• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Define assault weapon

KevinKohler

DP Veteran
Joined
Oct 4, 2011
Messages
27,920
Reaction score
13,709
Location
CT
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Undisclosed
That's it. Simple. This is a thread for both gun nuts and gun haters to posit and work put exactly what an assault weapon is.

Full auto, semi auto, bolt action, flint lock? How many rounds per minute? Magazine capacity? Barrel length? Caliber?
 
KevinKohler said:
That's it. Simple. This is a thread for both gun nuts and gun haters to posit and work put exactly what an assault weapon is.

Full auto, semi auto, bolt action, flint lock? How many rounds per minute? Magazine capacity? Barrel length? Caliber?
Click to expand...

A weapon designed to mimic military weaponry, with no specific recreational features.
 
a firearm that may use some surplus military parts and may look like a true assault rifle, but since it lacks the feature necessary to make it useful for military assault, it cannot properly be labeled with term. It generally means whatever some scumbag gun banner wants it to mean.
 
Fledermaus said:
Recreational features?
Click to expand...

Its fun watching people who don't own or use guns-nor want others to do so-telling us what those firearms can be used for
 
mrjurrs said:
A weapon designed to mimic military weaponry, with no specific recreational features.
Click to expand...

All guns mimic military weapons, along with most new technology. Gotta be more specific? Firing rate? Caliber?
 
mrjurrs said:
A weapon designed to mimic military weaponry, with no specific recreational features.
Click to expand...

Do you consider pistols in this as well? Since pistols are used in the military as well, and you can buy the same ones with literally no modifications unlike the AR-15.
 
KevinKohler said:
That's it. Simple. This is a thread for both gun nuts and gun haters to posit and work put exactly what an assault weapon is.

Full auto, semi auto, bolt action, flint lock? How many rounds per minute? Magazine capacity? Barrel length? Caliber?
Click to expand...

There are assault rifles.

Then there are "assault weapons" which is a artificial political catch all for 'ugly guns'.
 
Bad breath. Ban breathing!
 
KevinKohler said:
That's it. Simple. This is a thread for both gun nuts and gun haters to posit and work put exactly what an assault weapon is.

Full auto, semi auto, bolt action, flint lock? How many rounds per minute? Magazine capacity? Barrel length? Caliber?
Click to expand...

Weapons designed to kill multiple people in a short period of time such as weapons issued to the military. There is no reason for these type of weapons to be in the hands of private citizens.

It's that simple.
 
Last edited:
KevinKohler said:
That's it. Simple. This is a thread for both gun nuts and gun haters to posit and work put exactly what an assault weapon is.

Full auto, semi auto, bolt action, flint lock? How many rounds per minute? Magazine capacity? Barrel length? Caliber?
Click to expand...

1.) Any weapon that would allow a person of average skill level to fire a deadly payload at a rate of more than about 12 rounds per minute.
That's the equivalent of two full six shooters. If you ever need to fire more than than in under a minute you're an incredibly ****ty hunter or you're probably not on the defensive.

2.) Any weapon that is designed help a person of average skill level be accurate and lethal at a distance of more than 100 yards.
There's really no defensive reason why you would ever need to hit a target that's more than 100 yards away from you. If you're a hunter, you're not shooting at anything that far away either.

3.) Any weapon or modification that is designed to improve conceal-ability.
This obviously causes an issue with hand guns. I would like to see a requirement that all guns or at least hand guns be required to be painted blaze orange or bright pink at the time of manufacture. I would also like to do away with conceal and carry and replace it with an open carry requirement so that if you want to carry a gun legally in public it must be visible at all times.
 
KevinKohler said:
That's it. Simple. This is a thread for both gun nuts and gun haters to posit and work put exactly what an assault weapon is.

Full auto, semi auto, bolt action, flint lock? How many rounds per minute? Magazine capacity? Barrel length? Caliber?
Click to expand...

