"There's a growing consensus in this country, a growing consensus among even sportsmen and other groups, about everything from who should own a weapon ... and what information should be available," he told CNN, saying he believed it would be easier to pass this type of legislation in the wake of the elementary school shootings in Newtown, Conn.

Biden, a major gun rights proponent who has gone up against the National Rifle Association for decades, was the major reason the 1994 assault weapons bill passed.

Asked if he thought the NRA is stoking fear against the president, he responded, "Look, I think the NRA's reaction -- overreaction -- is a reflection of the vulnerability of their position."

Biden is also expected to be one of the key players in coming fiscal fights: automatic spending cuts set to take effect in a month, funding the government and the debt ceiling. House Republicans just signaled they would support a three month extension.

The vice president said that is a hopeful sign that the GOP would not allow the country to default on its debts.

"The Republicans aren't going to do that. They've finally figured it out. All this bluster about you're going to renege on the debt," he said. "They will not because there are more responsible people in that party than irresponsible. So it's not going to happen."

Biden said he hoped there is still a path forward to allow the White House and congressional leaders to reach agreement on a major deficit reduction deal -- one that has so far eluded them despite optimism in the past.

"So we ought to be able to, in the next three months, finish out that grand bargain to get us to the point of ... where debt to GDP (gross domestic product) is about 3 percent," he said. "Every economist, left, right and center, says that -- when that happens, the economy grows. I think we'll get there."

As the president and vice president have worked to achieve many of the administration's major goals, the two have had some disagreements -- Biden did not agree that the timing of the mission to kill Osama bin Laden was right, and the vice president got out in front of his boss when Biden voiced support for same-sex marriage on "Meet the Press" last May.

"We sometimes disagreed on tactics as to how to proceed to try to get what he wanted done, which I've agreed with, but we've never disagreed on policy. And even the so-called discussion about, you know, my saying I was comfortable with gay and lesbians and relationships, I knew his positions," Biden said.