Quote:
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I like handguns and don't plan to own an assault rifle - but want to educate myself about their general purpose for others.
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Already we can see some confusion by the person who posted the above quote. I'm not trying to denigrate that poster, but it's important to point out some errors or potential errors in his above statement. He did mention that he wants to be educated, so here goes.
1. Assault rifle: Select fire, or capable of full auto or three round burst. This has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the "assault weapons" ban that was in place from 1994-2004, or that some people would like to put back in place. "Assault Weapons" is a made up term, but in general refers
only to
semiautomatic firearms. Please note the difference in the terms "assault rifles" and "assault weapons". The uninformed and the political agenda drivers will use the terms interchangeably, but it is improper to do so.
An M16 is an assault rifle, an AR-15 is now called an "assault weapon". But only if it has more than two cosmetic features, such as a detachable magazine, an extended pistol grip, a bayonette lug, a grenade launcher, a folding stock, a muzzle flash suppressor, a barrel shroud, a collapsable stock, etc. Look up the AWB94 and you can find the cosmetic features which magically turn a semiautomatic rifle into an "Assault Weapon".
A Ruger Mini-14, even though it is functionally the same as a Colt AR-15, was not considered to be an "assault weapon" under the old ban because it only had one feature, that being a detachable magazine. It just didn't look scary enough to make the grade. One of my firearms is a Colt Sporter, which is nothing more than a Colt AR-15 with a shorter barrel (16") and without enough cosmetic features to make it an "assault weapon". Go figure.
2. Assault weapons can also include handguns if they have certain features, including the detachable magazine. So, just because you are limiting yourself to handguns, don't necessarily believe you don't own an "assaut weapon" under the definition used to describe them.
3. Assault weapons can also include shotguns. See point #2 above.
With the above information in mind, assault weapons can make excellent hunting guns. Guys use AR-15's and clones of those to hunt prairie dogs and other small varmints. Some states allow the use of center fire, .22 caliber rifles for hunting deer. Minnesota recently went that route. I wouldn't personally do it, but hey, to each his own if it's legal. There are some riflles such as an AR-10 which fire .308. That's an excellent caliber for some big game, such as Muley's or Whitetails. One of my hunting buddies took a moose with a .308. He's also taken elk with it.
Assault weapons are used for competition target shooting matches. They are used for just plain old target shooting and plinking. They are fun to shoot. Some folks like the design aspects of certain guns and assault weapons are no different in that regard. Some tend to have less recoil so you can shoot many more rounds without getting a sore shoulder or recoil fatigue.
For some handicapped shooters, assault weapons may be more advantageous to their handicap when it comes to shooting or hunting.
I could go on, but hopefully you get the picture. I like the idea that even though you don't plan to own an "assault weapon", you are not for banning them. Check with the original ban however. One of your handguns may already fall under the silly label of "an assault weapon". That label is and was a political tool invented to ban a whole new class of guns. Charles Krauthammer publicly stated that this was the case.
Also, one of the virulent anti gun group leaders stated that the confusion over semiautomatic vs. machine guns could only help to ban a whole new class of firearms. Remember this if you remember just one thing regarding "assault weapons": It was a term that was invented to further gun control and to eliminate as many firearms from the hands of citizens as was politically possible at the time. They would love to do it again, but the political winds are not blowing with enough force to have the "gun- ban" windmills generate the political energy required to do it.