It must be due to all those Kalashnikov rifles that are issued to prisoners upon their incarceration. Jeff Cooper's Daily Market Report. Rule #2Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy: Any weapon that has been assembled and is in your hands could be discharged. ", Follow AzQuotes on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. "Treat all guns as if they were loaded." (NRA please take note.) In 1997, Cooper wrote that he coined the term hoplophobia in 1962 "in response to a perceived need for a word to describe a mental aberration consisting of an unreasoning terror of gadgetry, specifically, weapons."[18]. I have long had a tendency to tie marksmanship to morality. The condition in which you carry your firearm is a heavily debated issue and one that Ive taken a stance on before. It never fails that some feel just because a gun is unloaded, its ok to point it at people! Firing an unaligned pistol in a fight gains nothing. Who knows what tragedies you, or someone you influence, may prevent? His method is still used by defensive handgun instructors today. Know what it is, what is in line with it, and what is behind it. These are the core fundamentals that everyone should have committed to memory and be able to rattle off at any time. It is too easy to say that a good shot is automatically a good man, but it would be equally incorrect to ignore the connection. Tools to give you the advantage over any Imminent Threats that come your way. Steve Forrest -, Identifying 7.62 NATO ammo can be tricky. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty. His hands and his weapons are simply extensions of his will, and one of the fallacies of our era is the notion that equipment is the equivalent of force. Skills we advocate to get you through anything life throws at you. I told him that it is my earnest endeavor to see that it does. Do not pretend that this is true. The pistols chamber is empty, a magazine is inserted, and the hammer is down. Whenever you pick up a gun, check it yourself. Cooper defined his goal: a general-purpose rifle is a conveniently portable, individually operated firearm, capable of striking a single decisive blow on a live target of up to 200 kilos in weight at any distance at which the operator can shoot with the precision necessary to place a shot in a vital area of the target. I carry a Sig Sauer P225 daily which is a DA/SA (Double Action, Single Action), which means that the first squeeze of the trigger cocks the hammer and fires the weapon, successive shots are single action which dont require the heavier trigger pull needed to cock the hammer first, as the slide travel is cocking the hammer. Essentially, this is the lesson Jeff Cooper espoused with his color code, perhaps best explained in his book, "Fireworks." The color code, which is still taught at Gunsite Academy, is nothing. Follow thru is key. In the larger sense, however, the personal ownership of firearms is only secondarily a matter of defense against the criminal. Colonel Cooper designed a color code chart that associates levels of awareness to specific colors. But the elevated year-end tax . He later served in the Pacific during World War II, earning the rank of major. Be tough. Following is a treasury of meaning, famous and popular quotes and sayings by Jeff Cooper which have been curated from his life, thoughts and works. 2) Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. Not long ago it was easy to tell who the bad guys were. These people fight small wars amongst themselves. 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Owning a handgun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician. Jeff Cooper Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles.', 'A smart man only believes half of what he hears, a wise . Always cheat, always win. Never point a weapon at anything you don't intend to shoot. Twitter and other social media icons below. "I was . They are not afraid of criminals. I, No. Note the following from Thomas Jefferson: The strongest reason for the people to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against the tyranny of government. 13. Also known as carry conditions, the readiness conditions refer to the various ways to carry a handgun. 1 corresponding to GG Vol. With seven hundred dollars and a thirty ought six! Do not let yourself fall prey to a situation where you might feel compelled to squeal, "I didn't know it was loaded! All thats required is to draw and disengage the safety. He resigned his commission in 1949, but returned to active duty during the Korean War, where he claimed to be involved in irregular warfare in Southeast Asia,[4] and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. There's a possibility this article will slaughter a few sacred cows. It is true; very rarely do firearms accidents involve "loaded" guns. [3] He graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in political science. It is generally reliable, it is comparatively inexpensive, and it is available in respectable calibers. If violent crime is to be curbed, it is only the intended victim who can do it. February 28, 2023. How many people were sitting near the park benches? These rules have been amended and . What may henceforth appear as 'Gunsite Gossip' will be a censored and abbreviated version of my