[Webstral]

In the interests of providing a reference point, I will say that the assault weapons ban had nothing to do with automatic weapons or weapons capable of automatic fire at the time of purchase. The term "assault weapon" was adopted by left-of-center politicians and their supporting interests because the term is short enough to remember and menacing to the average American. Initially, there was no definition for "assault weapon". The weapons covered were named specifically. The firearms industry responded by releasing versions of the banned firearms with superficial alterations and a new name. Only at this point did the "assault weapons" crowd attempt to devise a definition for their own term. The ban affected a range of imported semi-automatic weapons, like the AK-47, the MAK-90, and so on. Foreign-made shotguns and semi-auto handguns also were covered as well, I believe.

The federal ban is distinct from the California ban. Here in the People's Republic of California, long weapons are banned for their characteristics. There are five controlled characteristics: pistol grip, folding stock, bayonet lug, detachable magazine with a capacity greater than 10 rounds, and flash suppressor. You can have one of these characteristics on your legal long weapon. More than one makes the weapon a California "assault weapon".