Kirk Freeman
Grandmaster
No, automatic knives were after Blackboard Jungle, ballistic knives were after Commando, 30 years later.It probably went along with when automatic knives were banned, in the misguided interest of keeping weapons off the street.
These shouldn't be banned, of course.
With that said, why would someone want one of these things? Or, more precisely, do they have any practical use beyond the cool factor?
I just can't see using it in a self-defense situation: You start with a knife, but then you shoot the blade. You might miss. A hit would likely fail to incapacitate, and you're down a weapon.
15 USC §1245 was passed after the movie "Commando" where Arnold Schwarzenegger uses one to kill a drug deal's merc (right before he blows up the compound IIRC).
The U.S. Senate and House delegation from New York conspired in mid-80s to label ballistic knives, "the favorite weapons of drug dealers". Mario Biaggi (D-Federal Prison) called that the blades flew like bullets and penetrated ballistic vests. It was all a lie. No police officer was ever shot with a ballistic knife.
Like all anti-thing laws, it was based on lies.