Why is there an 'assault rifle' section on GunsAmerica.com?

[Joey Link]

This seems to go against everything we've been trying to do. We've been trying to discredit the term 'assault rifle' for the past decade and I see the term on one of 'our' websites!

http://www.gunsamerica.com/1105/1105-random-1.htm

[carlrodd]

well there are actually assault rifles(as opposed to mythical and redundantly named 'assault weapon'), and since gunsamerica.com has classIII weapons, perhaps that's why they have such a section.

[ArmedBear]

It even lists a factory wood-stocked Mini-14 with a Redfield scope on a side mount as an "assault rifle."

Assault on coyotes?

[MatthewVanitas]

Umm, in all fairness, didn't gun-buffs used to call the AR-15 and Maadi "assault rifles" back before the '94 ban?

Unless I misapprehend, _we_ (as a community) used to use the dreaded "AW" term freely for civ semi-autos of military heritage, until it suddenly became a political football.

This all happened back when I was playing Super Mario Brothers and eating Cheerios for lunch, so feel free to correct me. It does strike me as a little disingenous that we could get upset about a "mislabelling" that we ourselves created.

I understand that the term is loaded these days, but still.

-MV

[DoubleTapDrew]

Did the media coin the term or gun people? The media obviously likes it because it sounds evil. It's a gun that's sole purpose in life is to "assault" things
Maybe we should make up new terms. Now if you'll excuse me I need to go clean my 'fuzzy boomstick of love' (AR15)

[Zundfolge]

Umm, in all fairness, didn't gun-buffs used to call the AR-15 and Maadi "assault rifles" back before the '94 ban?

Yep. In fact I remember getting in an argument with some guy back in the 80s over what the AR in AR15 stood for ... he insisted it stood for "Assault Rifle" (it really stands for ArmaLite Rifle)

[Prince Yamato]

I prefer Tactical Defense Weapon. Since that's what 99% of us would use it for. Personally, I don't think we should BACK DOWN from using Assault Rifle either. I mean, to not use it is to imply that we somehow were going to use if for a malicious purpose and thereby give the antis fuel for their fire. Assault Weapon is kind of like Hunting Knife. A knife is a knife. It may have groves or have a serrated edge, but it's still a knife. But when we say "hunting knife" we all think Rambo.

Technically, an AR or AK semi-auto should be called a DAW. A DEFFECTIVE assault weapon, as somebody forgot to put the select-fire on it in the factory

[Evil Monkey]

assault rifle is a real term that hitler thought up of when the STG44 came out during WW2.

STG = Sturmgewehre = assault rifle

assault weapon is something the anti gun crowd made up.

[knuckles]

Well technically Sturmgewehre = Storm Weapon. But I do believe that it is credited as the first 'assault rifle' (but then again maybe not).

But you are correct:

assault weapon is something the anti gun crowd made up.

[crunker]

I think gunsamerica does that just to spite the antigunners.

[mp510]

I saw a number of weapons on page 1 that the State of Connecticut says are "Assault Weapons". Guess some other like minded states say the same. Maybe their warning us not to look there...

[MachIVshooter]

Well technically Sturmgewehre = Storm Weapon. But I do believe that it is credited as the first 'assault rifle' (but then again maybe not).

Sturm=Storm

Gewehr=rifle

Sturmgewehr= "Storm Rifle"

However, storm used as a verb is synonymous with assault ("the enemy stormed the castle", "the enemy assaulted t he castle")

So, yes, Sturmgewehr really does equal assault rifle.

Joey Link:

GunsAmerica sells authentic class III assault rifles.

It even lists a factory wood-stocked Mini-14 with a Redfield scope on a side mount as an "assault rifle."

You sure it's not an AC-556?

[DoubleTapDrew]

A knife is a knife. It may have groves or have a serrated edge, but it's still a knife.

Don't tell the media that groove is called a BLOOD GROOVE! They'll realize all knife owners have a bloodlust and it's only a matter of time before they slice up a school!

I would so love to have a STG44! Were those 9mm?

[knuckles]

Well technically Sturmgewehre = Storm Weapon

Well, the Discovery Channel told me that so it MUST be true...

EDIT: in all fairness it was the Military Channel during their 'Top Ten Battle Rifles' program that called the Sturmgewehre the 'Storm Weapon'.

[taliv]

basically because English is a living language and the people who get their panties in a wad over a 70 yr old definition are dying off.

for the rest of us, an "assault weapon" is something you might reasonably carry with you when assaulting.

[MachIVshooter]

Don't tell the media that groove is called a BLOOD GROOVE! They'll realize all knife owners have a bloodlust and it's only a matter of time before they slice up a school!

I would so love to have a STG44! Were those 9mm?

Fuller groove.

Stg.44 is 7.92x33mm.

[default]

The StG.44 was chambered in 7.92x33, also known as 7.92mm Kurz. Roughly similar, at least in principle, to 7.62x39, I suppose.

Edit: Since MachIVshooter beat me to it, here's a drawing of the cartridge.

[DoubleTapDrew]

Fuller groove.

That's the appropriate term. Not what the media would use

[TexasRifleman]

I don't see Guns America as a pro 2A operation, just a money making one. So I'm not surprised that they don't get it.

[buzz_knox]

assault weapon is something the anti gun crowd made up.

If I recall correctly, I've got a couple of magazines from the mid 80s that are titled "The Complete Book of Assault Weapons." So, the anti gunners picked up the term from the gunwriters.

[scout26]

Don't tell the media that groove is called a BLOOD GROOVE!

I always thought that it was the BLOOD GUTTER. (like a Roof or Storm Gutter.) It allows you pull out the knife by releasing the suction that would exist if the gutter wasn't there to allow air in.

At least that's what I remember Drill Sergeant Plasencea telling us in BCT at Fort Lost-in-the-Woods in summer of '83.

[Car Knocker]

Why is there an 'assault rifle' section on GunsAmerica.com?

Best way to answer that question would be to ask the folks at Guns America. Or was this just a rhetorical question?

[crazed_ss]

I think this wikipedia entry sums it up...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_rifle
Assault rifle a term describing a type of automatic weapon generally defined as a selective fire rifle or carbine, chambering intermediate-powered ammunition
...
Primarily used only in the United States, the term asault weapon is a political term generally used to describe a variety of semi-automatic firearms that have certain, mostly cosmetic features that have long been associated with military/police use.

[DoubleTapDrew]

Another thought is that they may just be catering to the lowest common denominator. Not everyone is as into guns and get a lot of their info from the news (not talking about anti gunners, just people who don't take the time to learn all the terminology). If there was an EBR category a lot of us would know what that means but the majority of gun owners would not.
They facilitate the selling of firearms so I wouldn't condemn them.