Semi automatic military style guns are not assault rifles...

[TahitiNut]

34. The label "assault" is a reference to military use.

When folks form their opinions based upon some spectrum of lethality based upon military use in combat conditions, it's IMPORTANT to realize how individual weapons are, in fact, used. And why. Having SOME experience in this regard, I want to offer some information that likely challenges some public assumptions. The assumption that I'm challenging is the presumed relative lethality of the M16/AR-15 in automatic mode as opposed to semi-automatic mode. It is arguable whether a shooter could kill more people with any given amount of ammunition in fully automatic mode as opposed to semi-automatic mode. In my opinion, he could NOT. YMMV.

Likewise, it's IMPORTANT to understand the HUGE difference (for an armed defender) between targeting the "bad guy" in a crowd as opposed to how the military trains troops. In "combat conditions," it's a LOT easier ... unless, of course, the "bad guys" are surrounded. There is far too little appreciation for the HUGE potential for "collateral damage" with an armed defender/security person. Of all the folks in our society who're trained and equipped to use weapons in some military or law enforcement role, VERY few are trained in their use in an urban/street/crowd situation.

It's difficult to convey an appreciation for the horrific damage done to the human body by the standard AR-15 .223 slug. I've seen victims of Claymore mines that had FAR less damage.