Your/their use of the term "Assault Rifle" gives away your/their lack of knowledge

This may seem nitpicky, but I see it often enough that it's annoying. This is a call to actions for both the general gun owning public to do better and for folks whom are new to firearms to learn. I'm not trying to shame anyone who doesn't know, not everyone knows everything and there's a learning curve to everything. <br><br>I'll use the term "Assault Weapon" here as it is the common term for civilian legal "assault rifles" that do not have select fire functionality.<br><br>nothing makes me roll my eyes harder than when I see a gun owner call an AR or AK an "Assault Rifle" they are not, they are Assault Weapons and if you can't get that right you should probably keep your mouth shut.<br><br>\-------------<br><br>The reason I bring this up is because the media and people whom are against firearms use the term Assault Rifle. They use the term because it scares people and makes them believe that you can just go out and buy an M16 or AKMS from the gun shop down the street. They know that guns like these are select fire and that makes that sound, at least to people whom are unaware that you can't legally buy a newly manufactured full auto firearm.<br><br><br>Often times a thread like this will have someone comment along lines of:<br><br>>It doesn’t matter what we call it. We tried to argue semantics for almost a generation and got nowhere. These are assault weapons, and you’re not going to win anybody over by calling them anything else. The time for that is over.<br><br>This is the type of comment that makes me roll my eyes harder than someone calling an AR an "Assault Rifle" because it's wrong and shows just as much of a lack of knowledge as someone calling an AR an "Assault Rifle". If we let them change what words mean, we're fucked. We will lose and they'll win. Rude pall has been called many names, Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, the shining beacon of hell, Lucifer, the morning star, The fallen, the bringer of light, Satan, etc etc.. but if we start calling him Jesus we'll just look like idiots and we'll lose any and all credibility that we have which will lead to the loss of everything.<br><br>Just like calling an AR an "Assault Rifle" is the same as calling a handgun or shotgun an "Assault Rifle" trying to change what the words we use mean will lead to us losing because we'll look dumb. You want to look dumb? Go ahead. Call an AR an "Assault Rifle" but you're wrong, and you will lose.<br><br>\-------------<br><br>edit:<br><br>>Doesn’t matter what you call it. Just own it.<br><br>You're right, this is America, you can own any firearm you wish. But you don't live in America. <br><br>>think about what you just said and ask yourself whether that makes SENSE. Do you really think that what you call something is gonna change laws, attitudes, or public perceptions? No. So what is the REAL reason you’re being pedantic about this and who are you trying to fool here?<br><br>I'm not trying to change laws or attitudes, only public perception to the fact that you or I aren't allowed to own Assault Rifles. That's the point to this post. And I'm calling out people who claim to be pro gun but call an AR an "Assault Rifle". I'm trying to point out that they either A. Don't know what they're talking about B. Are a shill C. Purposefully trying to change the meaning of words.<br><br>> I say it even when nobody’s listening. I want to own a fucking assault rifle, but it’s too fucking hard to get one that shoots full auto so I’ll just have to settle for my assault pistol or my assault rifle (AR) that shoots semi-auto because if it shoots semi auto, its not a fucking assault rifle.<br><br>>-ag<br><br>Call it an assault weapon all you want, but if you call it an assault rifle you're wrong.<br><br>> At the end of the day, who here actually cares what the antis call their guns? I don’t know anyone who cares.<br><br>> - Bokononist16<br><br>Well they should. Just like you should care when people misgender you. You may not care, but the next guy will.