To be technically correct an “assault weapon” refers to a mid power rifle cartridge shot out of a machinegun (AK-47, M16, MP44, etc). A sub machinegun fires a pistol cartridge.
To be technically correct an “assault weapon” refers to a mid power rifle cartridge shot out of a machinegun (AK-47, M16, MP44, etc). A sub machinegun fires a pistol cartridge.
To be technically correcter, these US does not have anything called an "assault weapon" anywhere in Federal law since the end of 2004.
But if you go to Washington, any semi-automatic rifle (including .22s) is considered an "assault rifle".
California has a whole list of random characteristics that make a weapon an "assault" weapon or not. As well as
specifically listing a bunch of specific makes/models, because apparently bills of attainder are allowed in CA's Constitution.
Encyclopedia Britannica defines it as: Assault rifle,
military firearm that is chambered for ammunition of reduced size or propellant charge and that has the capacity to switch between semiautomatic and
fully automatic fire.
And so on. It's one of those word phrases that is so vague, you can make it fit quite a lot of objects depending on what your intent is.