Assault Rifle
Definition
A conventional technical term for a selective-fire rifle chambered for an intermediate cartridge. It is distinct from jurisdiction-specific legal terms such as assault weapon. Appearance, service-family name or cartridge designation alone does not establish every element of the technical or statutory category.
Submachine gun, assault rifle and light machine gun describe different design and role categories. They are not identical to legal machinegun definitions. Cartridge type, operating system, feed arrangement, firing mechanism and actual condition need separate description.
Related terms
- Cyclic Rate
- The rate of repeated firing-mechanism cycles under stated conditions, commonly expressed in cycles or rounds per minute. It differs from sustained practical...
- Light Machine Gun
- A machine gun associated with a mobile support role, with varied feed arrangements and cartridge classes. It is not limited to full-power...
- Roller-Delayed Blowback
- An operating arrangement using roller-related mechanical geometry to regulate breech opening rather than the same positive-locking sequence used in roller-locked systems. The...
- Selective Fire
- A firearm capability allowing selection between specified firing modes, which may include semi-automatic, burst or automatic operation. The options depend on the...
- Submachine Gun
- A conventional technical category for a relatively compact automatic firearm using a pistol cartridge. Related semi-automatic designs may resemble it without sharing...