assault weapons
Rapid-fire combat guns
Assault weapons is a legal and political term for semiautomatic firearms with features associated with military weapons—detachable magazines, pistol grips, folding stocks, flash suppressors.
The definition varies by jurisdiction and has shifted over time.
Gun-control advocates use the term to describe weapons they consider unsuitable for civilian use; opponents argue the category is arbitrary and cosmetic, since the firearms function identically to other legal semiautomatic guns.
The 1994 federal assault weapons ban expired in 2004.
- machine gunContinuous-fire arm
- rifleLong-barreled shoulder weapon
- carbineShort-barreled lightweight firearm
- firearmsWeapons using explosive propulsion
- bump stockDevice mimicking automatic fire
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assault weaponsnon-lethal weapons
Armaments designed to incapacitate
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Protective barriers for defense
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