in a civilian context it could be as little as 10 (for example) semiautomatic (please don't run with that statement as if it was an absolute).

Originally Posted by fatalsaint

Therein lies the problem. Not even you can tell me what exactly an "assault weapon" is in your strictly civilian context. So demanding a ban on a word or class of firearm that nobody can actually define is meaningless and silly. Unless we take the definition of the closest term related, which you don't seem to want to do.

Originally Posted by fatalsaint

as far as I can tell, have succeeded and have only addressed your actual points.

Originally Posted by Benson

While the gewehr = rifle part is a perfectly clean translation, it's much less obvious (to me, who speaks no German) that sturm corresponds exactly to assault, in all prevalent meanings, so by trying to understand assault rifle as the term rifle modified by the adjective assault, you wind up projecting some meaning across languages, cultures, and over sixty years, and the result is unlikely to be valid.

Originally Posted by qole

Yes, storm as in storm trooper. Storm = assault is a fair translation in this case.

I am so puzzled that those trying to regulate guns would use such fuzzy language.

Didn't they try to specify how many rounds per second the gun could fire? Or how large the bullets could be? Stuff like that?

If they didn't, then they were purposely trying to look like they were regulating, while not really doing any such thing.

In fact, the assault weapons ban will have no significant effect either on the crime rate or on personal security. Nonetheless, it is a good idea . . . . Its only real justification is not to reduce crime but to desensitize the public to the regulation of weapons in preparation for their ultimate confiscation.

The term `semiautomatic assault weapon' means--

1. any of the firearms, or copies or duplicates of the firearms in any caliber, known as--
   Some of these have the same names as fully-automatic weapons, but these all refer to the semi-automatic versions produced for civilian purchase. The full-auto versions have been LE/Mil only since 1986...
   1. Norinco, Mitchell, and Poly Technologies Avtomat Kalashnikovs (all models);
   2. Action Arms Israeli Military Industries UZI and Galil;
   3. Beretta Ar70 (SC-70);
   4. Colt AR-15;
   5. Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR, and FNC;
   6. SWD M-10, M-11, M-11/9, and M-12;
   7. Steyr AUG;
   8. INTRATEC TEC-9, TEC-DC9 and TEC-22; and
   9. revolving cylinder shotguns, such as (or similar to) the Street Sweeper and Striker 12;
2. a semiautomatic rifle that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of--
   1. a folding or telescoping stock;
      This is the only which seems at all plausible (given use of rifles in drive-by shootings). It also happens to discriminate against women, as telescoping stocks are typically adjustable, and the recourse on new manufactured weapons was to permanently fix the stock in the fully-extended position...
   2. a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon;
   3. a bayonet mount;
   4. a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor; and
      Because civilians don't need night-adapted vision! (or maybe we just always pull the first shot true...) This also affected barrels threaded using the standard thread, even if the intent was for a muzzle brake or compensator.
   5. a grenade launcher;
      Note that live grenades are NFA-regulated destructive devices. Launchers on rifles can only readily be used with dummy grenades, which (from a crime perspective) is about the most expensive way imaginable to conk someone with a rock.
3. a semiautomatic pistol that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of--
   1. an ammunition magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip;
   2. a threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer;
   3. a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the nontrigger hand without being burned;
   4. a manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded; and
      (Hate to be pistol-whipped with anything over 3 pounds!)
   5. a semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm; and
      AFAIK this was never tested, but it's conceivable this one could count against a Glock 17, from which the Glock 18 machine-pistol was derived, and similarly for a couple of other pairs where a machine-pistol was derived from a semi-auto.
4. a semiautomatic shotgun that has at least 2 of--
   1. a folding or telescoping stock;
   2. a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon;
   3. a fixed magazine capacity in excess of 5 rounds; and
   4. an ability to accept a detachable magazine.