TSA Limits Lithium Batteries on Airplanes

yali writes "The U.S. Transportation and Security Administration has issued new rules limiting travel with lithium batteries. As of January 1, no spare lithium batteries are allowed in checked luggage. Batteries carried in the cabin are subject to limitations on per-battery and total lithium content, and spare batteries must have the terminals covered. If you're returning home from the holidays with new toys, be sure to check out the new restrictions before you pack."

Comments

No, not against zombies or rambo, but...

[CFD339]

..if you're talking about trying to stop (and/or discourage to the point of retreat) your basic home robber, being shot with anything that does more than sting is likely to do it. If you're trying to hole up against the Guh-mint, you're probably going to need more than this. Otherwise, this should do fine and has the benefit of not going through your walls and killing your (or your neighbor's) children.

If I were inclined to have a ready weapon for home defense (and I'm not), my choice would a pump action shotgun -- probably 12 gage but possibly smaller -- loaded with the closest thing to a stable, non-lethal round I could find. Rock salt is rather appealing to me in that regard.

I am also a firmly believe that the overwhelming majority of common thugs is likely to find somewhere else to be very quickly at just the sound of a shell being jacked into place in a pump action shotgun.

I don't choose to have a home defense weapon at the ready simply because I have enough experience with firearms to know that at 3am, without planning or time to aim the combination of muddled thinking, fear, and surprise it is much more likely to result in the injury of someone I do not want being shot rather than someone I do.

In answer to the questions for both sides of this endless debate:

1. Yes, I am a gun owner. I own a very cheap .22 rifle which I've used to rid my wife's garden of woodchuckery. It lives in my office with a cable lock threaded from the breach through the barrel such that it is impossible to load or fire.

2. Yes, I am (or was 20 years ago) proficient with handguns, shutguns, and rifles. I did at one time have some recognition in the various aspects of target sports.

3. No, I do not believe "The Right to Bear Arms" by nature must be extended to either automatic weapons or tactical nuclear warheads or be considered meaningless any more than I believe only white men who own land should be allowed to vote.

Re:awww jeez,

[rts008]

Thank you for a most cogent post, sir!

"You want a handgun that is

a. reliable
b. reliable
c. isn't so expensive or unpleasant to shoot that you won't practice with it.
d. isn't so inaccurate that you'll get discouraged and stop practicing with it."

I really like points a and b, but would like to add overall that the handgun should be practical to have handy, and comfortable (heh! heh!- LOVED shooting a .454 Casull w/ 6" barrel!!!!) or tolerable to actually practice with.

My personal preference is the venerable 1911 .45 ACP with a little work to improve feeding and accuracy, and to smooth the trigger pull. (can't help it- I used to shoot competitively!), but that is not suitable for everyone. Ask yourself this: Is this comfortable/practical for everyday carry? Afterall, only actually having a gun when you need one is going to work if you have one...not left it at home because of????(insert whatever here)

It boils down to this (pardon to Col. Cooper (retired)): There Is No Second Place Winner (book title by Col. Cooper)

1. It sucks to show up to a knife fight with your fists.
2. It really sucks to show up at a gunfight with a knife.
3. It really, really sucks to show up to a firefight with a pistol.
4. All's fair in Love, War, and survival.

BTW, I am also a fan of Col. J. C., and was most impressed with his Gunsite Ranch setup. Good stuff for those in the trade or interest.

Oh yeah, if I have time to do so, I will grab a rifle first, then handguns and hand grenades, then an edged weapon. But the reality is, when the shit hits the fan, whatever I have available will be used to my best ability. (Once used an old fashioned heavy metal G.I office chair to beat a Stasihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi Lt. to death in E. Berlin; my team provided 'security' for the spooks to bring E. German defectors over to W. Berlin for evacuation outside of Any Germany) and some more: http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=400884&cid=21846580 from further up.

J.C. was right in that preparedness is a state of mind. If the awareness and mindset isn't there, then an RPG slung over your shoulder, an AK in your hands, a Czech Skorpian on your hip, and a satchel of grenades (personal favorite is a mix of willy pete and frag's at a 1:2 ratio) won't help you a bit, much less that custom built showpenis that gets waived about. Someone with the right mindset and awareness with a .22 will be much better off. Hell, in the right time and place, a baseball bat works miracles!