[jammies]

An assault rifle is capable of automatic fire, shoots rifle size ammunition, and has a large capacity magazine. Informally (ie - in media use) semi-auto weapons that otherwise meet the definition are called "assault rifles" or "assault weapons". Sometimes such semi-automatic weapons can be modified to allow fully automatic fire, which rather blurs the definition.

Assault rifles are military-grade weapons whose purpose is to allow large volumes of reasonably accurate short to medium range fire against unarmoured targets. They are qualitatively different than other weapons such as pistols, hunting rifles, and the like. To suggest otherwise is disingenuous. Their very reason for existence, and the reason they are standard issue for any country's infantry and all kinds of irregular forces, is that they are deadly anti-personnel weapons, even when wielded by the minimally trained.