periodical commentary. Its dangerous to place your finger on the trigger before you have your sights on the target and are ready to fire on it. Despite Coopers sale of Gunsite in 1992 he continued to reside on the property where he lived his remaining years passing on his knowledge. That is why our masters in Washington are so anxious to disarm us. 1 rule, but the film crew reportedly used the same firearm that was used in Hutchins' tragic death for off-set "fun." Improper gunhandling results from ignorance and improper role modeling, such as handling your gun like your favorite actor does. John Dean "Jeff" Cooper (May 10, 1920 - September 25, 2006) was a United States Marine, the creator of the "modern technique" of handgun shooting, and an expert on the use and history of small arms. As Im sure youve seen people at a range muzzle sweeping and with their fingers on their triggers, there should be a test every time a firearm is purchased. Cooper understood the importance of presenting a pistol in a way that made it combat-ready, easy to repeat under stress, and flowed smoothly into the proper shooting stance. These are based on how quickly the user can have the weapon ready to fire. Jen Juneau. Do not allow the muzzle to cover your extremities, e.g. It is equally useful in securing meat for the table, destroying group enemies on the battlefield, and resisting tyranny. Click the Learn More button below for details. This page was last edited on 30 January 2023, at 05:07. Above all, its aftermarket service is superior. You should have to recite these four rules out loud, from memory! 25, No. Jeff Cooper The police cannot protect the citizen at this stage of our development, and they cannot even protect themselves in many cases. You may not actually have to act on that, but your body and mind are now prepared for physical conflict. This rule applies to fighting as well as daily carrying and range practice. 2, No. The use of a external safety, is entirely up to the individual and their level of training. What we want to do, more than anything else is to get engaged professionals talking whether they agree with the . In 1976, American Pistol Institute (API) located in Arizona was also founded by Cooper. By understanding how we process danger, we can formulate a method to train ourselves to be more aware. Cindy Coker - Co, *Competitive Shooter of the Week* The aggressor does not fear the law, so he must be taught to fear you. These people fight small wars amongst themselves. In White you are unprepared and unready to take lethal action. After the war, Cooper earned a masters degree and taught high school and community college until he decided to combine his flair for teaching and his passion for firearms by founding the American Pistol Institute. (See Rule #1). Not all of these conditions will apply to striker-fired firearms without a hammer and with only a passive trigger safety. Jeff Cooper, CC Vol. Condition 4: Chamber empty, no magazine in the gun, hammer down, safety on. At ITS, our goal is to foster a community dedicated to learning methods, ideas and knowledge that could save your life. If you don't resist you almost certainly will get killed. They will not accept the truth that if you take all the guns off the street you still will have a crime problem, whereas if you take the criminals off the street you cannot have a gun problem. Improve yourself, find your inspiration, share with friends, Jeff Cooper (2006). "Under any sort of attack, keep cool. Mr. Cooper created these rules and every shooter knows them by heart. There have been sages in the past who have expressed exceptional summaries of the need for this awareness. Riflemen regard Cooper's development of the scout rifle concept and his subsequent work on the evolution of the Steyr-Mannlicher Scout rifle as his most significant and enduring contributions to riflecraft. Also referred to as "cocked and locked.". [citation needed], A complete bibliography of Jeff Cooper's writings from 1947 onwards is available at the Jeff Cooper Bibliography Project. Particular procedures for dry-firing in the home will be covered later. are his carefully designed rules (and commentary) for safe gun handling. The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge nor jury. 0 Shares. Any weapon that has been assembled and is in your hands could be discharged. Col. Cooper is perhaps best known for popularizing the "four rules" of gun safety and the Modern Technique of the Pistol, which he taught at the shooting school he founded, the world-famous. It is a tough choice, but there is only one right answer. It requires the user to draw the pistol and rack the slide. The great part of its sales comes from police departments . It is difficult to surprise him. Prior lists of gun safety rules included as few as three basic safety rules or as many as ten rules including gun safety and sporting etiquette rules. It is a tool of power, and thus dependent completely upon the moral stature of its user. All guns are always loaded. Walking around with your finger positioned carelessly on the trigger invites an accident that could be deadly! The methods used to help with this can be turned into life games. Man fights with his mind. Jeff Cooper's Tweets. (Recall RULE I as well. 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