ASSAULT RIFLE FACT SHEET #1
                        DEFINITIONS AND BACKGROUND


          Recent discussions of so-called "assault rifles" in both the
    media and legislative arenas have seen imprecise usage of the
    terms used to describe such firearms. This fact sheet is designed
    to improve the technical accuracy of future discussions.

    ASSAULT RIFLE: This term was coined during World War II. It is a
                   translation of the German "Sturmgewehr." Two key
                   characteristics that identify "assault rifles" are
                   full automatic fire and detachable magazines with
                   a capacity of 20 or more cartridges. These weapons
                   were designed to produce roughly aimed bursts of
                   full automatic fire. While some assault rifles
                   offer an option of semiautomatic fire (i.e.,
                   single-shot), all true assault rifles fire at
                   least fully automatic.

site



A fully automatic weapon (a machine gun) is one that fires a succession of bullets so long as the trigger is depressed or until the ammunition supply is exhausted. In addition, any weapon that shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot automatically, more than one shot at a time by a single trigger pull, is legally considered to be a machine gun.



It has been unlawful since 1934 (The National Firearms Act) for civilians to own machine guns without special permission from the U.S. Treasury Department. Machine guns are subject to a $200 tax every time their ownership changes from one federally registered owner to another, and each new weapon is subject to a manufacturing tax when it is made, and it must be registered with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) in its National Firearms Registry.

To become a registered owner, a complete FBI background investigation is conducted, checking for any criminal history or tendencies toward violence, and an application must be submitted to the BATF including two sets of fingerprints, a recent photo, a sworn affidavit that transfer of the NFA firearm is of "reasonable necessity," and that sale to and possession of the weapon by the applicant "would be consistent with public safety." The application form also requires the signature of a chief law enforcement officer with jurisdiction in the applicant's residence.

Since the Firearms Owners' Protection Act of May 19, 1986, ownership of newly manufactured machine guns has been prohibited to civilians. Machine guns which were manufactured prior to the Act's passage are regulated under the National Firearms Act, but those manufactured after the ban cannot ordinarily be sold to or owned by civilians.