Are semi-automatic hunting rifles considered assault weapons?
A. No. The definition of an assault weapon is tightly drawn. Only semi-automatic guns with military-style features should be banned. Traditional guns designed for use in hunting and recreational activities should not be affected. To alleviate concerns that hunting weapons somehow might be affected, the 1994 federal law provided specific protection to 670 types of hunting rifles and shotguns. In 2007, a long-standing writer for Outdoor Life magazine, Jim Zumbo, made the following comments in regards to military-style assault weapons and hunting: “I call them “assault” rifles, which may upset some people. Excuse me, maybe I’m a traditionalist, but I see no place for these weapons among our hunting fraternity. I’ll go so far as to call them “terrorist” rifles. They tell me that some companies are producing assault rifles that are “tackdrivers.” Sorry, folks, in my humble opinion, these things have no place in hunting. We don’t need to be lumped into the group of people who terrorize the w
