diff --git a/_pytest/assertion/util.py b/_pytest/assertion/util.py
index 2481cf34c..29ae51186 100644
--- a/_pytest/assertion/util.py
+++ b/_pytest/assertion/util.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     Sequence = list
 
-BuiltinAssertionError = py.builtin.builtins.AssertionError
+
 u = py.builtin._totext
 
 # The _reprcompare attribute on the util module is used by the new assertion
diff --git a/_pytest/python.py b/_pytest/python.py
index 2ab1de6b0..4cdeeb001 100644
--- a/_pytest/python.py
+++ b/_pytest/python.py
@@ -1158,12 +1158,6 @@ def raises(expected_exception, *args, **kwargs):
 
     """
     __tracebackhide__ = True
-    if expected_exception is AssertionError:
-        # we want to catch a AssertionError
-        # replace our subclass with the builtin one
-        # see https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/issues/176
-        from _pytest.assertion.util import BuiltinAssertionError \
-            as expected_exception
     msg = ("exceptions must be old-style classes or"
            " derived from BaseException, not %s")
     if isinstance(expected_exception, tuple):
diff --git a/testing/python/raises.py b/testing/python/raises.py
index 59fd622fd..aee3715f1 100644
--- a/testing/python/raises.py
+++ b/testing/python/raises.py
@@ -26,14 +26,6 @@ class TestRaises:
         except pytest.raises.Exception:
             pass
 
-    def test_raises_flip_builtin_AssertionError(self):
-        # we replace AssertionError on python level
-        # however c code might still raise the builtin one
-        from _pytest.assertion.util import BuiltinAssertionError # noqa
-        pytest.raises(AssertionError,"""
-            raise BuiltinAssertionError
-        """)
-
     def test_raises_as_contextmanager(self, testdir):
         testdir.makepyfile("""
             from __future__ import with_statement