Assault weapon

Common card · No. 356216

In the United States, assault weapon is a controversial term often applied to different kinds of firearms, though its use varies and there is no clear, consistent definition. It can include semi-automatic firearms with a detachable magazine, a pistol grip, and sometimes other features, such as a vertical forward grip, flash suppressor, or barrel shroud. Certain firearms are specified by name in some laws that restrict assault weapons. When the now-defunct Federal Assault Weapons Ban was passed in 1994, the U.S. Department of Justice said, "In general, assault weapons are semiautomatic firearms with a large magazine of ammunition that were designed and configured for rapid fire and combat use." The commonly used definitions of assault weapons are under frequent debate, and have changed over time. The origin of the term has been attributed to legislators, the firearms industry, gun control groups, and the media. It is sometimes used interchangeably with the term assault rifle, which refers...

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