So, do you think some billionaire should be able to drop a million on a cruise missile if he wants to?
So this is the standard silly argument that comes up a lot.
The Second Amendment talks about keeping and bearing "arms". So what you get into is a discussion of what an arm is.
Is a cruise missile "arms"? In the intent of the Second Amendment it seems pretty clear that "arms" are intended to be "borne" (carried) so no, the cruise missile example doesn't really apply.
Keep and bear arms. That would seem to indicate some kind of weapon that could be carried by one man, and stored at his house.
Heller agrees with this it seems, as posted above: " the Second Amendment extends, prima facie, to all instruments that constitute
bearable arms, even those that were not in existence at the time of the founding."
So cruise missiles, nuclear warheads, all that silliness don't really apply do they....
20mm? Sure. Machine guns? Absolutely. Cruise missiles? I wanna see someone carry it first I think.
Where it gets interesting is things like Stinger missiles. Those are 'bearable' and man portable. It would seem to me that a Stinger would fall under the protection of the Second Amendment.
Someone mentioned grenades. Those ARE legal to own already under the NFA. They are considered "Destructive Devices".
I suspect a Stinger missile would be a DD as well. The definition of a DD includes rockets with more than 4 ounces of propellant.
The Stinger though comes under some different laws. The laws around the possession of some classified types of guidance systems etc probably excludes owning a Stinger system. Those laws would have to be ruled on by the Supremes as to whether or not they conflict with the Second.
But take the 40mm grenade launcher. LOTS of them in the NFA. Perfectly legal to own. $200 each time you shoot it (if you use HE grenades) because each round is a DD itself, but if you have enough money.....
Bottom line, don't be too quick to decide something shouldn't be out there, it may be already. Most people don't realize that hand grenades, grenade launchers, etc are already legal to own today.