"Assault weapons â?? just like armor-piercing bullets, machine guns, and plastic firearms â?? are a new topic. The weapons' menacing looks, coupled with the public's confusion over fully automatic machine guns versus semi-automatic assault weapons â?? anything that looks like a machine gun is assumed to be a machine gun â?? can only increase the chance of public support for restrictions on these weapons. In addition, few people can envision a practical use for these weapons."