BROWN: The semantics of gun control - Washington Times | Forum

Since the SenateJudiciary Committee passed Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s “assault weapons” ban March 14, a fitting question might be, what is an “assault weapon”? A term that originated in the 1980s, it was popularized after the original “assault weapons” ban in 1994. “Assault weapon” is now the popularly accepted term for the AR-15 and many other rifles and pistols that would be more accurately described as “defense weapons.”