[15charlimit]

"Assault weapons" are a fictional category consisting of "scary looking" cosmetic features on guns that are mechanically identical in every way to the oft-mentioned "normal hunting firearm" that politicians are always careful to claim they have no interest in banning.

[Retric]

Historically, "Assault weapons" is a useful category. They where designed for close combat where shooter mobility was more important than holding a lower prone position.

Granted, it's like banning the ergonomic snow shovel. Sure, it's slightly better, but it's generally not a huge difference.