Assault Rifle Definition

[agabriel]

Hello,
I am looking for the complete originating document for the definition of Assault Rifle. I've gotten into a FB debate with a friend in the Army who is into the AWB definition, which feels way to political for me.

Anyway, a few pages and definitions from the document have turned up but not the complete document. Anyone have a PDF for this doc by chance?

"US Army intelligence document FSTC-CW-07-03-70, November 1970"

Thanks,
Anthony

 

[robjax]

I believe a main characteristic of an assault rifle is that it has to be able to fire fully automatic...aka machine gun....

what is sold to civilians is a sporting rifle. It may have features of an assault rifle but without being able to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger is it not an assault rifle. Not sure about your doco....

I could be wrong but that is what I have read....

 

[Glockster30]

The link I attached below isn't the one you're looking for, but it supposedly supersedes the one you posted. It's a yuuuge pdf document that maybe has the info you want.

http://www.virginia1774.org/DIA-ST-HB-07-03-74.pdf

 

[agabriel]

The link I attached below isn't the one you're looking for, but it supposedly supersedes the one you posted. It's a yuuuge pdf document that maybe has the info you want.

http://www.virginia1774.org/DIA-ST-HB-07-03-74.pdf

It does have the info - Page 105 paragraph A. Thanks.

Has anyone seen the older version?

 

[42!]

That's one of the problems, the definition used by the military will include fully automatic or selective fire. But since that's not universally accepted different states and even agencies are free to use whatever definition they want.

On top of that, most people you talk to outside the firearms community believe that an "assault rifle" as defined by the press, states, and fed is a "machine gun" (fully automatic), which is incorrect.

Of course, true assault rifles, those capable of automatic fire are already prohibited on a federal level.

This makes for some interesting conversations in MA where assault rifles are banned, but this is just a bunch of cosmetic BS, but machine guns are banned...."But they are all the same thing" (says the uninformed).

 

[Shotgun Scully]

Any gun recently involved in a shooting. That is the dems definition.

 

[agabriel]

I think definitions are important and political definitions are entirely too variable... I'm just looking for the original reference source.

 

[jsacco41]

Any gun recently involved in a shooting. That is the dems definition.

Or even falsely identified as the gun. Unless the sig sauer mcx in question identified as an ar 15.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Daniel MacDonald]

If it's black and scary looking......Assault Weapon.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

There are multiple definitions, each of which is accepted by certain parts of the population. It's like arguing the definition of "civilian". Some claim it is anyone not in the military, whereas others use the definition of not a member of a police or firefighting force. It all depends on the context which definition is being applied.

Also, definitions of words can change as the common use of that word changes. Unlike the French, we don't have an Academy English to set the official usage and standards of American English vocabulary. It's done by the people over time and reflected by, not set by, Webster et. al.

 

[Boris]

There are multiple definitions, each of which is accepted by certain parts of the population. It's like arguing the definition of "civilian". Some claim it is anyone not in the military, whereas others use the definition of not a member of a police or firefighting force. It all depends on the context which definition is being applied.

Also, definitions of words can change as the common use of that word changes. Unlike the French, we don't have an Academy English to set the official usage and standards of American English vocabulary. It's done by the people over time and reflected by, not set by, Webster et. al.

and that's a problem, same as most cops use "high rate of speed" which technically means acceleration, not speed. Dumb people using terms that become commonplace. Same deal with "civilian" which should mean non-combatant, non-military ... of course in this day and age it's hard to see unconstitutional standing army withing US borders, i.e. police force armed with military surplus and pretty much any weapon they have budget for. This follows an interesting question that libtards often ask about 2a, would police be allowed to procure and use tactical nukes? Because I don't see any restrictions placed on that.

 

[MGnoob]

RIP R. Lee Ermey
Date of death: April 15, 2018

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Same deal with "civilian" which should mean non-combatant, non-military ...

Merriam-Webster would disagree:

Definition of civilian
: a specialist in Roman or modern civil law
: one not on active duty in the armed services or not on a police or firefighting force: outsider 1

 

[Frizzle Fry]

The old definition? Before liberal scare tactics? Something approximating this:

A selective-fire rifle* with a detachable magazine, chambered in an intermediate caliber**.
*Automatic fire; i.e. single/auto, single/burst, burst/auto, single/burst/auto, etc. Single/Safe doesn't count.
**A caliber less powerful than a typical battle rifle cartridge, but more powerful than a typical pistol cartridge.

Those are the key terms/qualities, if not the original organization of the sentence.

