Assault Rifle

[WheySmart]

"Assault Rifle"...I term we hear often in today's society. It is in the news, in movies, it comes up in conversation sometimes.
Many organizations have publicized different meanings of the phrase, most have at least some political motivation behind them.

My question to you is...
"What definition of 'assault rifle' do you feel is most accurate?"

Some will attempt to answer "It depends on what you use it for." This is true IF you take the phrase completely literally. Even though it is a fairly broad term and isn't the most descriptive name we all have a general idea of what counts as an assault rifle.

The modern world has many new and different designs and the line between different groups of firearms is often blurred. For example, the highly publicized Tech9, is it a submachinegun or a pistol with a unique feature? As the boundaries become less visible it is necessary to "re-map" every so often to figure out where things stand. In the olden days there weren't many "assault rifles" and those that did exist were distictly different from other weapons of the time period, it is different now.

My definition is one that I feel does justice to the original "assault rifle" and also fits modern weaponry such as the M-16 equelly well. My definition is...
A rifle that fires an "intermediate round" (between a pistol and a full power rifle) and also has fully automatic and semi-automatic firing modes. (Burst fire being optional)

The way I find this is easy if proper research and some deliberation is done.
My research leads me to believe that the term was first used in the 1940's at the peak of WWII. The phrase "Sturm Gewher", German for "Assault Rifle",is said to have been made by Hitler (although this cannot be proven) to describe a new German weapon, the MP43/44 (or MP44 as it is often known).
For those who lack in "ancient" weapons knowledge, the MP44 was developed by a team of engineers working under The Third Reich. The MP44 looks much like the well known AK-47 and my research tells me that the AK design was inspired by a captured German MP44. Now to the technical aspects, the MP44 fired a "kurtz" or "short" round developed specifically for use in the MP44. This is an intermediate round. The MP44 was also capable of two firing modes, semi-automatic and fully-automatic.


Regardless of wheather you agree with my definition or not it is still a good time to set out personal guidelines to know where you stand, no matter what side you are on it isn't good to come into a debate using the definition "They are black and look scary.". If you lack a serious answer, people won't treat you seriously.

[G.C.Montgomery]

I know the origin of the term "assault rifle." And if I hold modern designs to that standard, none of my autoloading rifles are "assault rifle." I typically just call them rifles or carbines. I could go so far as to describe it more accurately as a military-pattern, autoloading rifle or even assault rifle but that's just too long.

[jbirds1210]

I just call my AR15 an AR15 to avoid any confusion. If I am really feeling froggy, I call her "Betsy" .The term "assault rifle" tends to be used as inflammatory and serves little purpose to me. I generally only hear it described as such by the news media. Perhaps it has uses in some circles, just not mine. Thank you for the lesson in origin...I have read it before.
Jason

[WheySmart]

The term "assault rifle" tends to be used as inflammatory and serves little purpose to me. I generally only hear it described as such by the news media.

Yes, I agree. The term is overall very corrupted...we should make up new names for all of this stuff to avoid confusion, lets just scrap the name.

[jbirds1210]

OK, Betsy is taken for mine.....name your whatever you like!

[WheySmart]

I just call my AR15 an AR15 to avoid any confusion. If I am really feeling froggy, I call her "Betsy"
Jason

Careful, I call my SKS "Bessy". There may be confusion if we aren't careful.

[jimlongley]

When the term started to be used improperly, a long time ago, I was among a minority that objected to the misuse and took a lot of flack for my objection to the "harmless" misuse by the unknowing, after all we were smarter and knew better. Now the term has been misused for so long that it is in danger of becoming the default term for any evil looking rifle.

I like the fact thet Wikipedia uses this definition:
An assault rifle is an automatic rifle or carbine firing ammunition with muzzle energies intermediate between those typical of pistol and battle rifle ammunition. Assault rifles are categorized between light machine guns that are intended more for sustained automatic fire in a support role, and smaller submachine guns that fire a handgun cartridge rather than a rifle cartridge. Assault rifles are the standard small arms in most modern armies, having largely replaced or supplemented larger, more powerful battle rifles, such as the World War II-era M1 Garand and Tokarev SVT. Examples of assault rifles include the M16 rifle and the AK-47. Semi-automatic rifles, including commercial versions of the AR-15, are not assault rifles as they lack the capability for automatic fire.


