Roadtrip, a couple of years back when a moron hijacked a JAL flight with a knife and ordered the F/O off the flight deck and then offed the skipper I made the decision that I would fight back if I was being ordered away from my post.
The assumption with that was that he wanted to do something which he didn't think I was capable of doing. The only think I'm not capable of doing deliberately is pranging the aeroplane.
Basically, I'm prepared to slug it out to save my ship and ultimately myself. Flight deck door security isn't the issue here, that has been discussed elsewhere, the decision to fight back isn't the decision here. The decision is whether when someone barges through the door, I have enough time to 1. Get to the firearm (I assume it is in a seale box, otherwise a loony can just take me on in the terminal) 2. get it out of the (lockwired?) box, acquire the target and pull the trigger.
Knowing the 767 pretty well, I'd be long gone before I even got to it. Even if it wasn't lockwired, I doubt that I'd be able to acquire my firearm and then aim a shot a centre body mass. I may get it just in time for him to be standing behind me and grappling over my shoulder with me for control of it.
OK, now you say that we have better cockpit security and that they can't get in. In that case, why do I now need a firearm.
With current doors on airliners you wouldn't have time to get bring the firearm to bear before you get overcome. With future and more secure doors, will you ever need to get the firearm out?
This isn't about being anti 'lethal force' although that should be about 'reasonable force' (and it may just be that in a particular situation 'reasonable' and 'lethal' become one and the same), it is about the stupidity of wanting to carry a firearm on the flight deck.
I've carried a gun as part of my former job, I wouldn't want to have one with me on the flight deck with the current ease of access. Just gives some idiot even more incentive to take me on.
I've got batons, a crash axe, a 3.5kg fire extinguisher. If I can't take him out with one of those, chances are a gun isn't going to be much help either!