15 Second Briefing:
Gun myths run rampant in our society. Misinformation is spread trying to mislead people into having inaccurate ideas & perceptions about firearms.
It’s important that American citizens have accurate information about their Second Amendment rights in order to take full advantage of the God-given freedoms that our country provides. We took the time to provide accurate information on the most common gun myths.
Key Intel:
- Myth #1: Holding down the trigger causes multiple bullets to shoot.
- Myth #2: Firearms with a high-capacity magazine are “Assault weapons.”
- Myth #3: It’s easy to buy a firearm.
- Myth #4: Some guns are meant to wound, others are meant to kill.
- Myth #5: You only need a gun that holds six rounds.
- BONUS: Gun control prevents gun crime.
“If you want to protect yourself, get a double-barrel shotgun,” Joe Biden said in an interview with Parents Magazine back in February. “You don’t need an AR-15. It’s harder to aim, it’s harder to use, and in fact, you don’t need 30 rounds to protect yourself. Buy a shotgun. Buy a shotgun.”
Joe Biden
Please don’t listen to Joe Biden. He’s perpetuating another gun myth. Speaking of gun myths, why don’t we knock down a few more common ones while we’re at it?
Myth #1: Holding down the trigger causes the gun to shoot multiple bullets at once.
Today’s guns are, for the most part, semi-automatic. They shoot one bullet for each pull of the trigger. The faster you pull the trigger, the faster it discharges a bullet. Holding down the trigger will not allow the gun to fire multiple rounds. Holding down the trigger won’t allow it to do anything but prevent you from shooting it again.
Also Check Out: Why Gun Violence is NOT a Public Health Crisis – Part 1
To hold down the trigger allowing it to shoot multiple bullets at once, you need an automatic firearm that requires a lot of money, paperwork, and a lot of red tape to lawfully own.
Myth #2: A firearm with a high-capacity magazine or that looks “scary” is an “Assault Weapon.”
The term “assault weapon” was legally defined in the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban as a semi-automatic firearm with a detachable magazine with characteristics resembling a military firearm (i.e. it’s a civilian version of a military weapon). No, this doesn’t make an AR-15 or AK-47 more deadly or scary than a typical hunting rifle. Many hunting rifles are far more powerful than an AR-15 or AK-47. Also, “AR” doesn’t mean “Assault Rifle.” It stands for Armalite Rifle for the company that developed AR-15s. They are still rifles.
In addition, common handguns have “high-capacity” magazines that hold 20-30 rounds or more. Does this make a handgun or pistol an “assault weapon” because it can hold more than 10, 12, 15, or more rounds? No.
Assault is an action, not an inanimate object like a firearm. It doesn’t matter whether a firearm holds one bullet or 100. The amount of rounds it can hold doesn’t make it any scarier or make it an assault weapon.
Myth #3: It’s easy to buy a gun.
Purchasing and owning a firearm requires a stringent background check, a licensing process in many states, and a waiting period (in most states of 3-7 days). Also, there is no “gun show loophole” that allows you to purchase and walk away with a gun without a thorough background check, a waiting period (unless you have a concealed carry permit), and other licensing depending on the state you live in and the requirements they have.
Also, guns are expensive. Even if you purchase a used or low-cost firearm, there is still the cost of ammo, licensing/permits, training, gear, and other expenses involved in gun ownership.
Myth #4: Some guns are meant to wound, others are meant to kill.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to get shot by a pellet gun let alone a .22 caliber or anything in between. There’s a popular rumor that certain calibers were meant to wound an enemy, but nothing could be further from the truth. All guns and calibers can be fatal no matter how small they may be. Even certain shotgun shells meant for hunting small birds or prey, like buckshot, can cause a fatal wound.
Just like when citizens or politicians ask law enforcement why they don’t try to wound a criminal by shooting them in the arm or leg. In a life or death situation, trying to wound a target could result in the death of the police officer or law-abiding citizen being attacked. There have been numerous reports of people being shot and not stopping. Also, trying to shoot an arm or leg without causing a fatal wound (i.e. hitting an artery) takes accuracy and precision that is not going to occur during a high-stress, life-threatening situation.
Myth #5: You only need a gun that holds six rounds.
Look, the reality is that police officers hit their targets less than 50 percent of all shots fired. If a well-trained police officer has a less than 50 percent success rate hitting a target, what makes you think you’ll be fine with a revolver or small semi-automatic handgun that only holds six rounds?
That doesn’t mean a compact, lower-capacity revolver or semi-automatic handgun is a bad choice for personal self-defense. But the purpose of your handgun should be to protect you from immediate danger so you can run or drive away and get help. That may require firing all six rounds at your target. In some cases, just the fact that you have a gun and shoot toward a criminal in a life or death situation may be enough to make them run away.
But when you have multiple targets or if you are inaccurate, having more than six rounds could be the difference between life or death. Our recommendation? Get a handgun that you can comfortably carry concealed with as much capacity as possible. Many small, light, sub-compact handguns hold 10-17 rounds. It’s always better to have more than you may need rather than less!
BONUS: Gun control prevents gun crime.
Gun control doesn’t lead to crime control. Research and statistics from the FBI show that more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens result in a decrease in gun-related crimes and homicides. States that have fewer gun control laws (approximately 40 of them) have lower gun crimes and murders than states with the strictest gun control laws.
“The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes… Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.”
Thomas Jefferson, Commonplace Book (quoting 18th-century criminologist Cesare Beccaria), 1774-1776
Big Daddy Unlimited advocates strongly for Second Amendment rights because we believe that the right to keep and bear arms exists to protect all of the other God-given rights of American citizens. Become a member today to join our community of freedom-loving Americans, and let’s work together to support and defend our Second Amendment rights.
