The AR-15, the firearm that gun control supporters most often call an “assault weapon,” is the most popular rifle on the market today, accounting for one-fourth of all rifles manufactured in the United States. AR-15s are commonly kept for protection, home defense, they’re the most widely used rifle in marksmanship competitions and formal training, they’re widely used for recreational shooting, and they’re commonly used for hunting. Americans acquire roughly a million new AR-15s every year, in addition to large numbers of comparable semi-automatic rifles.
Magazines that hold more than 10 rounds are standard equipment for semi-automatic handguns commonly owned and carried for self-defense, as well as for rifles like the AR-15. The ownership of firearms that gun control supporters call “assault weapons” and ammunition magazines they call “large” have risen to all-time highs, the nation’s murder rate has fallen to an all-time low, and total violent crime has fallen to a 44-year low. Gun control supporters have been predicting for about a quarter-century that increased ownership of these firearms and magazines would cause crime to rise, the same thing they said about increased ownership of handguns during the 1970s and 1980s. In both instances, gun control supporters were obviously wrong.
Putting "Machine gun" and "Assault weapon" under the same bill is trying to paint them as the same type of gun. A "machine gun" or automatic rifle, for those of you (the legislator that drafted this bill) that have never purchased a gun, or tried to buy a gun, is already illegal for a 16 year old to purchase unless they have a class 3 License. They have to be at least 21, and that isn't the only requirement. A 16 year old statistically can cause more damage getting behind the wheel of a car than they can owning a semi automatic weapon for self defense or hunting.