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An assault rifle is a select fire rifle (shoulder-fired weapon) that fires rifle ammunition. Select-fire means that firing mode of the gun can be changed, and options include modes that fire more than one round when the trigger is pulled. Yes, this term, and indeed this weapon type, was invented by the Germans in WW2.
A machine gun is a weapon that fires fully-automatic all the time. They are often belt-fed weapons. They can be shoulder-fired but they are usually fired while resting on an attached bipod, or are sometimes mounted. "Spray and pray" is the rule with these weapons, as accuracy isn't usually top notch here.
A sub-machinegun (sometimes called a machine pistol) is a smaller weapon that is often select-fire and full-auto capable, and fires handgun ammunition. The well-known Thompson sub-machine gun (the "tommy-gun") of WW2 fame is a prime example of this. A more modern example is the Uzi or the MP5.
The term "assault weapon" has no military origin. It was a term created by politicians and refers to various semi-automatic rifles (and a few shotguns and pistols) that have a military-like appearance, or are even sometimes semi-automatic versions of military rifles (like the AR-15). The federal AW ban took advantage of the fact that most people do not know much about guns, and would easily assume that something called an "assault weapon" must be especially dangerous. It was a good move on their part, as it did and still does rally support for their cause. The problem is, once you make a law that says there are bad guns and good guns, it isn't long before all guns are put in the "bad" category. To the uninformed individual, a ban on something called an "assault weapon" seems like a good idea, as such individuals would trust that the writers of such a ban have done well in defining what an assault weapon is (or that there is already a well-written definition). Additionally, most of these guns look like machine guns. The confusion this brings has worked in the favor of the anti-gun lobby. However, the facts have ended up in the favor of the pro-gun crowd. The ban has done nothing to prevent crime (as was predicted). Because it has failed to do what it was supposed to do, it should sunset as it was written to do.
Please remember that this is not an assault rifle ban. Assault rifles, due to their capability of fully automatic fire, are heavily regulated by the government, and in many states are illegal to transfer. Where it is legal, the gun must have been manufactured before 1986, and the buyer must have a federal tax stamp. Such guns are also generally very expensive, usually in the 5 digit range.
The proper name for the ban is an "assault weapon ban". I hesitate to call it that (and usually use quotes when I do) because of the tenuous source of the term "assault weapon". It is more appropriately called a "semi-auto rifle ban".
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