Why do you need an assault rifle?

[crebralfix]

It is a weapon. Its primary purpose is to deal deadly damage at a distance. Since so-called "assault weapons" use cartridges optimized (or intended to be used on) humans, it is a weapon for causing damage to people.

The reason we have them is to fight our own kind--they are for war. There are many rationalized and PC-ized reasons, such as "self-defense", "sporting purposes" and other such nonsense.

This is the non-PC reality.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The first examples of assault rifles were the German MP43, 43/1, MP 44 and Sturmgewher 44. The latter gives its name to the class "Assault Rifle." The Russians were impressed by these weapons and the cartridge, a shortened 8mm, more powerful than a conventional submachine gun (or pistol) cartridge. They developed first a rifle (the Simonev Carbine, or SKS) and then a true Assault Rifle (the Avtomat Kalishnikov or AK 47.)

Assault rifles are generally shorter (although not necessarily lighter) weapons, chambered for an intermediate cartridge (such as the Russian 7.62X37 or the American 5.56X45) and capable of selective fire (either full or semi-auto at the shooter's volition.)