Sounds just like the letter I wrote to the paper in 1972.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_rifle

[Thane]

Assault Rifle: n, from German Sturmgewehr (lit. "Storm Rifle). A battle rifle, fully automatic or select-fire, which uses an "intermediate" rifle cartridge greater in power than most pistol cartridges but lesser in power than most rifle cartridges. Ex. M-16, AK-47 (fully automatic version). Often used improperly to describe "lookalike" rifles which fire the same cartridge and externally resemble true assault rifles, but lack fully automatic or select-fire capability.

[Houston1944]

Doesn't matter what the true definition is, too many people in "that state" far west of here and "those states" far northeast of here think my Savage bolt action 270 is an "Assault Rifle" simply because it does not have a pretty wood stock. When I put the bipod on it probably becomes a "Tactical Assault Rifle" in their eyes.

[WheySmart]

When the term started to be used improperly, a long time ago, I was among a minority that objected to the misuse and took a lot of flack for my objection to the "harmless" misuse by the unknowing, after all we were smarter and knew better. Now the term has been misused for so long that it is in danger of becoming the default term for any evil looking rifle.

I like the fact thet Wikipedia uses this definition:
An assault rifle is an automatic rifle or carbine firing ammunition with muzzle energies intermediate between those typical of pistol and battle rifle ammunition. Assault rifles are categorized between light machine guns that are intended more for sustained automatic fire in a support role, and smaller submachine guns that fire a handgun cartridge rather than a rifle cartridge. Assault rifles are the standard small arms in most modern armies, having largely replaced or supplemented larger, more powerful battle rifles, such as the World War II-era M1 Garand and Tokarev SVT. Examples of assault rifles include the M16 rifle and the AK-47. Semi-automatic rifles, including commercial versions of the AR-15, are not assault rifles as they lack the capability for automatic fire.


Sounds just like the letter I wrote to the paper in 1972.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_rifle

Thats good of Wikipedia to do that, now I know why our school blocks that site.

[WheySmart]

Doesn't matter what the true definition is, too many people in "that state" far west of here and "those states" far northeast of here think my Savage bolt action 270 is an "Assault Rifle" simply because it does not have a pretty wood stock. When I put the bipod on it probably becomes a "Tactical Assault Rifle" in their eyes.

I don't know if i should find these people scary, stupid or funny. The line at the end of the topic is regarding this, I have actually debated this topic with people who define an assault rifle as a gun that is black and has a curvy thing on the bottom. They are scared to death of something and they can't even tell you what it is.

[Venus Pax]

Very good thread. I'm learning a lot. (More of a handgun girl, since that's what I can hide. )

[WheySmart]

Very good thread. I'm learning a lot. (More of a handgun girl, since that's what I can hide. )

Nah, you just need a bigger trench coat.

[quidni]

Personally, I have no "assault rifles." I do, however, have Sport-Utility Rifles.

[KBCraig]

My question to you is...
"What definition of 'assault rifle' do you feel is most accurate?"

None of them.

"Assault rifle" and "assault weapon" are emotionally- and politically-charged terms with no real meaning, beyond what someone wishes them to mean.

If I extended the bayonet on my M-N M44 --five round capacity, bolt action-- and performed a "thrust and butt stroke" on you, I'm pretty certain that you'd feel you'd been assaulted.

I have a Winchester Model 62, inherited from my father and grandfather. It's hardly modern technology. There's no trigger disconnect: hold the trigger back, and it will fire as fast as you can work the slide (which is pretty darn fast). At short range, I could put a dozen Stingers into the target's vitals quicker than most shooters could place three aimed rounds with an AR/M-something.

"Assault" is a crime, not a type of firearm.

Kevin