Led by the Dutch, they fought a rearguard action to preserve something of the semi-automatic weapon.

ECONOMIST: Charlemagne

His point was that nobody needs a semi-automatic weapon to protect their home.

NPR: US Arms Control Advocates Must Show They Like Guns

In particular, opponents contend the proposed ban on semi-automatic rifles focuses on a weapon used in a tiny percentage of killings and other gun violence.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Weapons like the Bushmaster mimic the appearance and some features of fully automatic military rifles, though they technically do not meet the definition of an assault weapon because they are semi-automatic -- meaning each shot requires a trigger pull.

CNN: Gun focus shifts from ban to checks and trafficking

The attorney general said a search of Spyropoulos' home turned up two semi-automatic handguns, a shotgun and a rifle that police described as an assault weapon.

WSJ: NJ diner manager accused of plotting kin's murder