No semi-auto rifle, regardless of outward appearance, is an "assault" anything.

From a former firearms instructor in the Army:

Yesterday, Larry Elder, a man I respect greatly, was explaining the difference between a true assault rifle, e.g., an M-16, and a semi-auto AR-15. But, he misused the term "assault weapon" in referring to the AR, as I recall. So, as conscientious as he is, he was a bit inaccurate.

"Assault weapon" has no actual definition in military or firearms usage. It was coined by Josh Sugarman, of Violence Policy Center, or whatever they call it lately, to demonize a class of firearms. He previously created the term, "Saturday Night Special." But, he was successful in getting the terms, one at a time, memorialized in law, resulting in bans of certain firearms. (One step at a time--divide and conquer.)

The VPC, and the Brady bunch, are the two principle "gun control" organizations, each consisting of about a half dozen nitwits. They are heavily funded by the Joyce Foundation, of which our esteemed CiC was a director for several years. He also, as part of Joyce, lectured law professors that the 2nd Amendment only protected the collective right of militias to bear arms.

No semi-auto rifle, regardless of outward appearance, is an "assault" anything. It is just a rifle or carbine, and is semi-auto.

The military designates a short rifle (carbine,) of medium power, that is selective fire (an essential quality), so that it can be selected by the shooter to fire full auto, or semi-auto, depending on circumstances, AS AN "ASSAULT RIFLE." No currently manufactured full automatic (OR SELECTIVE FIRE) firearms are available to sell to civilians.

~~Robert