Sylvester Stallone has waded into the assault weapons debate in America, insisting no civilian should have access to the big guns his characters use in action movies. 

President Barack Obama has been urged to introduce new gun legislation following last year's massacres at a cinema in Colorado and a school in Connecticut, and celebrities have started taking sides. 

Stallone appears to back new laws to prevent people from purchasing semi-automatic weapons because he doesn't think the guns are necessary for self-defence. 

The Rambo star tells the Associated Press, "I know people go, 'They're going to take away the assault weapon'. (But) who... needs an assault weapon? 

"You can't hunt with it... (and) who's going to attack your house, a f--king army?"