Why would anyone need an assault rifle?

Question

What purpose do they serve other than to effectively kill people?

Answer 1

To fight the massive deer armies that are on the verg of attacking as long as we have these weapons the deer wont attack mark my words you'll never see a deer army attack as long as we get to keep our assault rifles.

Answer 2

Any type of a weapon can be used to kill. Weapons such as knives, swords, clubs, even bare hands. Not just guns. I own at least three assault weapons, why? Just because I want to have them. I don't want to kill anyone with them, or go on a shooting rampage, I own them because I want to. This would be one of the reasons why many other people who own them as well. I am a law abiding citizen, so why can't I? There is no reason why you have to infringe upon our rights just because you don't think we should have one. Criminals will always get their hands one.
"Gun control? It's the best thing you can do for crooks and gangsters. I want you to have nothing. If I'm a bad guy, I'm always gonna have a gun. Safety locks? You will pull the trigger with a lock on, and I'll pull the trigger. We'll see who wins."
-- Sammy "the Bull" Gravano, mafia hit man and informant, in Vanity Fair, August 1999.
Besides, if every house in the country had a gun, including assault weapons, to protect themseves criminals might think twice before entering.

Answer 3

Self defense would be one reason. An assault rifle would probably be too cumbersome to ward off a single mugger, but if facing a hostile crowd (like the shop owners in LA during the Rodney King riots) it could be an effective way to hold back a large group of people.

Aside from need, they can also be a lot of fun to shoot.

Answer 4

ahh what do you classify as an assault rifle?
do you mean a weapon that can shoot at full auto?meaning that you only have to hold the trigger down and the gun will shoot at the bullets in the clip out? just to educate you a little, fully automatic weapons are illegal to own unless you have a federal permit. and those are hard to come by.
or do you mean a semi- auto? pull the trigger once and the gun automatically loads another round. but you have to pull the trigger to fire one round

and you ask why would anyone need an assault rifle.
the answer is to protect ones self and family, let it be semi or full auto Americans have the right to bear arms. to protect our self from invaders foreign and domestic. isn't that enough reason, or would you rather call 911 and while you wait for them to arrive someone will be raping you wife or daughter?

Answer 5

Actually the Bill of Rights (the first 10 Amendments) was meant to give each individual citizen protections against their government. The second amendment is the right to keep and bear arms.

Historical analysis and consensus of the bill of rights, including the second amendment, concludes the people need the means to protect themselves against their own government, should that government go astray.

The Federal government has the most assault weapons. That is who we should really be worried about.

Answer 6

Some people enjoy shooting. 99.9% of those people will never, EVER, use their firearm against another person.

Tell me within 10% how many gun homicides were as a result of assault weapons in the last 50 years and I will give you a prize. The answer may surprise you.

Answer 7

The purpose of the assault rifle is to Kill people only. However, I can make any semi-sutomatic rifle and assault rifle, so do you ban those too?

Answer 8

What if you lived in Baghdad and foreign fighters were everywhere.

Actually Assault is only a stylistic accessory to the basic autoloading gas operated rifle.

Go big Red Go

Answer 9

I don't know, but I'm glad I have them (I use them for target practice if you are really interested). Oh and as the previous poster pointed out, how does "assult rifle" differ from any other semi-auto rifle? And by the way, that wack job at V.T. used a pistol (to kill 32 people), why didn't anyone rush him?

Snowwebster, that is one of the reasons I have them, good post!

Answer 10

That is the purpose. We are told in the declaration of independence that we must be ready to abolish any tyrannical government. We are vested by the second amendment to have a well regulated militia.A militia is not the army it is a citizen group, well regulated means well armed, the people shall retain the right to bare arms.