Essay:Assault rifle

There is a significant hue and cry about the need for more restrictive gun laws in the USA after the murders of innocent children and their teachers in Newtown CT, USA. Part of that outburst of activity is an effort to re-instate the former law restricting assault weapons or similar devices.

Just what constitutes an assault weapon or assault rifle. That is probably where serious, considered discussions or arguments would logically begin: defining the object.

In the view of this writer, it would mean should look at the previous law to see how it was defined there and then begin the discussion.

It may not happen that way, since at least some of the media seems to consist of spokespersons who know little or nothing about guns of any kind. For instance, during the week of January 6th, 2013, a US radio talk show host addressed the issues of gun laws by discussing the "Russian-made AR-15" along with AK 47s.

But is an AR-15, regardless of site of manufacture actually an assault rifle or assault weapon. It certainly looks like one. It looks a lot like the USA military's M16. But it quite different in one very key regard: it is not capable of fully automatic fire, something many do not know usually distinguishes modern assault rifles from civilian look-a-likes.

Yes, it can hold a similar size magazine of up to 30 cartridges. Does that make it an assault weapon? If I were seeking an assault weapon, a semi-automatic rifle would not be my choice.

On the other hand, there are specialty sniper rifles, most often single shot rifles with relatively small cartridge capacity of a few rounds. Are they to be classed as assault weapons if they use a lager than common caliber bullet, say a .50 caliber? Where does that then place the classification of single shot muzzle loading weapons of .58 and .60 caliber?

Hopefully some one can add a continuation of this topic since it will be discussed widely by the media and politicians of all stripes in coming months. Also, it helps deflect the concerns about the extraordinary debt that the US Government leaders have saddled upon the citizenry.