The original "assault rifle" was the StG44 during WWII: it was chambered in 7.92x33, which was more powerful than the Luger P08 or Walther in 9x19, and less powerful than a Gehwehr in 7.92x57.

One could argue that the M2 Carbine was the first US "assault rifle" - filling a place between pistols or submachine guns in 32acp/45acp, and rifles in 30-06 (later between 45acp and 7.62x51). Some might argue it's more of a PDW, especially given how it was issued - I'm not sure I can take sides on that argument... It was first issued in 1945 and saw service right through the 1960s.

The AK platform (unsurprisingly "finished" in 1947, though issued in 1948) is definitely an "assault rifle", as it was/is issued in 7.62x39 or 5.45x39, and fills a place between 9x18 and 7.62x54R. Of course the M16/M4 platform issued in 5.56x45 is an "assault rifle", filling the niche between 45acp (later 9x19) and 7.62x51 - the AR platform was issued by the Airforce in 1963, and not issued by the Army until 1965; a full 5-7 years after the semi-auto AR15 was created, and 8-10 years after the semi-auto AR10 on which it was based was created.

Of course there are countless others, but those are good talking points that most normies would "get". Everyone knows "M16" and "AK47" right? The big thing is it must go bang more than once when you pull the trigger once, or be capable of doing so by flipping a lever, pushing a button, etc. - otherwise it's not an "assault rifle". That's the primary difference from an MSR.

 

[swatgig]

Merriam-Webster would disagree:

Definition of civilian
: a specialist in Roman or modern civil law
: one not on active duty in the armed services or not on a police or firefighting force: outsider 1

So.... If the police are not civilians, are they standing armies, kept among us without our consent?

 

[one-eyed Jack]

"Assault weapons" as applied to rifles is even more complicated since some are that and some are not depending on features. Jack.

 

[DispositionMatrix]

The old definition? Before liberal scare tactics? Something approximating this:

A selective-fire rifle* with a detachable magazine, chambered in an intermediate caliber**.
*Automatic fire; i.e. single/auto, single/burst, burst/auto, single/burst/auto, etc. Single/Safe doesn't count.
**A caliber less powerful than a typical battle rifle cartridge, but more powerful than a typical pistol cartridge.

Those are the key terms/qualities, if not the original organization of the sentence.

The original "assault rifle" was the StG44 during WWII: it was chambered in 7.92x33, which was more powerful than the Luger P08 or Walther in 9x19, and less powerful than a Gehwehr in 7.92x57.

One could argue that the M2 Carbine was the first US "assault rifle" - filling a place between pistols or submachine guns in 32acp/45acp, and rifles in 30-06 (later between 45acp and 7.62x51). Some might argue it's more of a PDW, especially given how it was issued - I'm not sure I can take sides on that argument... It was first issued in 1945 and saw service right through the 1960s.

The AK platform (unsurprisingly "finished" in 1947, though issued in 1948) is definitely an "assault rifle", as it was/is issued in 7.62x39 or 5.45x39, and fills a place between 9x18 and 7.62x54R. Of course the M16/M4 platform issued in 5.56x45 is an "assault rifle", filling the niche between 45acp (later 9x19) and 7.62x51 - the AR platform was issued by the Airforce in 1963, and not issued by the Army until 1965; a full 5-7 years after the semi-auto AR15 was created, and 8-10 years after the semi-auto AR10 on which it was based was created.

Of course there are countless others, but those are good talking points that most normies would "get". Everyone knows "M16" and "AK47" right? The big thing is it must go bang more than once when you pull the trigger once, or be capable of doing so by flipping a lever, pushing a button, etc. - otherwise it's not an "assault rifle". That's the primary difference from an MSR.

Yep. That about sums up the correct definition. People like to play with terms, as if they have no real meaning, in order to assign them politically expedient meaning.

"Civilian" is a great example and is used for othering domestically. A pro-authoritarian, law enforcement-worshipping boot-licker will be fine with LEOs in the US, a country with civilian government and civil authorities, distinguishing themselves from the Other by deeming the Other "civilians." Since this is not Egypt (yet), I don't subscribe to the suggestion the police are a domestic paramilitary force here to fight a war against the Other, since in this country police are in fact civilians. We can thank the war on drugs and police lobby sycophants for this discrepancy, and suckers on both the right and the left buy into it.

Words have meaning. Misusing them in the service of propaganda in order to push a political agenda and/or acting as an apologist for others who do the same both do us all a disservice.