Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said Tuesday that parents interested in having firearms for protection should purchase shotguns instead of assault weapons.

“If you want to protect yourself, get a double-barrel shotgun,” Biden said in response to a question during a Facebook video chat with Parents magazine.

Biden said that he told his wife, Jill, “If there’s ever a problem here, just walk out on the balcony, here, walk out, put that double barrel shotgun and just fire two blasts outside the house.”

Biden’s waterfront home in Wilmington, Del., is adjacent to a wooded area.

“I promise you, whoever’s coming in is not going to — you don’t need an [assault rifle]. It’s harder to aim, it’s harder to use, and, in fact, you don’t need 30 rounds to protect yourself,” he said. “Buy a shotgun, buy a shotgun.”