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Author Topic: The NEW Four Rules of Firearm Safety  (Read 2105 times)

Offline citizen

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The NEW Four Rules of Firearm Safety
« on: February 02, 2018, 08:18:32 PM »
I know many of you may be interested in this subject so I am curious as to hear people's responses and opinions. We are currently pursuing publication of this article. I know I am not the first one to write such an article but this is what makes sense to me. Enjoy.

To read the article on our website click on: http://www.avoidthefight.com/whats-new/

Or simply read the text below:


The NEW Four Rules of Firearm Safety
By Cody Blocker CPS

The four firearms safety rules as laid out by Jeff Cooper are a safety standard that have helped numerous students, instructors and the firearms industry for decades. There is no doubt the concise and well-thought out rules have been incredibly helpful in making people safe with their firearms. The contribution by Jeff Cooper to this subject cannot be minimized. I personally, have benefited greatly by learning Cooper’s rules. But like many concepts, things change and evolve over time.

In the following article, I will present a different perspective on Cooper’s Rules. Words are important and the words we chose mean things, so in the following paper I will examine the words used and present an updated perspective of the rules that better apply to a tactical environment.

My intent is that this article is an homage of Cooper and his achievement. It is simply to ask questions and challenge instructors to train better, smarter, safer and more efficiently. We need to continually out think the bad guys and make ourselves better and safer.

Posing this question of a “new” set of rules is controversial because instantly the critics will incorrectly hear that someone is advocating unsafe gun handling and are too lazy to adhere to the tried and true method of “safe gun handling” as defined by Cooper. But this is not the case. I challenge those critics to open their minds and look at the concept exactly as I am explaining it, not as they perceive it. My proposal should be read in context of the entirety of the concept, not seen as simply a contrarian rejection of Cooper. I am certainly not advocating sloppy gun handling or laziness or any sort of mindset that says “I’m too good for Cooper’s rules, I’m better than that.” Anyone who thinks that they “have arrived” or that “a negligent discharge will never happen to me” is ignorant and prideful. Safety is a mindset that comes from an attitude of humility that needs to be intentionally cultivated every day of our lives.

In training, I learned early on that it was important to clarify if you are training for techniques or tactics (Howe, Pagni, Pannone). For communication purposes of this paper, techniques could be defined as a specific motor skill or a concept like marksmanship. Tactics could be defined as the process of strategic thinking and using those techniques in combat against an opponent. I believe Cooper’s Rules primarily have a “technique-focus” but are lacking in the “tactics-focus” area. Let’s start at the beginning.


History of Cooper's Rules

Jeff Cooper has stated that the basis for the rules started to come together in the late 50s and early 60s. They were most likely compiled from ideas in the Marine Corps and the Southwest Pistol League (Schaefer). There was originally one rule:

1.   All guns are loaded.

Although this rule should have been enough, Jeff Cooper was a student of human nature and other rules were added to help insure better safety. Jack O’Connor’s book, Complete Book of Shooting (1965) contains a section by Cooper listing the original three standard rules as:

1.   Guns are always loaded.
2.   Muzzle in a safe direction.
3.   Be sure of your target.

By 1986, Cooper still taught    these three rules but talked about a “fourth rule” to be added (Schaefer). Different instructors have modified the rules over the years and taught the concepts slightly different. However, the framework and relation to Cooper cannot be ignored. For communication purposes of this article, the four rules that we will be using for reference is the version written in 2003, in Jeff Coopers’ Commentaries. Where he states the rules as:

The Standard Rules of Safe Gun Handling
1.   All guns are always loaded. Even if they are not, treat them as if they are.
2.   Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3.   Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on target.
4.   Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified (Cooper).

The wisdom and brevity of the four rules make them memorable and easy to learn. One has to violate at least two of the rules in order for someone to become injured. The rules have a built-in redundancy, something that is always helpful when it comes to safety. There are few other such wise and concise statements that have added as much benefit to the shooting community as Cooper’s rules.

I have been fortunate enough to participate in a good deal of firearms and combatives training over the years, and especially these last few years where the market has had no shortage of firearms instructors. I have been fortunate to learn from many high quality and Tier 1 instructors. During my years of continual training, I began to pick up little, subtle differences that each said or hinted at during their classes. Over time, I heard many consistencies and began to compile each instructor’s version of the rules and compare it with others. Each one of these instructors had clearly thought out their exact wording in detail. But I found it interesting why each instructor decided to highlight a somewhat different focus or use slightly different words. I frequently noticed that Cooper’s rules were stated primarily for an “administrative setting” yet another set of rules were sometimes used for practical training purposes on the range. One thing is for sure, every instructor who mentioned the rules always respected Cooper’s contribution, however many of them would provided their own commentary or opinion on the rules.

These other well-respected instructors were not saying the Cooper’s rules were wrong, but that the rules may be missing a few things. This article is my attempt to compile those thoughts into one system. I have chosen what I believe to be the best presentation of the rules. I will highlight which versions I have selected and the reasons why below. Let’s look at each rule one at a time.

