It was unclear how Paddock would have acquired an automatic weapon, if he did use one. It is important to note the distinction between a semiautomatic rifle and a fully automatic weapon. An automatic weapon, by contrast, fires continuously as long as pressure is applied to the trigger and ammunition is available. While semiautomatic weapons are often incorrectly referred to as “machine guns,” an automatic weapon’s mechanical system — used to feed, eject and ready the next round — is what makes it a machine gun. A weapon such as the M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon, or SAW, is effective at 800 meters for individual targets.

Source: Washington Post October 02, 2017 16:03 UTC