Why Some State Gun Bans Are Now Defined by Cosmetic Features Instead of How the Gun Actually Fires

Many state assault weapon laws do not hinge on whether a gun is automatic or semiautomatic. Instead, they often rely on visible design features like pistol grips, threaded barrels, and folding stocks, because lawmakers wrote these bans to target a category of firearms associated with rapid, high-casualty attacks without redefining how the guns mechanically fire.