Do a search on Dianne Fienstein and you will find the "Jackhole" in all her glory. The videos of her were hilarious trying to warn us of the evil guns. The AWB was an attempt by the Brady Bunch to rid the US of "Evil Black Rifles" under the ruse of reducing crime and gang related firearm shootings.
Do some poking around and you will find that it had no effect whatsoever on firearm related crime. In 2004 after it sunsetted there were numerous Judicial and Congressional hearings on it's effectiveness, as some wanted to make it permanent and it could have been with GW's signature. The findings were very dissapointing to the Brady Bunch. Less than 1% of ALL firearm related crimes were the result of "Assault Weapons". Of that one percent only only a very small fraction were commited by the lawfull owners of said weapons.
The FBI, the Justice Department and one of the most staunch anti gun Congresswomen ever, Patricia Schroeder (D-CO) all stated that it was a waste and that it deprived lawfull citizens of firearms.


Pretty good description of the ban and it's lack of effect:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal...lt_Weapons_Ban