What is Barack Obama's position on gun control?

The official position

The campaign website has no mention of gun control on any of its pages.

However, the downloadable PDF file of the Obama plan for rural America has the following to say:

Barack Obama and Joe Biden deeply respect America's sportsmen and are committed to protecting their rights. Tens of millions of Americans hunt and fish. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that we can protect the rights of hunters and other lawful gun owners while still working to reduce gun violence and make sure that guns do not fall into the hands of criminals or the mentally ill.

The quotes

In an Illinois Senate Debate on Oct 21, 2004:
I think it is a scandal that this president did not authorize a renewal of the assault weapons ban.

In The Audacity of Hope (p215)
I believe in keeping guns out of our inner cities, and that our leaders must say so in the face of the gun manufacturer's lobby.

In 2007 NAACP Presidential Primary Forum on Jul 12, 2007
We've got to make sure that unscrupulous gun dealers aren't loading up vans and dumping guns in our communities, because we know they're not made in our communities.

As quoted in From Promise to Power, by David Mendell (p.250-251)
I am consistently on record and will continue to be on record as opposing concealed carry. This was a narrow exception in an exceptional circumstance where a retired police officer might find himself vulnerable as a consequence of the work he has previously done--and had been trained extensively in the proper use of firearms.

The legislation

2000 - Cosponsored bill to limit purchases to 1 gun per month
2004 - Voted Yes to let retired police officers carry concealed handguns
2005 - Voted No on Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act

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First answer by JPaganel. Last edit by JPaganel. Contributor trust: 176 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 0 [recommend question]