Carpentry and Woodworking - Interior Stair Rail ends

I am installing an oak handrail using brackets mounted on the wall. It is a straight run. I need to know how to treat the ends of the rail. I have seen them cut off at an angle but don't remember if the the angle should be cut away from the bottom or just cut to be vertical.

Example 1. /-----------\
Example 2. \-----------\

I was also reading in old posts in the forum that the code now requires a return to the wall instead of open ends to prevent clothing from getting caught. Is this true for all interior stairs? The post I was reading said they were using pipe for the railing so I wasn't sure what type of stairs they were talking about.

Thanks for any help.

You will cut the ends of the rail at a 45 degree angle to the wall. Leave about 8 inches of left over. Take the left over of the bottom and attach it to the top angle, and the top left over to the bottom. I glue them and nail them with 2" finish nails, then cut them at a point that will allow them to fit flush against the wall. Since it is such a small piece, there will be no fastening to the wall. Hope this helps. Let us know if we can help further.