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"I have to confess some ignorance here - I don't know much about guys."

I don't know much about guys, either. After 30-odd years, they are still a mystery to me. Guns, however, are much simpler.

An automatic weapon is a weapon that will continue to shoot as long as you hold down the trigger. These are also known as "machine guns" and have been regulated by Federal law since 1934. To get one, you have to supply your fingerprints, undergo a background check, and pay a $200 transfer tax. You can't transfer these from person to person (except at death) without following this procedure; failure to do so will land you in the Fed's prisons for 10 years.

A semi-automatic weapon is a weapon that automatically loads a new round into the chamber after ejecting the spent round. Your average deer rifle is a semi-automatic weapon, as are many handguns. Sometimes also called an "autoloader."

An assault rifle (not to be confused with a so-called "assault weapon") is a weapon commonly used by the military which has selective fire via a switch on the receiver. It can be switched to fire one shot at a time, to fire in three-round bursts, or to fire full-auto.

A so-called "assualt weapon" is a weapon that looks scary to those who want to disarm the American public. It is a semi-auto rifle with one or more of the following characteristics: a flash hider, a bayonet lug, a pistol grip, a folding stock, a removable magazine, or a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds (I'm missing some stuff here; somebody help me out).

These guns offend the delicate sensibilities of anti-rights people because they "look scary." But the scary-looking features that are banned are useful to ordinary citizens, and the ban on having guns with certain features is repugnant to the Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to keep and bear arms for their own defense, both against criminals and a tyrannical government.

BTW, we all need to stop using the anti-rights crowd's nomenclature for so-called "assault weapons." I call 'em "sport utility rifles" and encourange others to do the same. An anti-gun folks aren't "anti-gun;" they're "anti-rights" so that's what I call 'em (at least when I'm not calling them worse things.)

I always use the term 'ugly guns'. To me, the only real assault weapon is one that is used in an assault. Usually a fist or a boot.

A so-called "assualt weapon" is a weapon that looks scary to those who want to disarm the American public. It is a semi-auto rifle with one or more of the following characteristics: a flash hider, a bayonet lug, a pistol grip, a folding stock, a removable magazine, or a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds (I'm missing some stuff here; somebody help me out).

The import ban, instituted under GHW Bush under the "sporting purposes" provision of the 1968 Gun Control Act, and later modified under President Clinton has slightly different critera. additionally a 1990 law baned assembly of guns from imported parts that would create a gun that could not be otherwise imported. BATF's regulation [178.39, Commerce in Firearms] prohibits using more than 10 "imported parts," from a list of 20 parts, such as trigger, hammer, barrel, etc. BATFE sets the critera for "not importable". So these only apply to domestically produced arms, there is also a list of guns banned by name in the AWB law. From the AWB legislation:

`(B) a semiautomatic rifle that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of--

`(i) a folding or telescoping stock;

`(ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon ;

`(iii) a bayonet mount;

`(iv) a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor; and

`(v) a grenade launcher;

`(C) a semiautomatic pistol that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of--

`(i) an ammunition magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip;

`(ii) a threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer;

`(iii) a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the nontrigger hand without being burned;

`(iv) a manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded; and

`(v) a semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm; and

`(D) a semiautomatic shotgun that has at least 2 of--

`(i) a folding or telescoping stock;

`(ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon ;

`(iii) a fixed magazine capacity in excess of 5 rounds; and

`(iv) an ability to accept a detachable magazine.'.

I call 'em "sport utility rifles"

I prefer something like "civilian defense rifles" or maybe "anti terorism rifles", but I prefer the latter and really really like "militia rifles", since that is what they are, but it's also extremely non politically correct and sure to give any hoplophobic Soccer Mom or Dad a bad case of the vapors.