Define "Assault Rifle"

[BamBam]

Man fatally shot after argument at Mendenhall club
By Chris Conley
[email protected]
May 27, 2003

A 23-year-old man was ambushed and fatally shot by two gunmen following an argument early Monday in a popular Southeast Memphis club.

Prentice Moore was found dead about 3 a.m. in his car at Mendenhall and Cottonwood, several blocks from where he was shot, police said.

Moore and his brother had gotten into an argument with two men at a hip-hop event at Denim & Diamonds, at Mendenhall and Winchester, early Monday.

The brothers left the club and drove to an Exxon station at Mendenhall and Knight Arnold, police said.

There, two gunmen, one armed with an assault rifle, opened fire on the car, striking Moore. The suspects had parked their car out of sight behind the gas station, police said.

Police could not say whether the suspects had followed or chased the victim from the club.

Moore's car, which was moving when he was shot, came to rest on Cottonwood, just west of Mendenhall.

Moore's brother, who was not identified by police, was able to jump out of the car and was not hit by gunfire.

Police did not have any suspects in custody and were questioning several witnesses Monday afternoon.

MY QUESTION:
If they didn't catch the shooters, how do they know an "Assault Rifle" was used?

I've called the reporter but he wasn't in.

 

[Snowdog]

My definition of an assault rifle is any rifle used in an assault.
Even though their description of the weapon used in this particular crime fits my personal parameters of the word, I know their ideas of the weapon used has a far different implied meaning.

 

[CZ-75]

Any rifle the govt. doesn't want you to own.

 

[Greg L]

Perhaps Mr. Moore had several centerfire rifle bullets recovered from his corpse and the spacing of the various entrance wounds are so close together and evenly spaced apart that they could only come from an automatic rifle rather than someone pulling the trigger as fast as they could. And this was all determined in the less than 24 hours before the story was printed.

Yeah, I doubt it too. Just more of the media continuing to spook the herd of sheeple.

Greg

 

[Stevie-Ray]

An assault rifle is generally a military select-fire rifle, be it a fully automatic, or 3 shot burst model. The M-16 is an assault rifle, the AR-15 is not. The AR-15, SAR-48, HK-91, etc. are paramilitary rifles. It grinds me no end to hear a politician say an assault rifle was used in some heinous crime, and then we find out it was, in fact, a Ruger Mini-14.

 

[DMK]

I'll bet it those two guys from "Way of the Gun" with their Galil.

 

[dinosaur]

An assault rifle pounds on the door of the safe screaming and making threats. It really annoys the rifles that are sports. Sigh, there`s one in every crowd.

More than 3 empty cases on the ground with chalk marks and lots of 8x10 b&w pictures, reporter clue for assault rifle.

 

[CZ-75]

MY definition will be the one used in all forthcoming legislation, though.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Moore and his brother had gotten into an argument with two men at a hip-hop event...

Funny. Never seems to happen at symphony orchestra concerts. I wonder what the difference might be!

 

[sw442642]

Most folks fixated on the automatic and/or burst feature as defining an assault rifle. However, unfortunately in common parlance, a semi version of the same gun is called an assault rifle even by those in the gun trade.

About the Mini-14. Ruger went through hell and gone to avoid his gun getting classified as an assault rifle. Even though he happily made a full auto version.

It's a meaningless term nowadays and only refers to silly cosmetic appearances. I'm glad GWB supports the AWB, though. Wouldn't want to confuse him too much.

 

[DMK]

It's a meaningless term nowadays and only refers to silly cosmetic appearances.

Actually the silly cosmetic appearances brand a weapon as an "Assault Weapon". Unfortunately most people get "Assault Weapon" and "Assault Rifle" confused even though AWs include a much wider range of weapons including pistols and shotguns.

95% of the time non shooters referring to an "Assault Rifle" actually means "Assault Weapon".

 

[JShirley]

The US Army has one "assault weapon" in inventory, the SMAW bunker buster.

An assault rifle is a selective shoulder mounted weapon firing an intermediate rifle cartridge.

John

 

[Country Boy]

According to the State of Minnesota...
http://www.dps.state.mn.us/bca/Invest/Documents/Firearms List.PDF

 

[Chipperman]

If the new bill passes, M1 carbines will be AW's also.

I almost blew a gasket when I read that they were in there by name.

 

[RAY WOODROW 3RD]

If it is black and scary looking firearm...........when is the last time somebody was bayonetted in a robbery?

I thought so.

 

[firestar]

I can't define it but I know it when I see it.

 

[SquirrelNuts]

Reminds me of two posts. One was recent and I think it was under Skunkabilly's post about long guns for the car. It refered to a level action as an "Appalachian Assault Rifle."

The other was a post on TFL (I think) asking what your homeland defense rifle was. Someone put another lever action with a red dot scope and fore-end pistol grip and called it a "Cowboy Assault Rifle."

Good Times.

I am thinking of woodburning "Appalachian Assault Rifle" into a SKS stock that I am building into a shotgun.

One thing that I rarely see mentioned about assault weapon verus rifle is the assault WEAPON is a legal term, assault RIFLE is a firearms term.

-SquirrelNuts

 

[Deadman]

I thought the only 'assault rifle' was the Stg.44?