During a speech in Pennsylvania on Tuesday (August 30) afternoon, President Joe Biden made several gun-related gaffes.
In a campaign-style address to promote his “Safer America” agenda, which focuses on deterring crime, assisting law enforcement, and toughening gun laws and background checks, Biden made unsourced claims about the speed at which an AR-15 shoots bullets.
During his speech, Biden asked rhetorically, “Do you realize the bullet out of an AR-15 travels five times as rapidly as a bullet shot out of any other gun?”
Many have queried this unsourced reference, as AR-15 don’t shoot the fastest bullets.
A Field & Stream study conducted in June explored the fastest rifle cartridges, and AR-15 rounds weren’t featured on this list.
The .220 Swift, .257 Weatherby Magnum, .30/378 Weatherby, 224 Clark, and 22 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer were listed among the fastest cartridges in the Field & Stream study.
The fastest cartridge in the study — the .220 Swift — is not used by AR-15s.
These cartridges also vary from 3,400 to 4,600 feet per second (fps), according to the Field & Stream study, whereas the 223 and 5.56, two of the most popular high-speed AR-15 rounds, vary from 2,700 to 3,100 fps.
Beyond making unverifiable claims about using the fastest bullets, Biden also claimed that AR-15s “rip the body apart.”
Another blatantly inaccurate claim as gunshot injuries depends on the type of bullet used.
In his address, Biden turned his attention to mocking Second Amendment activists, saying, “For those brave right-wing Americans who say it’s all about keeping America independent and safe, if you want to fight against the country, you need an F-15.”