All of the above to include rifles, pistols, cannon, rotary cannon, belt fed, automated to include manual, semi automated, and automated firing modes, manual and automated target acquisition and tracking. Guided and automated munitions to include any missile (missile defined as any object deliberately object thrown or fired or launched by other means) fired from rifles, tubes, catapults, etcetera. Any other projected energy device designed for deliberate destructive use. Any device meant to be deliberately suicided into people or property, manually or automated.
 
mrjurrs said:
A weapon designed to mimic military weaponry, with no specific recreational features.
Click to expand...

That certainly seems like the form of weaponry that the Second Amendment was meant to protect: weaponry for military purposes, not recreational purposes.
 
lurchadams said:
Weapons designed to kill multiple people in a short period of time such as weapons issued to the military. There is no reason for these type of weapons to be in the hands of private citizens.

It's that simple.
Click to expand...

That is a perfectly fine argument for a Constitutional Amendment to strike or abridge the Second Amendment. But by all indications, the Second Amendment was meant to protect weapons of war for the purpose of citizens of the various states being able to organize into militias to combat foreign and domestic adversaries.

You can argue that the freedom itself is totally unnecessary and detrimental to society. But the freedom exists irrespective of our individual attitudes regarding it.
 
lurchadams said:
Weapons designed to kill multiple people in a short period of time such as weapons issued to the military. There is no reason for these type of weapons to be in the hands of private citizens.

It's that simple.
Click to expand...

We can simply start with the weapons of choice for nearly all mass shooters of note in the last decade, the AR series of weapons. I also believe we should ban all rifles with removable magazines.
 

Yes and if you are not a member of a State approved militia you are not covered by the 2nd amendment period.
 
iguanaman said:
Yes and if you are not a member of a State approved militia you are not covered by the 2nd amendment period.
Click to expand...

And if the Second Amendment said "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the members of said Militia to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed," you would certainly have me over a barrel, iguanaman.
 
Felis Leo said:
That certainly seems like the form of weaponry that the Second Amendment was meant to protect: weaponry for military purposes, not recreational purposes.
Click to expand...

Don't you "interpret" the 2A to be about hunting and recreational arms? Was that not made clear by the preamble?
 
Are there not experts in this matter who will write the definitions into the bill?

Isn't this just a pretty lame excuse for gun fanatics to pull the usual arguments about definitions and the inevitable "what about my favorite weapons that does the same thing" nonsense?
 
iguanaman said:
Yes and if you are not a member of a State approved militia you are not covered by the 2nd amendment period.
Click to expand...

Hmm... is that what you think the Heller vs. DC ruling was affirming?

District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), is a landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Second Amendment protects an individual's Right to keep and bear arms, unconnected with service in a militia...
Click to expand...

District of Columbia v. Heller - Wikipedia
 
KevinKohler said:
That's it. Simple. This is a thread for both gun nuts and gun haters to posit and work put exactly what an assault weapon is.

Full auto, semi auto, bolt action, flint lock? How many rounds per minute? Magazine capacity? Barrel length? Caliber?
Click to expand...

A thing which has a primary purpose of initiating harm. Assault weapon does not refer only to firearms.
 

Doubtlessly true that they would write those definitions in, haymarket. But my argument would not be "Well, what about this gun that does the same thing but is not as scary looking as an AR-15?" My argument is that the Second Amendment was designed to protect individual ownership of what we would now term military-grade small arms, for the purpose that citizens of the various states could form militias to protect their state and their country's freedom from foreign and domestic enemies. Nowhere in the Second Amendment is hunting, sport or personal home defense mentioned. With that in mind, a reasonable argument could be made for more strongly-regulating most concealable small-caliber handguns as many are not useful in the context of intensive military use. Though I am sure many of my fellow Second Amendment advocates would disagree with me.

In my view, the proper argument from those who wish to wish to ban assault rifles or "assault weapons" as they are termed now, is to propose a Constitutional Amendment striking or modifying the Second Amendment, making the Second Amendment apply only to firearms useful for hunting and home defense. I am against this, naturally, but it is the most sound argument and best way forward for advocates of strong gun control.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…