If you tune into your TV and watch the news of late you are sure to see marches, with signs prominently displayed, demanding that gun control laws be enacted to ban assault rifles. But, when asked what is the characteristics of the an assault rifle, they really have no idea what an assault rifle is.
It would help if the demonstrators had some idea of the guns they want to ban.
From Wikipedia:and the US Army:
An assault rifle is a selective-fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles were first used during World War II. Though Western nations were slow to accept the assault rifle concept, by the end of the 20th century they had become the standard weapon in most of the world's armies, replacing full-powered rifles and sub-machine guns in most roles. Examples include the StG 44, AK-47 and the M16 rifle.
The most famous assault rifle--the AK-47
The term assault rifle is generally attributed to Adolf Hitler, who for propaganda purposes used the German word "Sturmgewehr" (which translates to "storm rifle" or "assault rifle"), as the new name for the MP43, subsequently known as the Sturmgewehr 44 or StG 44. However, other sources dispute that Hitler had much to do with coining the new name besides signing the production order. The StG 44 is generally considered the first selective fire military rifle to popularize the assault rifle concept.
The granddaddy of assault rifles: the Sturmgewehr 44
Today, the term assault rifle is used to define a class of firearms. 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. In a strict definition, a firearm must have at least the following characteristics to be considered an assault rifle:
- It must be capable of selective fire. Including automatic fire.
- It must have an intermediate-power cartridge: more power than a pistol but less than a standard rifle or battle rifle, such as the 7.92×33mm Kurz, the 7.62x39mm and the 5.56x45mm NATO.
- Its ammunition must be supplied from a detachable box magazine. (It is common, but apparently not required, that all modern assault rifles have box magazines carrying 30 or so rounds of ammunition).
- It must have an effective range of at least 300 metres (330 yards).
Service rifle cartridge cases: (Left to right) Full power cartridges 7.62×54mmR 7.62×51mm NATO Intermediate cartridges: 7.62×39mm 5.56×45mm NATO 5.45×39mm.
For Americans, not familiar with the metric system, 5.56 mm is about the same as a 22 caliber bullet. 7.62 mm is about the same as a 30 caliber round.
The much maligned M-16 was the US version of the assault rifle and was the standard issue rifle for the Army and Marines until it was replaced by the M4 Carbine.
M-16 Assault Rifle
M4 Carbine
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.
M2 Carbine
Select-fire rifles such as the FN FAL battle rifle are not assault rifles; they fire full-powered rifle cartridges.
FN FAL Battle rifle
- Semi-automatic-only rifles like the Colt AR-15 are not assault rifles; they do not have select-fire capabilities. By the way the AR in the name doesn't stand for Assault Rifle. It stands for Armalite Rifle. Note the AR-15 only fires semi-automatic. It can not be switched to automatic fire. CNN's demonstration of the AR-15 as an assault rifle was laughable to say the least. And, the demonstrator pronounced that it was a "fully semi-automatic" rifle. What ever that means.
The AR-15
The AR-15 looks like an Assault Rifle, but it is just a common semi-automatic rifle. But, it does shoot the smaller intermediate round as opposed to the M1 Garand.
Semi-automatic-only rifles with fixed magazines like the SKS, and the WWII M1 Garand, are not assault rifles; they do not have detachable box magazines and are not capable of automatic fire.
The WWII standard semi-automatic rifle
Sometimes the M-14 is called an assault rifle, but it shoots a full-powered rifle shell, which makes it almost impossible to hold on target if being fired in the automatic mode. It is technically a Battle Rifle.
M14 Battle Rifle
In 1986, Congress passed the Firearm Owners Protection Act. It was supported by the National Rifle Association and individual gun rights advocates because it reversed many of the provisions of the GCA and protected gun owners' rights. It also banned ownership of unregistered fully automatic rifles and civilian purchase or sale of any such firearm made from that date forward.
Later, congress in it's infinite wisdom, redefined what an assault rifle is.
A Stockton, California, schoolyard shooting in 1989 led to passage of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 (AWB or AWB 1994), which defined and banned the manufacture and transfer of "semiautomatic assault weapons" and "large capacity ammunition feeding devices."
Under the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994, the definition of "semiautomatic assault weapon" included specific semi-automatic firearm models by name; the AR-15 was named specifically, and other semi-automatic firearms that possessed two or more from a set certain features:
Semi-automatic rifles able to accept detachable magazines and two or more of the following:
- Folding or telescoping stock
- Pistol grip
- Bayonet mount
- Flash suppressor, or threaded barrel designed to accommodate one
- Grenade launcher
- Magazine that attaches outside the pistol grip
- Threaded barrel to attach barrel extender, flash suppressor, handgrip, or suppressor
- Barrel shroud safety feature that prevents burns to the operator
- Unloaded weight of 50 oz (1.4 kg) or more
- A semi-automatic version of a fully automatic firearm.
Semi-automatic shotguns with two or more of the following:
- Folding or telescoping stock
- Pistol grip
- Detachable magazine.
