FWIW, a politifact article on Bernie and some of his gun votes.

[merrily]

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, whose 2004 presidential bid is often compared to Sanders’ 2016 run, received high marks from the National Rifle Association. Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy also voted against the Brady bill. For his part, Sanders has voted to tighten gun control about half the time, and to protect Second Amendment rights the other half.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/jul/10/generation-forward-pac/did-bernie-sanders-vote-against-background-checks-/

And a video of Sanders explaining in his own words.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/05/politics/bernie-sanders-gun-control/

The politifact article linked above lists his key gun votes over a 25-year period.

The NRA gives Sanders a poor rating. http://www.ontheissues.org/domestic/Bernie_Sanders_Gun_Control.htm

As an aside, I don't recall Dean's record on guns, apparently much more pro-gun than Sanders, being an issue in 2004, but I was just beginning to get somewhat immersed in politics then.

I can't say I am happy with his gun record, but I understand that his job is to represent the majority of Vermonters as best he can; and Vermont is a rural state. He also says Vermonters understand that gun control in Vermont is not he same as gun control in a more populous state.

[Scootaloo]

1. Bernie's not perfect

While his stance on guns isn't a massive issue for me, I can get why it is for some people. For me, my biggest issue with him is his stance on Israel and Palestine... which again, isn't really an issue i vote on, but is something that I definitely disagree with him about.

But anyone who expects perfection in politics is either naive or a troll. I believe Sanders is the best option in the roster we have. I don't believe he's perfect and flawless. Just that he's much closer to where the country needs to be than hte other four Democratic candidates are (to say nothing of the dweebs huffing paint form a tube sock over in the republicans. )

[merrily]

2. No human is. But, I don't think he is calculating and calculated either. If he is,

he's a great actor.

Funny, the things his representative said are the things we've heard all along: He represents all the people of Vermont, not only the most left (in this case, on the gun issue.) His position is moderate, etc.

I, too, would like some of his positions to be different but I don't expect any candidate to be my exact mirror image ideologically.