Originally Posted by
JohnBurke
Is that what you read? Time to have your prescription renewed.
It only takes one or two attackers to hold the forward galley area, however, and an army of rambo-watching hero-wannabe passengers won't get through there. It narrows, you see.
We have had semtex smuggled onto an aircraft in shoes, have we not? Roll a ribbon, hasty shape charge, and there goes the hinge line. You read that in this thread, didn't you?
The foolishness and hot air about getting into the cockpit with a dull knife, and leaving the cockpit to go hunting is strictly the domain of James Brakes (and apparently you, too), and shows a gross ignorance of the topic.
Because if they are sophisticated enough to smuggle in semtex, they've covered themselves and are going to take out the flight crew no problem. I know the gun makes you feel like you got a chance, but is there any data to say that it would actually help? If the terrorists just stuff a bunch of baggage up there they can incapacitate them. It's not a defensible position. Some people want it to be badly, but I don't think that makes it one. Rather than throw money at something that is not effective, put that money into Israel-type questions, or better TRAINING for TSA, audits for TSA, something that would actually do something, rather than the wishful hope you'll be able to stop a highly trained terrorist from an defensible position (via government funds). Make those that want to "carry" get the gun and training themselves.
It's like the guys that rationalize taking a 9mm or .380 into bear or couger country, because it's all they own and they use it for CC in the city. It's a pointless because an animal like that isn't slowed down by feeling pain when it's attacking, they have thicker skin, muscles, fascia, tendons, and everything else when compared to humans. 300g high pressure magnum loads are considered the minimum to deal with bears, and a puny 115g 9mm round carrying less than half the energy just doesn't penetrate enough to give you a chance in hell, won't even go through the skull, much less deal with the aspect that most people can't hit a moving target like that, even at closer ranges. There are people that even bring their .22s thinking that they'll "shoot it in the eye", as if that's even practical. Although a good handgun (.44mag min) is a good backup, it's not even what people carry primarily for dealing with bears in the areas where they are prevalent, that honor goes to a high power rifle. The handgun is just the "sh*t hit the fan" and it will still do the job if the caliber/power is big enough. Now I have no problem with people carrying a 9mm into bear country, but it's an idiotic idea if you are doing it to protect yourself from bears (as a primary weapon) and the government should not be paying for it.