What's An Assault Weapon?

[Deep13]

2. "Assault weapon" is a vague term invented by handgun control advocates...

...to tap into public fears of guns that look like military weapons (but aren't). While ostensibly targeted at military pattern rifles and civilian versions of submachine guns, the magazine restrictions that go along with assault weapon restriction have a greater effect on handguns.

Ultimately, they are whatever the legislature says they are. Under the 1994 ban they included long guns with some military features like flash hiders and bayonet lugs, but also anything with >10 detachable magazines, including .22 rimfire.

The term sounds like "assault rifle" which has a specific historical meaning. Assault rifles are already illegal without a special machine gun permit that almost no one has.

So what makes the gun in the picture more dangerous than a pistol with a handle magazine?