US Airways pilot's gun discharges while in flight {Gadling}

Mar 24th 2008 4:16PM Explosive decompression doesn't happen the way it does in the movies. (There's an episode of MythBusters on that very subject.) A hole in the cockpit would be just that, a small hole. Even a window being blown out wouldn't do more than make the pilots mildly uncomfortable - put on a oxygen mask to keep your O2 levels up, put on a coat, and you're basically fine.

That said, there's plenty of stuff that a bullet could potentially hit by accident -- including the other pilot -- which would be bad news. If guns are going to be allowed, they should be subject to a redundant safety check just like everything else on the plane. Someone other than the person who's carrying it should be required to check and make sure there isn't a bullet in the chamber and that the safety is on.