Assault Weapon Truth The Facts Buried Beneath the Rhetoric about “Assault Weapons” What is an “assault weapon”? As used by the media, politicians, and gun control activists, “assault weapon” is a loosely defined term for a semiautomatic civilian firearm that has the appearance—but not the function—of a fully automatic military firearm. Because these guns have the appearance of military firearms but are not actually used in military operations, they are sometimes referred to as “military-style … Continue reading