Sen. Al Franken Raises Doubts About Support For Assault Weapons Ban

[krispos42]

43. Self defense is about killing people

Or at least being prepared to. The caveat being that the person you're ready to kill is an attacker or intruder.

But the line between a "legitimate" semi-automatic rifle and an "assault weapon" semi-automatic rifle is arbitrary.

Some features that make a rifle an "assault weapon" are just the natural development of good ergonomic design. Pistol grips are easier on the wrist than traditional straight grips. And quick-adjusting buttstocks make the gun fit a variety of people (tall person vs. short), or clothing conditions (winter vs. summer).


But an AR-15 with a pistol grip and a quick-adjusting stock... that's an "assault weapon" in several states.



They make AR-15s optimized for hunting, as well as several other types of semi-automatic rifles. The AK-47 pattern, for example, is used by people that hunt deer and wild boar at close range, in timber or heavy brush.

The nice thing about the AR-15 design is that you can buy what's called an "upper" in different calibers. You can swap "uppers" for cartridge for is more suitable for deer or boar or whatever at a lower cost than buying a whole new rifle. Other rifles, you generally can't do that. You have to buy a new rifle, or have an old rifle permanently modified to a new cartridge.