Semi-automatic rifles, or pistols, or whatever, are not “assault weapons”. No more than Toyota Hilux pickup trucks are “assault vehicles”.
ISIS obtains these vehicles, not from Toyota directly, but through theft, sales through third parties, importations from countries other than Syria or Iraq or by international smuggling. Then they are modified to carry armaments, rocket launchers, machine guns and war material of various kind.
It is not the product itself that are “assault” by their very nature, it is the evil uses to which they are put by men of malicious will.
Only the control and eventual elimination of the bearded men with the burning eyes will take away the “assault” aspect of these products of modern manufacturing capability.
And, here, I believe is how/why we’d lose the war (excuse the pun). The Left wins by focusing on the minutia.
‘...shall not be infringed’ > Arms > weapons > firearms > guns> pistol/rifle/shotgun/pea-shooter > assault-weapon
We should be striving to bring it up a notch/or two or three...