727boy - WELCOME to Pprune
I simply do not agree with your feeling that the FAA will never allow a handgun in the cockpit in the future. Too much precedence for this from the past.
Julian - there is an old saying about "where there is a will, there is a way". If you can not think of ways to take down a steel door between the cabin and the cockpit then I can. It is not that difficult of a thing to do at all. Certain types of Special Forces have training, and the materials, in just that sort of thing. Think about it.
A handgun is a very "final" solution to forced entry. I just want flight crew to have every opportunity to stop cockpit invasion as a last resort. Why y'all don't want to give flight deck that weapon of last resort baffles me no end. Fire axe and Taser are fine, but only the axe can be considered "final" and it involves a very close-up range.
Passengers with firearms? NO - I do not agree with that at all. There should only be a handgun on the Air Marshall and then however many in the cockpit. No need at all for any other handguns on a plane ever.
In the end, there is no such thing as a "for sure" physically secure flight deck (see above). That is why I would allow cockpit handguns.
swashplate - Let them sue! Most American pax would probably testify against that person in court! If we (slf) are ready to give our all to stop a takeover, then if we get hurt in the process - too bad. We have acccepted this may occur already. The pax that sues would be one that has not accepted the responsibility to "defend" the plane and thus will be no friend of the other pax who did rise to the occasion.
The cabin will quiet down all by itself AFTER the pax get done with the culprit!!
dAAvid -