Re:Ars Technica founder on the AR-15
by analog31 on Wednesday June 15, 2016 @07:37PM
(#11912945)
In my view, attacking terminology is a convenient way of making dialogue impossible. I suspect that "assault weapon" may have originated with the gun manufacturers themselves, as a marketing term, or within military / police circles.
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Re:Ars Technica founder on the AR-15
by erichocean on Wednesday June 15, 2016 @07:40PM
(#11912953)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_weapon#History_of_term...
> Prior to its use in U.S. firearms laws, the term "assault weapon" was limited to naming certain military weapons, for example, the Rifleman's Assault Weapon, a grenade launcher developed in 1977 for use with the M16 assault rifle,[19] or the Shoulder-launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon, a rocket launcher introduced in 1984.
> In April 1985, Art Agnos introduced in the California State Assembly a bill to ban semi-automatic "assault firearms" capable of using detachable magazines of 20 rounds or more. Speaking to the Assembly Public Safety Committee, Agnos said, "The only use for assault weapons is to shoot people." The measure did not pass when it came up for a vote.