What exactly constitutes an “assault rifle” as opposed to the regular shootin’ kind? Is it one with a bayonet? A scope? A mean face painted on the side?
An assault rifle is any gun that looks scary.
"Assault" is a word that reporters are required, under guild rules, to scatter throughout any story involving firearms. It bears no relationship to caliber, slug weight, muzzle velocity, slug penetration capability, magazine capacity, or any other quantifiable quality.
It's like this. Cops have assault rifles. Ordinary citizens have defense rifles.