Define assault weapon

[KevinKohler]

That's it. Simple. This is a thread for both gun nuts and gun haters to posit and work put exactly what an assault weapon is.

Full auto, semi auto, bolt action, flint lock? How many rounds per minute? Magazine capacity? Barrel length? Caliber?

 

[mrjurrs]

That's it. Simple. This is a thread for both gun nuts and gun haters to posit and work put exactly what an assault weapon is.

Full auto, semi auto, bolt action, flint lock? How many rounds per minute? Magazine capacity? Barrel length? Caliber?

A weapon designed to mimic military weaponry, with no specific recreational features.

 

[Fledermaus]

A weapon designed to mimic military weaponry, with no specific recreational features.

Recreational features?

 

[TurtleDude]

a firearm that may use some surplus military parts and may look like a true assault rifle, but since it lacks the feature necessary to make it useful for military assault, it cannot properly be labeled with term. It generally means whatever some scumbag gun banner wants it to mean.

 

[TurtleDude]

Recreational features?

Its fun watching people who don't own or use guns-nor want others to do so-telling us what those firearms can be used for

 

[KevinKohler]

A weapon designed to mimic military weaponry, with no specific recreational features.

All guns mimic military weapons, along with most new technology. Gotta be more specific? Firing rate? Caliber?

 

[ajn678]

A weapon designed to mimic military weaponry, with no specific recreational features.

Do you consider pistols in this as well? Since pistols are used in the military as well, and you can buy the same ones with literally no modifications unlike the AR-15.

 

[Fledermaus]

That's it. Simple. This is a thread for both gun nuts and gun haters to posit and work put exactly what an assault weapon is.

Full auto, semi auto, bolt action, flint lock? How many rounds per minute? Magazine capacity? Barrel length? Caliber?

There are assault rifles.

Then there are "assault weapons" which is a artificial political catch all for 'ugly guns'.

 

[akyron]

Bad breath. Ban breathing!

 

[lurchadams]

That's it. Simple. This is a thread for both gun nuts and gun haters to posit and work put exactly what an assault weapon is.

Full auto, semi auto, bolt action, flint lock? How many rounds per minute? Magazine capacity? Barrel length? Caliber?

Weapons designed to kill multiple people in a short period of time such as weapons issued to the military. There is no reason for these type of weapons to be in the hands of private citizens.

It's that simple.

 

[MrWonka]

That's it. Simple. This is a thread for both gun nuts and gun haters to posit and work put exactly what an assault weapon is.

Full auto, semi auto, bolt action, flint lock? How many rounds per minute? Magazine capacity? Barrel length? Caliber?

1.) Any weapon that would allow a person of average skill level to fire a deadly payload at a rate of more than about 12 rounds per minute.
That's the equivalent of two full six shooters. If you ever need to fire more than than in under a minute you're an incredibly ****ty hunter or you're probably not on the defensive.

2.) Any weapon that is designed help a person of average skill level be accurate and lethal at a distance of more than 100 yards.
There's really no defensive reason why you would ever need to hit a target that's more than 100 yards away from you. If you're a hunter, you're not shooting at anything that far away either.

3.) Any weapon or modification that is designed to improve conceal-ability.
This obviously causes an issue with hand guns. I would like to see a requirement that all guns or at least hand guns be required to be painted blaze orange or bright pink at the time of manufacture. I would also like to do away with conceal and carry and replace it with an open carry requirement so that if you want to carry a gun legally in public it must be visible at all times.

 

[PirateMk1]

That's it. Simple. This is a thread for both gun nuts and gun haters to posit and work put exactly what an assault weapon is.

Full auto, semi auto, bolt action, flint lock? How many rounds per minute? Magazine capacity? Barrel length? Caliber?

All of the above to include rifles, pistols, cannon, rotary cannon, belt fed, automated to include manual, semi automated, and automated firing modes, manual and automated target acquisition and tracking. Guided and automated munitions to include any missile (missile defined as any object deliberately object thrown or fired or launched by other means) fired from rifles, tubes, catapults, etcetera. Any other projected energy device designed for deliberate destructive use. Any device meant to be deliberately suicided into people or property, manually or automated.

 

[Felis Leo]

A weapon designed to mimic military weaponry, with no specific recreational features.

That certainly seems like the form of weaponry that the Second Amendment was meant to protect: weaponry for military purposes, not recreational purposes.

