The term "assault rifle" makes sense to me. Whether it does to anyone else is their issue.
When I was in the Marines, I practiced with an assault rifle. It wasn't a hunting rifle, although I could've hunted with it. It wasn't a target range rifle, although I shot it on a target range. It was definitely not a sniper rifle, although I could put rounds in center mass pretty consistently at 500 yards. It's a rifle whose primary purpose is to rip holes in other human beings.
That, to me, makes an M-16, M-4, AK-47, whatever, an assault rifle, as opposed to a hunting rifle or target rifle or sniper rifle. It's not really anything to get upset about.
When I was in the Marines, I practiced with an assault rifle. It wasn't a hunting rifle, although I could've hunted with it. It wasn't a target range rifle, although I shot it on a target range. It was definitely not a sniper rifle, although I could put rounds in center mass pretty consistently at 500 yards. It's a rifle whose primary purpose is to rip holes in other human beings.
That, to me, makes an M-16, M-4, AK-47, whatever, an assault rifle, as opposed to a hunting rifle or target rifle or sniper rifle. It's not really anything to get upset about.