Assault weapons, a class of semi-automatic firearm specifically designed to kill humans, do so quickly and efficiently according to Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, the nation’s leading policy organization dedicated to researching, writing, enacting, and defending proven laws and programs.

If police officers do not use them, neither should you.

Assault weapons are dangerous because they are designed to kill as many as possible as fast as possible. Three reasons commonly cited to use them are hunting, sport and safety.

None of the reasons that require a gun that powerful.

Ammonium nitrate is good for fertilizer and bombs, and like assault weapons, ammonium nitrate is a commonly used product. Most people who use ammonium nitrate are not using it to hurt people, farmers are using it for its purpose as fertilizer. 

Here’s the difference. Ammonium nitrate is regulated due to its potential uses, even though very few use it for bad purposes. 

Assault weapons are the same in their potential. Few use them for mass shootings, but they have the potential for it and need to be regulated because of it.

Hunting: to kill or to obliterate? 

A major use of guns in rural communities is hunting. According to the Pew Research center 48 percent of all hunters live in a rural area. No matter where you live, animal products are a big part of the economy, from fur to meat. 

Hunters do not use assault weapons to hunt; however, the claim is still made that these high powered weapons are needed for hunting. Yet, they can be customized to do a lot of damage to an animal or a human.

When hunting an animal, it is best to shoot it as little as possible to preserve the meat and fur. If the animal is full of holes, it means the hunter gets less product.

Some more appropriate guns to the task are the Winchester Model or the American Longrifle because they are manufactured specifically for hunting.

Sport: for control or power?

Shooting for sport is rising in popularity, landing itself on the list of why automatic weapons are necessary. However, an automatic weapon is not necessary for sport.

“Shooting as a sport demonstrates the accuracy, control, and speed of the shooter in aiming at targets using guns like pistols and rifles,” according to Topend Sports.

Shooting for sport is about precision, not damage. The goal is to hit the target.

The goal of automatic weapons, however, is to do the maximum amount of damage in the minimum amount of time.

Most serious competitors choose MSRs in .223 caliber with fairly short barrels in the 18- to 20-inch range and 30-round magazines according to the Firearms Trade Association.

MRS, or modern sporting rifles, are not considered assault weapons because they only fire one round every time the trigger is pulled

Safety: to protect or kill? 

Owning a gun does not increase safety. Instead, “Access to firearms is associated with risk for completed suicide and being the victim of homicide,” Andrew Anglemyer, PhD, MPH; Tara Horvath, MA and George Rutherford, MD found in a study about the relationship between availability of guns and homicide and suicide.

As well as, “In 2012, for every justifiable homicide in the United States involving a gun, guns were used in 32 criminal homicides,” according to the violence policy center.

When you get a gun for safety, it is to protect the homeowner, not kill the threat. Assault weapons are made to kill.

You do not need a weapon that kills to defend yourself, just one that can stop the threat so the police can take care of it.

A simple pistol would be the best choice.

No matter the occasion, there is always a better alternative to assault weapons.