 

[Felis Leo]

Weapons designed to kill multiple people in a short period of time such as weapons issued to the military. There is no reason for these type of weapons to be in the hands of private citizens.

It's that simple.

That is a perfectly fine argument for a Constitutional Amendment to strike or abridge the Second Amendment. But by all indications, the Second Amendment was meant to protect weapons of war for the purpose of citizens of the various states being able to organize into militias to combat foreign and domestic adversaries.

You can argue that the freedom itself is totally unnecessary and detrimental to society. But the freedom exists irrespective of our individual attitudes regarding it.

 

[humbolt]

Recreational features?

Bobble heads and air fresheners mounted on the rail - that kind of thing.

 

[iguanaman]

Weapons designed to kill multiple people in a short period of time such as weapons issued to the military. There is no reason for these type of weapons to be in the hands of private citizens.

It's that simple.

We can simply start with the weapons of choice for nearly all mass shooters of note in the last decade, the AR series of weapons. I also believe we should ban all rifles with removable magazines.

 

[iguanaman]

That is a perfectly fine argument for a Constitutional Amendment to strike or abridge the Second Amendment. But by all indications, the Second Amendment was meant to protect weapons of war for the purpose of citizens of the various states being able to organize into militias to combat foreign and domestic adversaries.

You can argue that the freedom itself is totally unnecessary and detrimental to society. But the freedom exists irrespective of our individual attitudes regarding it.

Yes and if you are not a member of a State approved militia you are not covered by the 2nd amendment period.

 

[Felis Leo]

Yes and if you are not a member of a State approved militia you are not covered by the 2nd amendment period.

And if the Second Amendment said "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the members of said Militia to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed," you would certainly have me over a barrel, iguanaman.

 

[ttwtt78640]

That certainly seems like the form of weaponry that the Second Amendment was meant to protect: weaponry for military purposes, not recreational purposes.

Don't you "interpret" the 2A to be about hunting and recreational arms? Was that not made clear by the preamble?

 

[haymarket]

Are there not experts in this matter who will write the definitions into the bill?

Isn't this just a pretty lame excuse for gun fanatics to pull the usual arguments about definitions and the inevitable "what about my favorite weapons that does the same thing" nonsense?

 

[ttwtt78640]

Yes and if you are not a member of a State approved militia you are not covered by the 2nd amendment period.

Hmm... is that what you think the Heller vs. DC ruling was affirming?

District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), is a landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Second Amendment protects an individual's Right to keep and bear arms, unconnected with service in a militia...

District of Columbia v. Heller - Wikipedia

 

[iguanaman]

Hmm... is that what you think the Heller vs. DC ruling was affirming?

The SC has got it wrong for a very long time.

 

[jonny5]

That's it. Simple. This is a thread for both gun nuts and gun haters to posit and work put exactly what an assault weapon is.

Full auto, semi auto, bolt action, flint lock? How many rounds per minute? Magazine capacity? Barrel length? Caliber?

A thing which has a primary purpose of initiating harm. Assault weapon does not refer only to firearms.

 

[ttwtt78640]

The SC has got it wrong for a very long time.

When you get before the SCOTUS be sure to point that out to them.

 

[Felis Leo]

Are there not experts in this matter who will write the definitions into the bill?

Isn't this just a pretty lame excuse for gun fanatics to pull the usual arguments about definitions and the inevitable "what about my favorite weapons that does the same thing" nonsense?

Doubtlessly true that they would write those definitions in, haymarket. But my argument would not be "Well, what about this gun that does the same thing but is not as scary looking as an AR-15?" My argument is that the Second Amendment was designed to protect individual ownership of what we would now term military-grade small arms, for the purpose that citizens of the various states could form militias to protect their state and their country's freedom from foreign and domestic enemies. Nowhere in the Second Amendment is hunting, sport or personal home defense mentioned. With that in mind, a reasonable argument could be made for more strongly-regulating most concealable small-caliber handguns as many are not useful in the context of intensive military use. Though I am sure many of my fellow Second Amendment advocates would disagree with me.

In my view, the proper argument from those who wish to wish to ban assault rifles or "assault weapons" as they are termed now, is to propose a Constitutional Amendment striking or modifying the Second Amendment, making the Second Amendment apply only to firearms useful for hunting and home defense. I am against this, naturally, but it is the most sound argument and best way forward for advocates of strong gun control.