Saw major confusion/dis-information regarding semi vs full auto on page for the Dayton, Ohio shooting and posted the following.
"Let me help them understand the difference.
The AR in AR-15 Stands for "Armallite Rifle", named after the company that made it (Armalite) not " .assault rifle.
Because a civilian-use AR-15 is semi-automatic only , rather than fully-automatic, it's not an assault rifle.
A semi-automatic weapon fires one bullet per trigger pull, whereas a military assault rifle can fire continuously with one pull of the trigger.
The same is true for the SKS, AK etc...
Fully-automatic firearms have been heavily regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) since 1934, and the sale of automatic firearms has been effectively banned since 1986.
Possession by Civilian's is essentially prohibited by federal laws.
The term "assault weapon" was the brainchild of Josh Sugarmann of Handgun Control Inc (aka the Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence, etc. etc.) because of its confusing nature between actual assault rifles and assault weapons.
He coined it around 1986-1989."
My post was removed.
ps
"Assault weapons—just like armor-piercing bullets, machine guns, and plastic firearms—are a new topic.
The weapons' menacing looks, coupled with the public's confusion over fully automatic machine guns versus semi-automatic assault weapons—anything that looks like a machine gun is assumed to be a machine gun—can only increase the chance of public support for restrictions on these weapons. In addition, few people can envision a practical use for these weapons."
Josh Sugarmann