If someone was bored, a d dug way back over on THR, they would find a thread or two where I said tge type of firearm used in a defensive shooting didn't matter, so long as the defender legally possessed the firearm, the firearm itself was legal, and the shooting was good. I stand by that today, but only in legal theory.
In the real world, I can guarantee the firearm used will be judged at every step along the way, from the responding officer to the prosecutor to jury and judge. For better or worse...okay, just for worse, the term "assault weapon" has become a part of the vocabulary, and is used to label pretty much any semi-auto firearm. And when applying that label, because of media crap, when the term is applied, too many people will subconsciously, or consciously decide it is a killing gun, designed and built to kill people. And that thought is going to make a coo/prosecutor/juror/judge too often see a person who uses such a firearm as a killer, not a defender. And that's not a good thing.
Been thinking about this for a while, in terms of my choices in defensive firearms. Haven't let it impact my decisions yet, but I am thinking about it. No, it's not right. But it is reality.