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Cooper, firearms expert, dead at 86 - Instrumental in firearms training to thousands
Prescott Daily Courier ^ | September 26, 2006 | NA

Posted on 09/26/2006 11:19:54 AM PDT by neverdem

World-renowned firearms expert Jeff Cooper, founder of the Gunsite firearms training center in Paulden, died Monday afternoon at his home near the training center.

Cooper, 86, had been battling several health problems in recent years.

The family plans a private burial ceremony and will announce a memorial ceremony at the National Rifle Association Whittington Center in New Mexico in the near future.

Cooper had been a member of the NRA Board of Directors.

Born on May 20, 1920, in Los Angeles, as John Dean Cooper, Cooper who always went by "Jeff," earned a master's degree in history and taught history.

He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II as well as in Southeast Asia and Korea.

In the 1960s, he organized a group called the Bear Valley Gunslingers and the Southwest Combat League. During the organizations' shooting competitions at Big Bear, he formulated the Modern Technique of combat handgun shooting which incorporates a large-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a two handed Weaver stance, breath control and a surprise trigger break.

In 1976, he founded the American Pistol Institute, or Gunsite, at Paulden to teach those pistol techniques and later added a full curriculum on pistols, rifles and shotguns.

Since then, more than 18,000 students, including celebrities like Tom Selleck, law enforcement officers, military members from many nations and many civilians have graduated from courses there.

Cooper sold the operation in 1992 and dissociated himself from the new owners but continued to live on the land in a home he called The Sconce. He became involved with the center again in 1999 when it changed ownership.

He was a frequent sight on the grounds clad in green military fatigues and riding around the sprawling property on a three-wheeled all-terrain vehicle.

Known in firearms circles as "The Gunner's Guru," Cooper taught about firearms in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, South Africa and Rhodesia. Many have called him the world's foremost expert on small arms (rifles, pistols and shotguns).

He was editor at large of Guns & Ammo Magazine and a prolific writer on firearms.

His books include "The Art of the Rifle," "Another Country," Sports Car Annual," "Fireworks," "To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth," "C Stories" and "Gunsite Gossip," Volumes I and II as well as the many articles he wrote for Guns & Ammo Magazine.

He also produced "Cooper's Commentaries," a series of monthly essays on the Internet.

In his writings, Cooper coined the term "hoplophobia" to denote the irrational fear of weapons.

He hunted big game all over the world and especially loved Africa. He also was an avid sports car enthusiast.

Cooper received the American Handgunner Award in 1995 and the St. Gabriel Possenti Award. St. Gabriel is the patron saint of shooters.

Surviving are his widow, Janelle Cooper; three daughters, Christy, Mrs. Chick Hastings of Prescott, Parry, Mrs. Bruce Health of Denver, Colo., and Lindy, Mrs. Joe Wisdom of Tempe, as well as five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; US: Arizona; US: New Mexico
KEYWORDS: banglist; cooper; gunsite; hoplophobia; jeffcooper; johndeancooper; nationalrifleassn; nra
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To: ExSoldier
He was the Father of the Steyr scout. I dunno if they paid him, but it was at HIS urging that the rifle came into being. I Do know that they provided him with samples in various calibers (suggested by him) as well as new variations like the model with the integral magazine holder in the stock.

I've shot both his first example, Scout I, based on a Remington Model 600 in .308, about which we chatted after I showed up for a Gunsite 270 rifle course with my own modified Remmie Mohawk 600/.308 and a Garand. If you have an early [circa 1997] copy of Cooper's Art of the Rifle, you might want to pick up or at least take a look at one of the later colour editions, which includes additional material on the scout rifle concept and development- which still has a few interesting corners to be developed. Steyr has not to my knowledge offered a left-handed version, fairly important for a boltgun, and the ScoutSemi development will go on to Honor the good Colonel's memory, even if the turnbolt versions were closer to his heart.

No, Steyr did NOT pay him monetarily, at least, but did indeed call upon his input for the rifle's debut and subsequent improvement....which in several respects they ignored for various reasons of their own.

In the meantime, there's additional info here:

ScoutStuff archive [Ching]

Cooper on the Scout

Father Frog's Steyer Scout info page

61 posted on 09/29/2006 10:57:59 AM PDT by archy (I am General Tso. This is my Chief of Staff, Colonel Sanders....)
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To: Iris7
You must be the only other Freeper to have read Hans Delbrück's History of the Art of War.

Nope. I know of at least two others besides myself, all via the Renfroe translation, I believe. All of the three are in that line of work, so it's not too surprising. Four-volume works are not usual fare for the casual reader....

62 posted on 09/29/2006 11:12:48 AM PDT by archy (I am General Tso. This is my Chief of Staff, Colonel Sanders....)
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To: JohnD9207
God Speed Jeff. I highly recommend reading his book, 'Another Country' a collection of his personal adventures.

The past is *another country,* things were different there.

Sniper story for you.

63 posted on 09/29/2006 11:15:41 AM PDT by archy (I am General Tso. This is my Chief of Staff, Colonel Sanders....)
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To: neverdem

Gonna miss that last page article each issue.....Blessings and prayers for his kin.......


64 posted on 09/29/2006 11:24:01 AM PDT by litehaus (A memory tooooo long)
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To: SunTzuWu
I haven't read Delbruck's History of the Art of War though based on your recommendation I intend to.

It's History of the Art of War Within the Framework of Political History. It runs four volumes worth in the Renfroe translation version from Greenwood Press- ISBN: 0-837-16365-X.

If you don't read anything else, check out Vol II on the Barbarian Invasions...and it'll help if you have Fox News or CNN on in the background.

65 posted on 09/29/2006 11:25:07 AM PDT by archy (I am General Tso. This is my Chief of Staff, Colonel Sanders....)
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