SE Cupp doesn't know what "rapid-fire" or Military grade weapons" means

[JoePhilly]

105. I think part of what happens is that people use certain terms as a short hand.

This is also a problem for most classification systems. Any classification system is inherently imperfect at least to some degree because the description of a thing is not ACTUALLY the thing being described. So if you look hard enough, exceptions can be found. That reality does not necessarily mean that the terms used have no validity, or usefulness.

So for instance, Recursion and I have been going back and forth in what I'd describe as an attempt to develop some comment agreement on how we might use such terms (or not use them) in an effort to make progress.

I find in this particular debate, when some one says "rapid fire" or "assault weapon" they are usually trying to convey something similar to what you said ... "the ones that can fire a lot of bullets within a short period of time.....either by firing a lot of bullets without being reloaded, or by having the capacity to be reloaded very quickly" ... but using fewer words.

Some, when hearing those short hand term, will accept that its not perfect and understand that it probably means something close to what you said. Or others, like Sippy Cupp, will pretend that the term has no likely meaning, it can have no perfect meaning, and so there is no discussion to be had and no progress to be made.

I say pretend because in some cases, like in the case of Sippy Cupp referenced in the original OP, its a delaying tactic.