Exactly What is an Assault Rifle?

With an active debate currently ongoing regarding gun-control in America, the term “assault rifle” has been used indiscriminately by the media and by legislators. However, the term has a specific, technical definition, and a history that goes back to World War II. The most commonly known assault rifles today are the AK series that originated in Russia, and U.S. military equivalents based on Eugene Stoner’s original AR 15 design. Both are marvels of mass production mechanical engineering, but the rifles sold on the civilian market are a different thing, describes Jim Anderton.

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