A different way of defining what an assault weapon is

[JoeStuckInOH]

4. Simpler: Any semiauto centerfire rifle or brace-equipped-pistol capable of accepting detachable mags

Any semi-automatic centerfire rifle or brace-equipped-pistol capable of accepting detachable magazines or belted ammunition.

No muss... no fuss. That definition covers pretty much any rifle of significant caliber that can go on rampages and quickly dump hundreds of rounds in mere minutes.

It doesn't rely on cosmetic features or the specific name of the guns for the ban - both of which are easily circumvented by gun manufacturers.

It does not infringe on the right to keep effective tactical rifles for reasonable self defense. Your self defense gun can have as many rounds as you or the manufacturer deems reasonable & reliable so long as the magazine is internal to the gun or the box magazine is permanently affixed to the firearm.

It doesn't impact the ability to use common sporting rifles or even tactical style rifles for hunting & sporting purposes. Again, your gun can have as many rounds as you or the manufacturer deems reasonable & reliable so long as the magazine is internal to the gun or the box magazine is permanently affixed to the firearm.

Plinker rimfire guns, typically of diminutive caliber, are obviously not a mass shooting concern and are excluded from the definition.

Most non-rifle based handguns are inherently exempted from the definition, too. In recent years, "pistol arm braces" have been used on rifles to skirt the ATF NFA regulations on short barreled rifles and short barreled shotguns (which are both as tightly regulated as machine guns). So this makes sure to close the loophole of pistols that are effectively identical in lethality to the rifles they're based upon.

Now that we have an effective definition for "Assault Weapon" what do we do with it?

We add them to the NFA list of controlled items in the NFRTR under a new category, "Assault Weapon". They will be legislated identically to machine guns, silencers, destructive devices, and short rifles/shotguns. Fingerprints, photos, $200 excise tax, and thurough background check. This avoids the problems of a ban and the subsequent necessity to confiscate and reimburse owners of assault weapons. It also avoids the constitutional issues of "banning" common use firearms relevant to militia use... they're not banned at all.