Just what is an assault weapon? Lots of Coloradans might tell you they know one when they see one.
After all, the weapons are once again media fodder in the wake of the ghastly mass shooting in March that claimed 10 lives at a Boulder supermarket.
The suspect charged with that atrocity was arrested with a Ruger AR-556 pistol, more compact than the rifle version. So, was that weapon — a familiar image by now amid news coverage — an assault weapon?
The question arises in the wake of polling results released this week and reported by our news affiliate Colorado Politics. The KOM Colorado Poll from Keating Research, OnSight Public Affairs and Mike Melanson found 57% of Colorado voters surveyed would support a ban on assault weapons.