I may be insane, or just really, really stupid. I need you guys to tell me.
It appears to me--to my considerable surprise--that it is not a violation of any federal law to carry a loaded firearm with one on board a commercial plane, as long as the gun is not concealed: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/ts_search.pl?title=49&sec=46505 U.S. Code as of: 01/02/01 Section 46505. Carrying a weapon or explosive on an aircraft (a) Definition. - In this section, ''loaded firearm'' means a starter gun or a weapon designed or converted to expel a projectile through an explosive, that has a cartridge, a detonator, or powder in the chamber, magazine, cylinder, or clip. (b) General Criminal Penalty. - An individual shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both, if the individual - (1) when on, or attempting to get on, an aircraft in, or intended for operation in, air transportation or intrastate air transportation, has on or about the individual or the property of the individual a concealed dangerous weapon that is or would be accessible to the individual in flight; (2) has placed, attempted to place, or attempted to have placed a loaded firearm on that aircraft in property not accessible to passengers in flight; or (3) has on or about the individual, or has placed, attempted to place, or attempted to have placed on that aircraft, an explosive or incendiary device. (c) Criminal Penalty Involving Disregard for Human Life. - An individual who willfully and without regard for the safety of human life, or with reckless disregard for the safety of human life, violates subsection (b) of this section, shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more than 15 years, or both. (d) Nonapplication. - Subsection (b)(1) of this section does not apply to - (1) a law enforcement officer of a State or political subdivision of a State, or an officer or employee of the United States Government, authorized to carry arms in an official capacity; (2) another individual the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration by regulation authorizes to carry a dangerous weapon in air transportation or intrastate air transportation; or (3) an individual transporting a weapon (except a loaded firearm) in baggage not accessible to a passenger in flight if the air carrier was informed of the presence of the weapon. There's also a civil penalty in 49 USC 46303, but the operative wording is the same. Those are the only two statutes pertaining to planes and airports I can find in Alan Korwin's indispensable "Gun Laws of America." So what's the verdict? Am I insane? Really, really stupid? Or is there actually a loophole in the law big enough to fly a 747 through? -- Bob Woolley St. Paul, MN [EMAIL PROTECTED] Society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a time when the most humble of men, if he keeps his eyes open, can take his revenge upon the most powerful. --Mario Puzo _______________________________________________ To post, send message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/firearmsregprof
