Second Amendment Doesn't Restrict Cannon Ownership
The Claim
The Second Amendment limits the type of weapons, including cannons, that citizens can own.
Emerging story
On June 23, 2021, President Joe Biden and Attorney General Garland met to discuss crime prevention strategies. During the talk, Biden said: “Rogue gun dealers feel like they can get away with selling guns to people who aren’t legally allowed to own them. And might I add: The Second Amendment, from the day it was passed, limited the type of people who could own a gun and what type of weapon you could own. You couldn’t buy a cannon.”
Discussion of the claim soon took off on social media.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation found that the Second Amendment reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
While the Second Amendment has not been interpreted to allow every U.S. citizen the right to own all types of weapons, the amendment itself does not limit ownership. As the Washington Post points out, Article I, Section, 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution allows private individuals to act as pirates against enemies of the United States during war. These individuals were allowed to own and use cannons. Experts also agree that it is “highly unlikely” that there were restrictions on cannon ownership from the day the Second Amendment was passed.
Since the Second Amendment itself does not limit cannon ownership, we rate this claim as false.
