[Lurker]

“But civilian ownership of assault weapons is also a recent phenomenon.”

Not really. I’d be willing to bet that the CMP has put well over 1,000,000 M1 Garands into private ownership since they became available there. It was the most effective assault weapon of its day. And in the hands of a skilled user it’s still a damned effective weapon. It’s been available to the shooting public decades longer than AR pattern rifles have been.

We simply must reject the language of the Left.

L

[Svartalfiar]

“But civilian ownership of assault weapons is also a recent phenomenon.”br />
Not really. I’d be willing to bet that the CMP has put well over 1,000,000 M1 Garands into private ownership since they became available there. It was the most effective assault weapon of its day.

Yea, but the founding fathers didn't have M1s, so your point isn't as strong as it could be. What they did have, though, was cannon, and warships. Of which, the States owned maybe 50,collectively. Armed private ships? Over 1500 of them!

[archy]

“But civilian ownership of assault weapons is also a recent phenomenon.”

Kindly note that under Title 10 of the US Code, *Civilians* include all persons not under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Thus, all *assault weapons* and machineguns used by civilian law enforcement, from the FBI and police SWAT teams clear back to Elliot Ness and his Tommygun-toting *Untouchables* to Mr Hoover's *G-Men* were civilian possessors and users of such weapons. Which, by the way, means they're in *common use by civilian shooters* as stated by the Supreme Court.

See, for example, 10 USC Section18, relating to MILITARY SUPPORT FOR CIVILIAN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.