To view the Assault Weapons Brochure in PDF, please click here.

This legislation stops the future manufacture, transfer and possession of:

•19 specific semi-automatic assault weapons capable of spraying bullets at close range;
•Any weapon with a combination of specific "assault" features;
•Any ammunition clip, magazine or other loading device that holds more than 10 rounds.

This legislation also explicitly exempts:

•670 hunting and other recreational rifles;
•Any gun that is manually operated by a bolt, pump lever or slide action;
•Any semi-automatic rifle or shotgun that cannot accept a detachable magazine that holds more than five rounds;
•Antique weapons;
•Use of semi-automatic assault weapons by law enforcement officials and police.

In addition, this legislation:

•Doubles the penalty to 10 years for anyone who uses a banned weapon in a violent or drug trafficking crime;
•Sunsets 10 years after enactment.

Stopping "Copycat" Guns:
In an effort to end the proliferation of assault weapons that are slightly modifed to circumvent the law, this legislation identifies key features that characterize a gun as an "assault weapon", and permits State Attorneys General to add weapons to the list of banned weapons based on this definition.

What is an "assault weapon"?
An assault weapon is a rifle, shotgun or pistol designed to spray large numbers of bullets as rapidly as possible. Military armies around the world have designed various weapons with this capability for use in close combat. Their purpose is to kill as many people as possible.

How is an assault weapon defined under federal law?
All semi-automatic assault pistols and rifles that can accept a detachable magazines and two or more assault characteristics; or semi-automatic shotguns with two or more assault characteristics.

Assault characteristics include:

For Rifles
Folding/Telescoping Stock
Protruding Pistol Grip
Bayonet Mount
Threaded Muzzle or Flash Suppressor
Grenade Launcher

For Pistols
Magazine Outside Grip
Threaded Muzzle
Barrel Shroud
Unloaded Weight of 50 ounces or more
Semi-Automatic version of Automatic Weapon

For Shotguns
Folding/Telescoping Stock
Protruding Pistol Grip
Detachable Magazine capability
Fixed Magazine capacity greater than 5 Rounds

Specific assault weapons banned under federal law:

Intratec TEC-9, TEC DC-9, TEC 22
Favorite weapon of drug dealers, according to BATF gun trace data
One out of every five assault weapons traced from a crime is a TEC-9, according to BATF
Comes standard with 30-36 round ammunition magazine capable of being fired as fast as the operator can pull the trigger*
One of the most inexpensive semi-automatic assault weapons available
Original pistol version, called KG-9, was so easily convertible to fully automatic it was reclassified by the BATF in 1982 as a machine gun
TEC-22 is very similar to TEC-9 and DC-9. Fires 22 caliber ammunition

AK-47
Norinco, Mitchell and Poly Tech AKs
Most widely-used assault weapon in the world
Now manufactured in many countries
Estimated 20 to 50 million have been produced
Comes standard with 30 round ammunition magazine capable of being fired as fast as the operator can pull the trigger*
Some models are available with a collapsible stock to facilitate concealability
Developed in 1947 in the Soviet Union

Streetsweeper, Striker-12 and other revolving cylinder shotguns
Designed and developed as military and police riot gun in 1983
Popular models originally manufactured in South Africa
Manufacture shifted to two U.S. companies when importation was banned in 1989
Due to light weight, can be fired with one hand as a pistol, from the hip with the aid of a front grip, or from the shoulder
With revolving-cylinder magazine, can fire twelve 12-gauge shotgun shells in less than 15 seconds

Galil
Developed by Israeli Military Industries after 1967 Arab-Israeli war
Comes standard with 50 round ammunition magazine capable of being fired as fast as the operator can pull the trigger*
Can be substituted for submachine gun, assault rifle and light machine gun
Accepts grenade launching attachment
Manufactured in Israel

Beretta AR 70
Developed in early 1968
Comes standard with 30 round ammunition magazine capable of being fired as fast as the operator can pull the trigger*
Used by armed forces in many countries, including Italy, Jordan and Malaysia
Manufactured in Italy

Colt AR-15
Developed in 1956
Several million automatic, several hundred thousand semi-automatic versions produced over the past 30 years
Comes standard with 20 round ammunition magazine capable of being fired as fast as the operator can pull the trigger*
Available collapsible stock facilitates concealability
Military version of the AR-15, the M-16, replaced the M-14 in Vietnam
Has served as the standard rifle of the U.S. armed forces and many other countries' armies around the world
Manufactured in the U.S.

fn/fal, fn/lar
First appeared in 1950 in Belgium
Adopted by armed forces of more than 90 countries, including Belgium, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Ireland, Libya and Venezuela
Comes standard with 20 round ammunition magazine capable of being fired as fast as the operator can pull the trigger*
Manufactured in many countries around the world, including U.S.

FNC
Intended for use by infantry operating in jungle, mountainous or similar terrain
Semi-automatic version introduced in the U.S. in 1981
Comes standard with 30 round ammunition magazine capable of being fired as fast as the operator can pull the trigger*
Manufactured in Belgium

Steyr Aug
Designed to be light with particular emphasis on use from vehicles
Comes standard with 30 round ammunition magazine capable of being fired as fast as the operator can pull the trigger* (the manufacturer provides a 42 round magazine as an option)
Weapon of Austrian and Malaysian armed forces, and several Middle Eastern countries, as well as select armed forces and police groups in U.S. and Great Britain
Semi-automatic version made in U.S. in 1983
Manufactured in Austria

SWD M-10, M-11, M-11/9, M-12
Developed in 1970
Used by armies throughout the world, including Chile and the former Yugoslavia
Comes standard with 30 round ammunition magazine capable of being fired as fast as the operator can pull the trigger*
Compact design facilitates concealability
Externally threaded at the muzzle to accept a silencer and other attachments
Manufactured in the U.S.

* Number of rounds indicated is capacity of standard magazine supplied by manufacturer.
Larger capacity magazines of 30, 50, or 100 rounds of ammunition may be available.