Assault weapon

A rifle that looks like an actual assault rifle, but isn't an assault rifle, for the simple reason that, like most personal weapons, it has a semi-automatic mode of firing but, unlike an actual assault rifle, does not have an automatic mode (sometimes referred to as a burst mode to distinguish it from full automatic mode).

This can be an inconvenience in some states, where the citizens know the difference and are prepared to explain it to their representatives at town meetings.

For further information about this see assault weapon.