Rule # 1: All guns are always loaded. Even if they are not, treat them as if they are.

To read the full article visit our website at: http://www.avoidthefight.com/whats-new/

Offline ILoveCats

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Re: The NEW Four Rules of Firearm Safety
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2018, 11:58:29 PM »
I find those variations on the four rules to be awful, confusing and dangerous. They take something perfectly clear and well thought out, twist up the meaning of the concepts then infuse all sorts of needless additional elements. I felt embarrassed for the author just reading it.

My two cents.
"Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder." ~ FCK

Offline Dan W

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Re: The NEW Four Rules of Firearm Safety
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2018, 12:39:49 AM »
I don't  have any problems with the added elements  or the rewording of the rules as I  pretty nuch already have made those distinctions in my own mind, but i can see where the complications might make one less experienced with firearm handling a bit hesitant or uncertain because of the complexity.

In training my grandsons I will likely stick to the 4 rules Cooper used, because  we have quiz before every session and if you don't pass you don't  play, so simpler is better
Dan W    NFOA Co Founder
Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom.   J. F. K.

Offline sidearm1

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Re: The NEW Four Rules of Firearm Safety
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2018, 07:13:00 AM »
To quote the esteemed Colonel: "I think it is a solution to a non-existent problem."   It seems that "instructors" always have to come up with something to make them "different/better" than others, when simply the basics are best.  To reference Siddle and then create the same problem he tried to avoid: "the more options the longer the reaction".  The basics have worked and probably will continue to work.  Keep it simple, Keep it direct and keep it on point.

Offline HuskerXDM

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Re: The NEW Four Rules of Firearm Safety
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2018, 09:40:48 AM »
In Lincoln, there should be a 5th rule:  Thou shalt take your gun out of your unlocked vehicle at night

The master has failed more than the beginner has even tried.

Offline Mali

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Re: The NEW Four Rules of Firearm Safety
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2018, 07:14:19 PM »
 I read this as both a student and an instructor. Honestly, your interpretation was good, but too wordy. People need the quick Cooper rules because they are easy to remember and quick to read. I have taught a lot of classes on different subjects over the years and found that too many people over the years ignore a rule that has too many words.
Use the K.I.S.S. principle and people remember then for a long time.
I used to teach a class on access security for a software platform and had 5 rules for people to follow.  I quickly found that it was best to keep it simple and quick or people would not remember them. I would suggest finding a way to boil them down a bit.
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. - Ronald Reagan

Offline ILoveCats

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Re: The NEW Four Rules of Firearm Safety
« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2018, 11:55:35 PM »
... Honestly, your interpretation was good, but ....

I think you are being generous. His interpretations of the rules are patently false and dangerous.

Always keep your finger on the slide until you’ve made the conscious decision to fire.

WHAT THE **** DOES THAT MEAN?  ???  OMG, someone is going to teach that to new shooters? 

What if the gun doesn’t have a “slide”?

So I can’t hold the gun in any other way to keep it safe unless I’m touching the “slide”? I can’t wrap all my fingers around the grip, it will fire then?

Or what if I’m holding the barrel of an open revolver that I’m handing to someone? That would be dangerous?

Do I have to touch the “slide” with just one finger? What if I touch it with two? Or seven? Will any particular finger do?

If I’m walking through tall grass and a pheasant flushes, I’ve made the conscious decision I’m going to fire. Can I put my finger on the trigger immediately then? It sure sounds like it from this new and improved rule.




 
"Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder." ~ FCK

Offline Mali

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Re: The NEW Four Rules of Firearm Safety
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2018, 06:20:05 AM »
I was being generous.
Dramatics aside, you are correct that what he says is not clear. Like I said, they need to be simple instead of complex sentences. He has good rules as a whole, but then it is hard not to when the core of them are Cooper's Rules.
You are complete right though that the meaning is not clearly communicated with his new rules.

BTW, I find that the easiest way to communicate "finger off the trigger" is what I was taught "Keep your booger hook off the bang switch until ready to fire"
Simple. Straight forward. Quite memorable.  ;)
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. - Ronald Reagan

Offline Les

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Re: The NEW Four Rules of Firearm Safety
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2018, 10:05:18 AM »
You spent a good deal of time and effort on those, but I won't be using those on any new to firearms people whom ask for advice/teaching (Mostly family and friends), simple is best in this case.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2018, 12:41:56 PM by Les »

Offline ILoveCats

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Re: The NEW Four Rules of Firearm Safety
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2018, 06:05:44 PM »
Dramatics aside,

!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE NO IDEA WHY YOU THINK I AM BEING DRAMATIC !!!!!!!!!
lmao  :laugh:
"Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder." ~ FCK

Offline ILoveCats

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Re: The NEW Four Rules of Firearm Safety
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2018, 06:29:40 PM »
In all seriousness, the only two words in the English language more offensive than “improved Cooper” are “vodka martini”.
"Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder." ~ FCK

Offline citizen

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Re: The NEW Four Rules of Firearm Safety
« Reply #11 on: February 09, 2018, 09:02:58 PM »
Thank you for your honest feedback, this is very helpful.