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Assault rifle vs. combat rifle nomenclature

8K views 34 replies 29 participants last post by  UnklFungus 
#1 ·
I am changing my terminology. From now on, whenever I engage in conversations about rifles previously known as assault rifles, I am going to make it a point to call them combat rifles. Maybe even tactical rifles. My thinking is that the media has so demonized these rifles to such a point that they elicit very negative emotions. Combat and/or tactical rifles elicit no such response. In fact, they probably elicit a favorable connotation.
 
#3 ·
I would tend to agree with Chooie.

I work in TV broadcasting and I can tell you, trying to make a pin head reporter understand that the civilian AR15 isn't the same thing as the M16 is impossible. They know it all. I have tried to explain the differences but to no avail so far.
 
#5 ·
Just so you're aware, the US Military's definition of "assault rifle" includes full-auto operation...

A while back I engaged a couple of people at work who were complaining about "these kids with assault weapons." Without telling them they were stupid or misinformed, I asked if they know what an assault weapon was and how to get one. Their "common knowledge" was that assault weapons are machine guns and you can buy them in gun stores and at shows. These two had zero "hard knowledge" at all. I let them know that in around 1910, my grandfather hunted deer with a Winchester .351 semi-automatic rifle which today would be labeled an "assault weapon" by some. Also, neither one knew that possession of full-auto weapons was already covered by Federal law (NFA). You never see THAT in the popular news media!
 
#9 ·
I think combat carbine or combat rifle is a good term although I wish we could think of something to replace "combat" because to many who are uneducated, they'll see as little need for you and I to have any kind of "combat" weapons as they do for us having an "assault" weapon.

Along this same line, I was recently corrected by a few NRA trainers that my use of the word "weapon" was not good anymore.

I'm retired military and it was drilled into my head that my M16 was NOT a gun, it was my weapon. They explained to me that they're trying to get rid of the language that is used by anti gun folks to demonize gun ownership.

:blink:

Not sure if we can come up with anything that'll work for that. Perhaps we should just distinguish between hunting rifles and sporting rifles (or carbines)?

Gideon
 
#11 ·
Agreed with GASmitty...A militarized carbine or rifle as related to being an 'assault rifle' as by definition has an action that is automatic specifically in firing mechanism (not loading) be burst fire or fully automatic.

As to difference between carbine and rifle, that is IMHO minutae that overall waters down the point.
Most people at sight cannot discern 18 inches from 21 inches from 16 inches...Nor care to do so when it comes to longarms. Even manufacturers get this one twisted which adds to the confusion.

At home I have a Sig 556 carbine type rifle (16" barrel length).
It is a carbine type 'rifle'.
It is not an 'assault rifle'.
It has an automatic loading function as by design, and supports as an OEM feature bolt action type loading too.
It has polymer furniture.
It is loaded using an external box magazine.
It's roots are in military and law enforcement use.
It is not specifically a military nor law enforcement firearm.
It is black in color overall.

It is a semi-automatic (automatic loading with manual single action action firing) carbine type rifle, that is a firearm not a weapon.

Same as all of my model '1911' handguns which also are firearms not weapons.
Same as my Mossberg 590A1 short barrel shotgun, which is slide/pump action.
Same as the Marlin 1895 .45-70 carbine rifle I have cased to my right as used to hunt bear....Chambered to accept a specifically military applied innovation round.

Lets not muddy the water with minutae and fine discernment of this versus that. The Brady Campaign and other antis including much of the media as well as Hollywood and fiction writers for centuries have very well done that for us which is why things are as they are today.

Keep it simple and call a 'duck' a duck, rather than as say a 'Common Merganser' as for the folk who are in the know about minutae.

Otherwise all that you result in is confusion, misinformation and people operating on and making decisions by assumptive ignorance.

There are just three base types (species if you will) of firearm:
* Rifle
* Shotgun
* Handgun

There in are many different variants, or sub-species...
Carbine, 'automatic', revolver, SBS, SBR, AOW, SMG, PDW, EBR, 'M4', 'assault rifle', 'battle rifle', slide/pump action, lever action, bolt action, break action, OU, SBS, and the list goes on longer than God's own arm.

At the end of the day you either have a rifle, shotgun, or handgun as a civilian.

What's next, the definition of what a combat folder knife is as opposed to a non-combat folder knife? Or how about the difference between a 'sword' and that of a cavalier and a machete?
It can be taken to such degree of minutae that it just becomes silly and of no good purpose nor benefit, as is the case we have and have had for generations now with relation to firearms.

Firearms have since the start been adopted by military, police and criminals for use.
Equally so military specific design intent firearms have been from the start reapplied including at times with modified design for use by civilians such as hunters, sport & recreation shooters as well as those who simply have desire for personal and/or home land defense.

Do not allow others, antis and the media to twist things and convince you of otherwise.

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck and lives on water like a duck too...Then most probably it is a duck, even if it's sub-species name is 'swan' or 'goose'.
Also an item of _FACT_ that often times students in hunting related Waterfowl Identification courses find difficult to believe as due to physical appearances, configuration, coloration and what they think they learned from hollywood and/or the media.

Anything and everything has been used and applied toward "combat" including Remington 870 shotguns and 700 rifles as sold at Dicks and .22 revolvers that kids and adult newbies tend to learn on. And yes AR type _rifles_ too regardless of barrel length, profile, or whether they are black and have a muzzle brake/flash hider/sound dissipation device attached at some point or not.

- Janq owns rifle, shotgun and handgun firearms...Nothing more, nor less
 
#12 ·
If it needs a label other than rifle, how about "Defensive rifle", or "Defensive carbine"
 
#14 ·
The Lakota Sioux, who were attacked by the 7th Cavalry at Wounded Knee in 1890, would have probably agreed that the single shot "Trapdoor" Springfield .45-70 was an "assault rifle."
 
#15 ·
Call it your "man killer". That's what it is, that's what's it's designed for. Don't lie to yourself and others. If you want to own a combat rifle, then call it for what it is. You already degraded it by owning it in semi-auto, don't further humiliate it.
 
#16 ·
The other day wile I was at one of our local gun store I over heard the guy behind the counter answer the phone. It went something like this. "Hello this is ******** Pawn and gun, No sir we don't carry those, We do how ever carry military style sporting rifles." I had to hide the smile on my face.
 
#18 ·
I prefer boom stick!
 
#21 ·
The begining of the term Assault Rifle.

MP44, StG44

In April 1944, Adolf Hitler decreed that the MP 43 be renamed the MP 44. In July 1944, at a meeting of the various army heads about the Eastern Front, when Hitler asked what they needed, a general exclaimed, "More of these new rifles!". This caused some confusion (Hitler's response is reputed to have been "What new rifle?"), but once Hitler was given a chance to test-fire the MP 44, he was impressed and gave it the title Sturmgewehr. Seeing the possibility of a propaganda gain, the rifle was again renamed as the StG 44, to highlight the new class of weapon it represented, translated "Storm (Assault) rifle, model 1944", thereby introducing the term

Any firearm could be used for military purpose. In WWI, American troops used a trench shotgun in the form of the Winchester Model 97. Seems like the term "Assault Rifle" has the evil connotation and used for effect when journalists report the use of a rifle.
 
#26 ·
I once heard or read someone refer to an AR-15 as a semi automatic modular rifle. Seemed fitting to me as it can have parts added and subtracted at will, hence modular. I like it. You could just abbreviate it to modular rifle, sounds pretty non threatening to me!

I just call them SBR's in jest to the sheep that wet themselves at the mention of one.

Scary Black Rifle.
 
#29 ·
"Pest repellent"
 
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