Definition of Assault Weapon/Rifle?

[Rapidfire_85]

After reading through the threads regarding the media calling semi-automatic military style rifles 'assault weapons' I hit up dictionary.com and merriam-webster.com to look up their definitions. this is what I found.


Websters
Assault Weapon: any of various automatic or semiautomatic firearms; especially : assault rifle

Assault Rifle: any of various automatic or semiautomatic rifles with large capacity magazines designed for military use

Dictionary.com

assault rifle
1. a military rifle capable of both automatic and semiautomatic fire, utilizing an intermediate-power cartridge.
2. a nonmilitary weapon modeled on the military assault rifle, usu. modified to allow only semiautomatic fire.

n. Any of various automatic or semiautomatic rifles designed for individual use in combat.

n. any of the automatic rifles or semiautomatic rifles with large magazines designed for military use

assault weapon:
any of various automatic and semiautomatic military firearms utilizing an intermediate-power cartridge, designed for individual use.


I see alot of instances where people say something along the lines of 'it's not an assault weapon(rifle) unless it is select fire or fully automatic'. I tried, but couldn't find a NFA/ATF definition that said something along these lines. Please copy paste it here because I'm pretty sure there is something along those lines. I'm certainly not trolling or trying to get people angry, but just wondering the general 'accepted' definition of 'assault weapon' in today's world.

I don't have any problem with someone(civilian or not) legally owning something like an AR style weapon with a beta-C mag regardless of the definition or it being fully-automatic. I think the main problem is that these weapons are based off their 'military counterparts' and the name 'assault', which is synonymous with 'attack' brings about negative imagery to the general public. But most people watching the news don't want to hear 'rifle' on the evening news, they want to hear about a "Military Style High Capacity, High powered assault rifle that is capable of being fired from *GASP* THE HIP!"

calling for a ban of 'assault weapons', whatever they are, wont stop the crazy people.

 

[RNB65]

There is no commonly accepted definition for assault rifle. Virginia law uses the following definition: any semi-automatic center-fire rifle or pistol that expels single or multiple projectiles by action of an explosion of a combustible material and is equipped at the time of the offense with a magazine which will hold more than 20 rounds of ammunition or designed by the manufacturer to accommodate a silencer or equipped with a folding stock.
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[Zoogster]

Definitions change. If enough people use the wrong definition long enough, it by default becomes the right definition.
A dictionary merely tries to facilitate that, documenting new definitions.

The antis invented the term "assault weapon", and it is all encompassing, the definition changes every time previous "assault" weapons are restricted to include more. If you ever think you know the definition you will be wrong, because once that definition is restricted it will branch out to include more weapons. If it can be used to assault someone it is an assault weapon. The term is applied to any effective weapon, usualy semi auto, but including single shots and bolt actions if they are deemed "too powerful" as well, as is seen with BMG bans. If semi autos were banned then pump actions, lever actions and other weapons that allowed "rapid reloading suitable for rapid killing" with sinister appearances would be assault weapons.

Assault rifle is an actual term created for military understanding of a intermediate power battle rifle that is usualy fully automatic or select fire.
If it was semi auto there would have been no reason to scale back to intermediate power rather than more effective rifle calibers previous used.
The whole reason they have less power is to allow them to be manageable while putting out more shots faster.
So they are a compromise by design. Giving up power for controllability, yet giving more power than submachineguns using pistol rounds, while having less power than normal rifles.

The legal definition of any term can be different than the common understanding of a term, as every state and every nation create different laws.

 

[Crunker1337]

I always thought that the generally accepted definition of an "assault rifle" is a centerfire rifle in an intermediate chambering that fires in burst or f.a.
But, we can also play the semantics game, so if it prevents the antis from scaring people with terms like "assault rifle" I have no problem with saying "full-auto/burst-fire rifle".

The definition of "assault weapon" is totally arbitrary, even the anti-gun websites that have (vague) definitions of "assault weapons" state that there are "assault weapons" that do not fall under their definitions. So your guess is as good as mine.

 

[Outlaws]

I always thought the terms assault rifle and assault weapon were just stupid to start with. And as much as I hate hearing people call magazines "clips", I hate people correct assault rifle/weapon even more.

As far as I am concerned, select fire is immaterial. If someone wants to knit pick an assault weapon not being an assault rifle, that is their deal.
But it is starting to change. Once upon a time, Colt made an Automatic pistol. Funny, now people will shun that term because now automatic means machine gun, when it originally meant auto loading. But don't you dare use the term assault rifle for an assault weapon that happens to be a rifle. :banghead:

But then again, I don't like to use either term. I have guns/firearms/rifles/pistols/shotguns.