ASSAULT: 1. 1 a : a violent physical or verbal attack b : a military attack usually involving direct combat with enemy forces c : a concerted effort (as to reach a goal or defeat an adversary)
2 a : a threat or attempt to inflict offensive physical contact or bodily harm on a person (as by lifting a fist in a threatening manner) that puts the person in immediate danger of or in apprehension of such harm or contact -- compare BATTERY 1b b : RAPE

WEAPON: 1 : something (as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy
2 : a means of contending against another

ASSAULT WEAPON: : any of various automatic or semiautomatic firearms;


If a person has to offensively cause another person harm in order to assault them and the instrument used in the assault becomes a weapon that injures the person the way I see it anything can become an assault weapon when it is used in an assault but the only thing listed under assault weapon in Websters are firearms.

Until an assault actually occurs and there is actually a weapon used in the assault there can not be an assault weapon. But then your hands instantly become assault weapons. Guess the government should cut them off your arms.