Pistols that are fully-automatic, that is, that will continue to fire as long as the trigger is pulled, are known as machine pistols. Snubbies are preferred by criminals because of their increased concealability. A subcategory of snubbies are Saturday Night Specials inexpensive, inaccurate snubbies made of inferior materials. Because of their low quality and inaccuracy, these weapons have no sporting purpose and are best suited for criminal use. With muzzle velocities that are often greater than standard long guns, and high-capacity ammunition magazines, assault weapons are built to kill large numbers of human beings quickly and efficiently.
Most assault weapons have no legitimate hunting or sporting use.
Assault rifles and shotguns often have pistol grips and folding stocks, and are typically lighter and more concealable than standard long guns. Some assault pistols have threaded barrels for the easy attachment of silencers. Many assault weapons are merely semi-automatic versions of military machine guns, making them easier to convert to fully automatic machine guns.