Illinois Bill to Ban 12 Gauges

The bill would make it illegal for Illinoisans to own or take delivery of a long list of guns that includes "any firearm having a caliber of 50 or greater."

For those who aren't gunsmiths, that means while you would still be able to own a .410 shotgun or a 38-gauge shotgun - if you can find one - your trusty 10-gauge, 12-gauge, 20-gauge and even 28-gauge shotguns would all have to be turned over to police and destroyed.

But this bill's attempt to lump shotguns under the heading "semi-automatic assault weapon" is deceptive, to say the least. Conjure up an image of an "assault weapon." Do you see a shotgun in that picture?