Assault Rifle? What's the big deal

[Cave Dweller]

I got a question...

*** is an Assault pistol?!

Groan! the way they said "semiautomatic pistol" was a masterful stroke of emotional artwork. I couldn't read much past that without triggering a gag reflex.

Oh for the love of Pete and scrambled brains! Does this never end?

I hear ya

or "Fyrd rifle" That'll send them running to the dictionary

*runs off to the dictionary*

+1 for sport utility rifle
My dad, a bit of a fence sitter himself, groaned at the term "assault weapon" He said, "An assault weapon is any weapon you assault somebody with."

 

[Master of Arms]

we are in America so call it what you please

EXACTLY.

Shouldn`t have even gave the haters the satisfaction of this thread. ASSAULT ASSAULT ASSAULT ASSAULT ASSAULT ASSAULT so what.

 

[MIL-DOT]

(quote) we are in America so call it what you please
EXACTLY.
Shouldn`t have even gave the haters the satisfaction of this thread. ASSAULT ASSAULT ASSAULT ASSAULT ASSAULT ASSAULT so what.

And i'm going to start calling my refrigerator a toaster. This would be an excellent time to get out of the way and let the smart guys
( Wes and Art) run with this post, dontcha think ? They're doing a fantastic job.

 

[KC&97TA]

- Sport Utility Rifle -

guzzles brass like the SUV guzzles gas

 

[benEzra]

But it's not theirs, it's ours! They didn't create the term "assault rifle", they merely began to demonize it. It was our word first, and that's why I refuse to abandon using it simply because it's been misused by idiots with an agenda.

Not when applied to non-automatic NFA Title 1 rifles, it wasn't.

Outside of media spin and Bradyite talking points, an "assault rifle" is a selective-fire carbine chambered for an intermediate round, NOT a Title 1 AR-15 or SKS or civilian AK or mini-14. The archetype was the German Stg44/MP43/MP44, and the term is a direct translation of the German slogan "Sturmgewehr," describing the Stg44.

FWIW, "assault weapon" (term intended to connote "assault rifle," but allow the demonization of shotguns and handguns along with rifles) is a term that was popularized by the prohibitionists, most notably Josh Sugarmann of the VPC.

Personally, I don't like the term "Homeland Security Rifles" either ("Homeland Security" is an Orwellian concept to start with to me, and it sounds contrived). I personally like simply "modern-looking rifles" which is what they are, or among gunnies, "black rifles."

The Bradyites want to convince people that an AR-15 is qualitatively different from an ordinary civilian rifle. Referring to them as "assault rifles" as if they were NFA Title 2/Class III restricted automatic weapons only plays into that.

 

[Wes Janson]

The Bradyites want to convince people that an AR-15 is qualitatively different from an ordinary civilian rifle. Referring to them as "assault rifles" as if they were NFA Title 2/Class III restricted automatic weapons only plays into that.

*dons flame suit*

Qualitatively speaking however, there really isn't a tremendous difference between a Title 1 AR-15 and a Title II M16A1. In terms of actual capabilities, any truthful shooter will admit that the difference is marginal. Hence why so very few really use full auto for anything other than fire support in modern useage.

So long as we keep trying to deny that all weapons are not equal, we're missing the larger point, and making for a poor argumentative stance. I had a police officer ask me yesterday why people needed black rifles (he himself wasn't on patrol, and didn't own one). The successful response to that type of question isn't going to come from trying to convince someone that an AR-15 and a Remington 700 are equivalent. Success will spring from convincing someone that we have both the right and legitimate purpose to owning all weaponry, regardless of color or size or capability.

Differentiation is in a weird sense, a mirror of Fudd-ism: the hopes that by promoting artificial distinctions the gun grabbers will leave our possessions alone. It is just as doomed to failure as Fuddism has been.

 

[iamkris]

I had a police officer ask me yesterday why people needed black rifles (he himself wasn't on patrol, and didn't own one).

The proper response to that is "because I can".

 

[mljdeckard]

I'm going to stay with Tom Gresham and use "Utility Rifle". Pretty tough to attach controversy to that. An AR platform performs many functions very well, BESIDES assualts.

 

[sarduy]

OK...

some people use "assault rifles", others "tactical, Home Land defence, Utility Rifles, semi-auto and many other names.....

WHY NOT CALL THEM BY THEIR NAMES....???? GOD.....

when i talk about my rifles i don't say, this is my "assault rifles, tactical, Home Land defence or Utility Rifles, i say, this is my AK47, Remington 700, Yugo sks (or just SKS)...mosin nagant (or just Mosins)it is more easy to just call them by their names....so next time you see the media say "the assault rifle" you can say... "assault??? nahh.. that's just a ar-15, ak47 or any other weapon they show....

anyone with me on this?

 

[nalioth]

WHY NOT CALL THEM BY THEIR NAMES....???? GOD.....

when i talk about my rifles i don't say, this is my "assault rifles, tactical, Home Land defence or Utility Rifles, i say, this is my AK47, Remington 700, Yugo sks (or just SKS)...mosin nagant (or just Mosins)it is more easy to just call them by their names....so next time you see the media say "the assault rifle" you can say... "assault??? nahh.. that's just a ar-15, ak47 or any other weapon they show....

.... except an AK-47 is not what they are (unless you're lucky and have a pre-86 AK).

 

[papajohn]

Like it or not, words ARE important. Buzzwords evoke emotional responses. But ignorance IS curable, and we should try. Be gentle, be correct, and explain WHY there is a difference. Then take them shooting.

As Jeff Cooper was fond of pointing out, if the Anti's can ban a machine gun, then they can ban ANYTHING THEY CALL A MACHINE GUN. In New York State, stun guns were lumped into the same category as machine guns, and were summarily prohibited, period, even though they bore no resemblance to machine guns, and didn't even fire projectiles. THIS IS HOW THEANTI'S POISON THE LANGUAGE.

It's up to us to make sure the uneducated don't fall for the lies, and understand that there ARE differences.

Papajohn