# Is a semi automatic rifle an assault rifle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 14, 2016, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-semi-automatic-rifle-an-assault-rifle/757375 "2016-06-14T21:08:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2016, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-semi-automatic-rifle-an-assault-rifle/757375/281 "2016-06-24T14:56:48Z")
Well played, **Lumpy** … I’m against any law that interferes with my ability to mitigate my own risk profile. So I’m perfectly fine with background checks for all gun transactions, I’m okay with gun registration. I’m against restrictions on semi-autos and clip capacities (although from what **Honey Boo Boo** says about Australian laws, I’d be okay owning a semi-auto). The last thing my community needs is a wounded mountain lion running around because I was too busy fooling with the damn bolt to get another half dozen rounds off. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-semi-automatic-rifle-an-assault-rifle/757375/282 "2016-06-28T18:54:05Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Scott Adams of _Dilbert_ fame chimes in: > > [Why Gun Control can’t be solved in the USA](http://blog.dilbert.com/post/146307088451/why-gun-control-cant-be-solved-in-the-usa) Fuck him. He’s arguing that the debate should be about people’s perception of reality, which is utterly and totally fucked. You argue from **facts** , or you go home along with your shit opinions. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-semi-automatic-rifle-an-assault-rifle/757375/283 "2016-06-29T23:17:44Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Scott Adams of _Dilbert_ fame chimes in: > > [Why Gun Control can’t be solved in the USA](http://blog.dilbert.com/post/146307088451/why-gun-control-cant-be-solved-in-the-usa) From the linked article - > [@](#): > > "On average, Democrats (that’s my team\*) use guns for shooting the innocent. We call that crime. > > On average, Republicans use guns for sporting purposes and self-defense." Umm… What the Fuck? ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-semi-automatic-rifle-an-assault-rifle/757375/284 "2016-06-29T23:42:43Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > [snip] … Umm… What the Fuck? Ask an anti-gun Democrat what guns are for, they’ll say shooting innocent people. To this Democrat that’s all they’re “good” for. Ask a pro-gun Republican what guns are for, they’ll say sporting, self-defense, overthrowing tyrannical government, varmint hunting, etc etc etc “Shit opinion”? Well, I guess … the guy writes cartoons … I once witnessed Charles Schultz of “Peanuts” fame officiate a hockey game, it wasn’t pretty … ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-semi-automatic-rifle-an-assault-rifle/757375/285 "2016-06-30T16:29:45Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > From the linked article - > > Umm… What the Fuck? Quoted from the article: > [@](#): > > If you don’t believe me, you can check the statistics on the Internet that don’t exist. At least I couldn’t find any that looked credible. > > But we do know that race and poverty are correlated. And we know that poverty and crime are correlated. And we know that race and political affiliation are correlated. Therefore, my team (Clinton) is more likely to use guns to shoot innocent people, whereas the other team (Trump) is more likely to use guns for sporting and defense. > > That’s a gross generalization. Obviously. Your town might be totally different. IOW, he’s suggesting _ **extremely** _ tongue-in-cheek that the Democrats are the party of black inner-city criminals. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bruce\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-semi-automatic-rifle-an-assault-rifle/757375/286 "2016-06-30T17:20:35Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Fuck him. > He’s arguing that the debate should be about people’s perception of reality, which is utterly and totally fucked. You argue from **facts** , or you go home along with your shit opinions. Every incarnation of the “assault weapons” ban has been advocated by some ignorant gun control enthusiast’s perception of reality. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-semi-automatic-rifle-an-assault-rifle/757375/287 "2016-07-03T19:27:22Z")
> [@Bruce\_Wayne](#): > > Every incarnation of the “assault weapons” ban has been advocated by some ignorant gun control enthusiast’s perception of reality. I’m not so sure of that … perhaps we should let the ignorant gun control enthusiasts take a crack at the problem … just got to be better than what the US Congress could come up with. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-semi-automatic-rifle-an-assault-rifle/757375/288 "2016-07-03T20:19:20Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > I’m not really disagreeing with you. > > I’m willing to be precise just to avoid being accused of being ignorant. But I agree the whinging in certain quarters that it “wasn’t really an AR-15” is a bit of misdirection. It’s a gun which looks and acts like an AR-15. Different piston system, a little quieter, but to most observers they are the same thing. > > And it belongs in unsupervised, private hands on the streets of Orlando to the same degree as any other auto-loading, “one shot one kill” rifle, which in my opinion is not at all. The lack of a buffer tube in the piston rifle makes it, when equipped with a folding stock, significantly shorter and easier to conceal than an AR-15 style rifle. This seems like a pretty salient difference in the context of gun control. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-semi-automatic-rifle-an-assault-rifle/757375/289 "2016-07-04T18:09:09Z")
