(from the League of Women Vioters website) Gun Safety Fact Sheet: Assault Weapons
Assault weapons are designed to kill humans quickly and efficiently. They have been the weapons of choice in some of America’s most horrific mass shootings, including those at the Orlando Pulse nightclub, Virginia Tech, Aurora Century Theater, and Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Facts You Should Know:
Assault weapons are usually defined by the following features:
Detachable ammunition magazines that hold up to 100 rounds;
Pistol and forward grips on rifles, allowing use in different positions and enabling spray-firing;
Threaded barrels for attaching silencers;
Folding rifle stocks for concealment and portability; and
Flash suppressors to avoid imperiling the shooter’s vision and to keep the shooter’s position from being identified in the dark.
Semi-automatic assault weapons, like Sig Sauer’s MCX, are civilian versions of military assault rifles. This is a distinction with no difference in killing power. They are arguably more deadly than military versions because most experts agree that semi-automatic fire is more accurate.
During the federal assault weapons ban in force from 1994-2004, two loopholes impacted the effectiveness of the ban: 1) assault-type firearms that didn’t meet the strict definition of assault weapons were substituted and 2) due to a grandfathering clause, re-sale of existing assault weapons and high-capacity magazines continued. The share of gun crimes committed with assault weapons did decline during the ban.
An analysis conducted by Thomas Gabor for Confronting Gun Violence in America shows that the rise in the number and lethality of public mass shootings coincides with the growing number of military-style weapons in the civilian market. Between 2010 and 2015, the annual numbers of mass shootings and the resulting deaths have increased sharply, at about four times the frequency observed in the 1980s.
A strong majority of Americans, including gun owners, consistently support laws prohibiting assault weapons. A poll conducted in December 2012 found that 62% of Americans favored banning military-style assault weapons.
Seven states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws banning assault weapons.
Bills have been introduced in the 2017 FL Legislative Session banning semi-assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. The FL Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence helped sponsor the legislation, proposed by Sen. Stewart (SB254) and Rep. Smith (HB167).
For more information:
Gabor, Thomas. “The Need for a Ban on Assault Weapons and High-Capacity Magazines.” Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, 3 November 2016. Web. 18 December 2016.
“Assault Weapons.” Smart Gun Laws. Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, 2016. Web. 18 December 2016.