DonDiego counsels those who choose to discuss this issue familiarize themselves with the accurate definition of certain terms related to firearms, . . . whichever side one is on.
F'rinstance:
__Clip - A simple, disposable narrow spring-lined channel-rail in which cartridges are supplied for military weapons. The shooter positions the clip vertically above the firearm's magazine, then pressing down with the thumb, slides the cartridges from the clip and down into the magazine. Also: Stripper Clip or Charger.
__Magazine - A spring-operated reservoir for cartridges for a repeating firearm; often removable.
(DonDiego posts these two terms first, because they are the most mis-used; somehow, folks seem to think it's cool to say "clip", when they mean "magazine".)
__Automatic [Action] - A type of firearm which, utilizing some of the recoil or some of the expanding-gas energy from the firing cartridge, cycles the action to eject the spent shell, to chamber a fresh one from a magazine, to cock the mainspring and to fire again. Such a firearm will fire continuously as long as the trigger is held back, until the magazine is empty. A machine gun. A firearm thus activated, but which shoots only one bullet with each separate pull of the trigger, while often ERRONEOUSLY referred to as "automatic" is more properly termed Semi-Automatic.
__Semi-Automatic [Action] - A type of firearm which, utilizing some of the recoil or some of the expanding-gas energy from the firing cartridge, cycles the action to eject the spent shell, to chamber a fresh one from a magazine and to cock the mainspring, placing the gun in position for another shot with nothing more needing to be done than to provide another pull on the trigger. Autoloader. Often erroneously referred to as automatic---but automatic actually refers to a machine gun. The Colt Model 1911 pistol and the Browning Auto-5 are semi-automatic designs.
(DonDiego posts these two terms because they are the second-most misunderstood. Basically, an automatic will fire continuously as long as the trigger is held back; a semi-automatic requires a trigger pull for each round.)
__Assault Weapon - a term which has been given many different meanings. One is that it is any of various automatic and semiautomatic military firearms using an intermediate cartridge. In the United States, there are a variety of statutory definitions of assault weapons in local, state, and federal laws that define them by a set of characteristics they possess. Using lists of physical features or specific firearms in defining assault weapons in the U.S. was first codified by the language of the now-expired 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban. Sometimes described as military-style features useful in combat. A common usage is to interchange the term with assault rifle, but unlike that term, "assault weapon" has no consistent or specific definition and so is subject to varying definitions for varying purposes, including definitions that include common non-military-style firearms.
__Assault Rifle - a select-fire (either fully automatic or burst capable) rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. It is not to be confused with assault weapons. Assault rifles are the standard service rifles in most modern armies. Assault rifles are categorized in between light machine guns, which are intended more for sustained automatic fire in a light support role, and submachine guns, which fire a pistol cartridge rather than a rifle cartridge.
References:
Hallowell and Co. Firearms Dictionary
Wikipedia - assault weapon
Wikipedia - assault rifle
Significant legislation applicable to the discussion includes:
__The National Firearms Act of 1934
__The Gun Control Act of 1968
__The Crime Control Act of 1990
__The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (This is the Law which included the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, in which Congress defined "Assault Weapons" as certain semi-automatic firearms which also sported cosmetic attributes such as f'rinstance a flash suppressor, a folding stock, a bayonet mount, a pistol grip, or a grenade launcher. [See the comment in the above definition of "assault weapon" addressing the fact that there is no single specific acceptable definition of "assault weapon".] The Law expired in 2004 under a sunset provision.)
Anyway, reading actual Laws is tough sledding for poor old DonDiego. but if the reader is more perseverant he may find something interesting.
