Why Joe Biden is Wrong on Guns

Vice President Joe Biden is probably well-meaning, but he often plays the expert on subjects he knows little about.

Last week he said that he advises his wife that if anything should go wrong, she should walk out on the balcony and fire a couple of rounds from a double barreled shotgun. Not only was that dangerous advice to give to millions of Americans, but he showed his true ignorance when it comes to guns by saying, “You don’t need an AR-15. It’s harder to aim; it’s harder to use. Buy a shotgun. Buy a shotgun!”

Fact check:

• Biden: “An AR-15 is harder to aim than a shotgun.” False. Most shotguns are equipped with bead sights which are inferior to the front and rear sights generally in use on modern sporting rifles when used in defensive shooting situations.
• Biden: “An AR-15 is harder to use than a shotgun.” False. Shotguns are often harder to load than an AR-15. Most shotguns are heavier than an AR-15, and the 12 gauge shotgun Biden suggested always produces significantly more recoil than an AR-15. That means that people who might be small in stature, older, disabled, or unfamiliar with shotguns are much less likely to satisfactorily absorb the powerful recoil of a 12 gauge shotgun, resulting in possible misuse and/or injury. Because of the recoil, shooters may be less likely to shoot regularly and train with a shotgun. This unfamiliarity and lack of practice can lead to further problems in handling defensive situations appropriately.
• Fact: Studies have shown that the small .223 or 5.56 round used in the AR-15 is less dangerous to bystanders than a shotgun round when it comes to over-penetration. A .223 round looses much of it’s destructive force after passing through a single layer of sheetrock, and depending on the round, can stop short of penetration through a second sheet. In contrast, most handgun and shotgun rounds have no problem passing through multiple sheets of drywall while maintaining their mass and speed, presenting significant danger to anyone else in or even outside of the house.

Take a look at this video:

• Biden went on to say: “There is no ban on guns. Nobody is going to take anyone’s’ guns.” False. The administration and supporters of their agenda in congress have made it clear: if you own an AR-15, AK-47, a handgun that holds more than 7 rounds (or whatever number they decide is permissible in the future), a shotgun that holds too many rounds, or any other commonly used firearm that looks too scary, they plan to take your guns. Not only have they stated it, they’ve published their plans for anyone to see.
  *Don’t take our word for it. The proof is in their own proposals: Feinstein’s gun ban, New York State’s Gun Ban, the Obama Administration’s plan (see pages 2 & 5), and a city in Alabama wants power to confiscate guns in an emergency (which is precisely the time law-abiding citizens need them most), among others.

So don’t be fooled. When Vice President Biden says “Nobody is going to take anyone’s guns,” what he really means is- “Nobody is going to take anyone’s double-barreled shotgun…Yet.” And if anyone is foolish enough to follow Biden’s advice on shotgun handling (shooting warning shots off a balcony or shooting at someone through a door), you can guarantee he’ll be on television and in the newspapers using those cases of misuse to push for another ban—this time on his once-trusty double-barreled shotgun.