Im sure there are some of us that still do it, but I will not. I think in the long term, the fact that the phrase even became commonplace within the firearms community did more harm than good. From now on when talking about these semi-automatic rifles to friends and acquaintances, if they mention the term assault rifle/weapon, I will correct them.

 

We all know what assault rifles are and where assault weapon came from, so let's start setting the record straight. I think the term itself when heard among the laymen is what illicits that emotional response. Like if I told two two cars hit each other and ask you did you imagine broken glass? Then I say two cars smashed into eachother, is there broken glass? The words I chose to describe something to you caused you to imagine two different cases. I'm hoping other people will join me in attempting to paint the real picture and show people that there is no broken glass. When public opinion of these rifles change, the media will furhter lose their power to sway.

I'm with ya on this one! I prefer to call them tactical rifles.

I refer them as semi-automatic rifles as well. As you already noted, "Assault" is a generalized term that refers to assaulting (the classic "assault vehicle" argument), but semi-automatic accurately refers to how it works.

This also reminds me of how I hate it when people refer these types of rifles as "machine guns." That's just stupid.

Actually, NJ laws say "Assault Weapons" are semi-automatic firearms that fit a certain criteria. It does not even include machineguns in the definition.

 

I also hate using that term. I also refer to 30 round AR mags, 17 round Glock mags, etc. as standard capacity and everything of a lesser capacity as a reduced capacity.

The SG major always told us as civilians they are to be called firearms, long guns and handguns,

never weapons or tactical weapons..He said the diffrence between the words could be thousands of dollars..

i just prefer to call them all "Fun"

the NSSF is trying to promote the new term "Modern Sporting Rifles" for such types of guns that would normally get penned as such by the media.

 

http://www.nssf.org/msr/facts.cfm