Survey: The Guns of 2016’s Republican Presidential Candidates
Daniel Xu 09.09.15
Did you ever wonder which of current batch of GOP presidential hopefuls own a gun? What about the specific guns they kept in their collection? If you were ever the slightest bit curious, you’re in luck. The Telegraph recently surveyed 17 Republican candidates and asked them what was in their gun safe. Of those surveyed, only three replied that they did not own any firearms whatsoever. The rest reported a variety of firearms, from quality-built handguns to popular hunting and sporting shotguns.
Here’s what we gathered from the data provided by the Telegraph survey. This list is far from comprehensive. For obvious reasons, most of the candidates did not meticulously catalog each and every one of their guns for the survey, so what’s on this list is simply what has been confirmed so far.
Ted Cruz
- Gun owner
- Known guns: .357 Magnum revolver and a Beretta Silver Pigeon II shotgun
Although the .357 Magnum revolver is technically his, Cruz bought this wheelgun for his wife Heidi for use in home defense. In his book A Time for Truth, Cruz says they keep the gun next to their bed at all times. An avid hunter, Cruz also has a Beretta shotgun for bird hunting. You can also see Cruz make bacon “Texas-style” below:
Donald Trump
- Gun owner
- Known guns: unidentified handgun, Henry repeating rifle
Trump can sometimes be very private about his personal affairs, especially when it comes to gun ownership. Trump has confirmed that he owns at least one firearm and has a carry license for the city of New York—a rare and valuable thing indeed. When questioned in a recent interview with NBC whether he uses the gun regularly, Trump snapped, “It is none of your business, it is really none of your business.”
The remark earned him some praise from gun owners. Trump is also the only Republican candidate on this list without an official rating from the NRA, which measures a politician’s stance on gun rights, due to his status as a businessman rather than a lawmaker.
Jeb Bush
- Not a gun owner
- No known guns
According to the Telegraph survey, Jeb Bush does not own any firearms. This is especially surprising considering his staunch support of gun ownership and his A+ rating from the NRA. Bush has been a strong supporter of the Second Amendment during his term as Florida’s governor and still identifies as a gun rights supporter today, perhaps proving that you don’t need a firearm to believe in the right to gun ownership.
Rick Santorum
- Gun owner
- Known guns: Kimber 1911
Santorum did not respond to the survey, but previously confirmed that he owned several guns, including hunting arms. An aide previously commented that the favorite piece in his collection was a Kimber 1911 pistol.
Bobby Jindal
- Gun owner
- Known guns: none specified
Jindal confirmed that he did own at least one firearm, but did not specify details. The Louisiana governor has been historically supportive of the Second Amendment.
Marco Rubio
- Gun owner
- Known guns: .357 Magnum Taurus revolver
The Florida senator says he owns a firearm and shoots about two to three times a year. He is also licensed for concealed carry in his home state.
Scott Walker
- Gun owner
- Known guns: Remington 700 and unidentified 12 gauge shotgun
An avid hunter and supporter of gun rights, Walker owns several firearms. According to one CNN reporter who attended a skeet shooting event with the Wisconsin governor, he’s also a pretty good shot.
Ben Carson
- Gun owner
- Known guns: none specified
Carson once called the Second Amendment the “baton of freedom,” so it makes sense that this former neurosurgeon is a gun owner. Carson did not specify what firearms he owned.
Rand Paul
- Gun owner
- Known guns: none specified
Paul’s campaign staffers confirmed that he did own several firearms, but did not give additional details.
Chris Christie
- Not a gun owner
- No known guns
Christie is controversial figure when it comes to the issue of gun control, and critics have blasted the New Jersey governor for both his state’s strict gun laws and past support for gun control legislation. This is reflected in the rather average C grade given to him by the NRA.
John Kasich
- Gun owner
- Known guns: Sig Sauer 9mm pistol
Another politician with a mixed history on guns, the governor of Ohio surprised gun owners when he increasingly spoke out in favor of pro-gun laws in recent years. Kasich went from a F rating from the NRA to an A- after he signed several pro-gun laws during his term as governor.
Lindsey Graham
- Gun owner
- Known guns: unidentified AR-15-style rifle, Browning Sweet 16
Graham allegedly has one of the largest gun collections of the 2016 candidates, and is a regular visitor to the range. When previously asked how many guns he owned, the South Carolina senator replied simply, “a bunch.”
You can watch Graham go skeet shooting below:
Mike Huckabee
- Gun owner
- Known guns: Benelli Super Black Eagle, Weatherby .300 Magnum, unidentified sporting rifles
Perhaps rivaling Graham is Huckabee, who has his own large gun collection. After all, one of Huckabee’s memoirs is titled God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy.
“While I do not consider myself a ‘gun nut,’ I proudly own a variety of firearms and enjoy hunting as well as sports shooting,” the former Arkansas governor wrote in another book, From Hope to Higher Ground. “But even if I were not a hunter or did not enjoy shooting, I would still be a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment right of Americans to own firearms for self-protection and as a matter of principle.”
Rick Perry
- Gun owner
- Known guns: .380 Ruger
An outspoken advocate for the Second Amendment, Perry has historically opposed efforts to restrict gun ownership and has called such movements a “knee-jerk reaction.” Perry declined to detail his gun collection.
You can see Rick Perry at the range below:
Jim Gilmore
- Gun owner
- Known guns: four unidentified handguns, two shotguns
Gilmore is also a supporter of gun rights and states that he owns firearms for hunting and self defense.
George Pataki
- Gun Owner
- Known guns: unidentified shotgun
Pataki identifies himself as a gunowner, but that fact alone may not endear him to gun-owning voters. During his term as governor of New York, Pataki signed a number of restrictive gun laws that cemented the Empire State’s reputation as being tough on guns.
Carly Fiorina
- Not a gun owner
- No known guns
The only woman on this list, Fiorina reported that she does not personally own any firearms. Her husband, however, owns six and keeps them in the house. She has been historically supportive of gun rights.