> [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](#): > > The lack of a buffer tube in the piston rifle makes it, when equipped with a folding stock, significantly shorter and easier to conceal than an AR-15 style rifle. This seems like a pretty salient difference in the context of gun control. Huh! I hadn’t thought of that, my AK has a folding stock. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2016, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-semi-automatic-rifle-an-assault-rifle/757375/290 "2016-07-05T00:42:12Z")
> [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](#): > > The lack of a buffer tube in the piston rifle makes it, when equipped with a folding stock, significantly shorter and easier to conceal than an AR-15 style rifle. This seems like a pretty salient difference in the context of gun control. Note that the minimum length under the NFA is 26 inches, anything that is shorter cannot have a buttstock or will require a NFA tax stamp. Seeing as most men have a back that is 17 and 21 inches long it is not really that easy to conceal. A guitar case would easily hide a full length AR15 with much more ease. As long as it is not capable of being fired by external controls while enclosed in the container it is legal. I think the objection from the firearms enthusiasts is that the media calls everything that even slightly looks like an AR15 and AR15. This is similar to the dog banning efforts that call any dog that looks anything like a staffordshire terrier a pit bull. As a Siberian Husky owner I have the frustration of having a dog that is on the “dangerous breed” list due to this same issue. This despite the reality that Siberians are typically non-protective of either their area and or humans to almost a fault. The reality is that any dog that looks anything like a spitz is labeled a husky in not only the media but even in police reports. As an example that may be more relatable, lets say people wanted to ban neo-nazi message-boards as a case can be made that they are just as responsible for a large portion of lone wolf terrorist attacks as rifles. If they called for the banning of vBulletin most dopers would immediately discount the people calling for such legislation as ignorant and label the actions as a witch hunt. The fact that people cannot tell the difference between an AR15 and a Sig Sauer MCX is an immediate red flag for enthusiasts that the media or legislators are completely ignorant on the topic. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2016, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-semi-automatic-rifle-an-assault-rifle/757375/291 "2016-07-05T15:15:52Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > Note that the minimum length under the NFA is 26 inches, anything that is shorter cannot have a buttstock or will require a NFA tax stamp. Seeing as most men have a back that is 17 and 21 inches long it is not really that easy to conceal. A guitar case would easily hide a full length AR15 with much more ease. As long as it is not capable of being fired by external controls while enclosed in the container it is legal. > > I think the objection from the firearms enthusiasts is that the media calls everything that even slightly looks like an AR15 and AR15. This is similar to the dog banning efforts that call any dog that looks anything like a staffordshire terrier a pit bull. As a Siberian Husky owner I have the frustration of having a dog that is on the “dangerous breed” list due to this same issue. This despite the reality that Siberians are typically non-protective of either their area and or humans to almost a fault. The reality is that any dog that looks anything like a spitz is labeled a husky in not only the media but even in police reports. > > As an example that may be more relatable, lets say people wanted to ban neo-nazi message-boards as a case can be made that they are just as responsible for a large portion of lone wolf terrorist attacks as rifles. If they called for the banning of vBulletin most dopers would immediately discount the people calling for such legislation as ignorant and label the actions as a witch hunt. The fact that people cannot tell the difference between an AR15 and a Sig Sauer MCX is an immediate red flag for enthusiasts that the media or legislators are completely ignorant on the topic. I agree that its not really a big deal if someone doesn’t know the difference between direct impingement and pistons. The retarded idiocy of assault weapons bans does not rely on this difference. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-semi-automatic-rifle-an-assault-rifle/757375.md?page=14)