What is an “Assault Weapon”?
The usage of the term assault weapon has been distorted in recent years, as has the definition of such a firearm. The media (and even the government) has branded any firearm that looks like a military weapon an assault weapon in order to portray such a weapon as evil. In reality, these so-called assault weapons are nothing more than your average hunting rifle with a different look. Theyre civilianized versions of military weapons in most instances, but they lack the ability to fire in fully automatic mode, where the gun will keep firing as long as the trigger is held down. Fully automatic weapons are (and have been for a good long time) prohibited by the Federal government. These assault weapons are guilty of nothing more than sharing cosmetic features with guns in use by the military. In fact, the term is not in widespread use in any other part of the world. The moniker seems to be only a tool for the demonization of a certain type of rifle.
Colorado law does not define an “assault rifle” or “assault weapon”. Click Here for a short video that may help you understand the difference between a full-auto rifle and semi-auto rifle (Note: the narrator of the video misstates that fully automatic firearms are illegal — please see our NFA weapons FAQ section.
Related Questions
- I have a registered, pre-86 AR-15 drop-in auto sear. Can I assemble a new rifle in "assault weapon" configuration (flash suppressor, bayonet lug, collapsible stock) using this sear?
- I am moving into California and I own several handguns. What are the new-resident registration requirements?
- What is an "Assault Weapon"?
