordinary public, but it's really just a look. It's like putting a Ford Fiesta engine in a Ferrari. You don't really have a Ferrari. The ar is an average rifle in an assault weapons body.
 
PanzerAce1944 said:
Tom, On that note......If the shooter had an SKS with 30 round mags, the power of a 7.62 round at close range could have gone through 2 bodies. The .223 tends to tumble in the body. Both of them are devastating rounds
if one is hit.

Wayne
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As is a .22 round from a bolt-action deer rifle.
 
The Military Workshop said:
Best point I have ever seen supporting current gun control situation in USA. :salute:: A new angle I had never considered.
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Not being familiar with the term 22 peashooters I mistakenly thought it was pea shooters rather than

The term "pea shooter" is also used derogatively to describe a weak, small-caliber firearm.

Apologies to TomD and thanks to the message pointing out my misunderstanding.
 
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