Re: “What exactly is an “assault weapon”?,” Dec. 17 letter to the editor.
The historical definition of “assault weapon” is a gun that can literally spray bullets forward while charging the enemy, allowing no time to stop and aim. This means the weapon must be fully automatic, meaning the gun fires continuously as long as the trigger is being pulled and there is ammunition in the magazine.
World War II saw much action like this, especially on the Eastern Front, where the Russians were desperately trying to throw back the German invaders, and where the lives of the Russian soldiers were of little consequence, hence mass attacks against an entrenched adversary in order to overwhelm them.
No matter what it looks like, a gun that is not fully automatic (bolt action or semi-automatic) is no more an “assault” weapon than a baseball bat used to club someone — a one-on-one activity. One cannot buy a true assault rifle in any sporting goods store or at any gun show in America. One can only buy a semi-automatic rifle, and illegally convert it, if possible, or as a member of law have it provided you.
Stan S. McWhinnie, Denver
This letter was published in the Dec. 22 edition.We use the term “assault weapon” because that is the term gun manufacturers and dealers started to use in the 1980s to market semiautomatic rifles. Today, the National Rifle Association would rather we use the more palatable term “tactical rifles” for these weapons. It really is a matter of semantics since the differences are minuscule. Whether you say “assault” or “tactical,” these military-style weapons do not belong in civilian life.
Nancy Fox, Denver
This letter was published in the Dec. 22 edition.
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