Sir, I must respectfully disagree. I would argue that Cooper's formulation is the simplest yet devised that covers the broadest range of circumstances, with particular relevance to those, like CCW holders or police officers who, while not living in free-fire zones, carry a hot weapon on a daily basis. They apply in administrative settings (ie, changing ammuntion, clearing a weapon etc.), while training, when the weapon must be presented, and during a firefight. The mental reminder "all guns are loaded" has saved more than a few ND's. One needn't quibble that this is an illogical, or even factually untrue assertion; it serves as a simplified mental "safety" when one is tired, distracted, or otherwise not at the top of one's game.
And in such real-world situations, the final reminder, to be aware of one's target and background, is perhaps the most important, and should not be conflated into a "safe direction" phrase. Indeed, CCW holders must on occasion point their weapons in directions that are inherently unsafe from someone's perspective, as, for instance, at an armed assailant.
There is nothing wrong with the NRA rules, but historically, and practically, they are directed at a recreational or training environment where one might argue that it is acceptable to holster a cold pistol, and one need not worry about the target or ballistic integrity of the backstop.
They have value for dogfaces and grunts. However they have proven to be unsafe. Police Officer Safety Training (POST) train with Cooper rules. Many years ago the NRA used the Cooper rules; They are much safer because: Why do I point the gun in a safe direction? Why do I keep my finger off the trigger? I don't load a gun until I plan to use it. I train and certify NRA Certified Instructors in all disciplines I'm a Chief Range Safety Officer training NRA Certified Range Safety Officers Here are the rules which are safer than Cooper rules:
Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use
1. Know your target and what is beyond. 2. Be sure the gun is safe to operate. 3. Know how to use the gun safely. 4. Use only the correct ammunition for your gun. 5. Wear eye and ear protection. 6. NEVER use alcohol or drugs before or while shooting. 7. Store guns so they are NOT accessible to unauthorized persons. 8. Be aware that certain types of guns and many shooting activities require additional safety precautions. I am quite familiar with Col. Cooper's rules.
When you plan to shoot or store , the following rules come into effect:
Which is where they were developed during WWII.
The NRA Training Department has developed Police Firearms training
based on NRA Safety rules in hope of reducing NDs by LEOs
His rules proved to be unsafe as NDs did not decrease,
the NRA training dept spent years developing safer rules.
Since the introduction of the new rules NDs among
those trained with the new rules have dramatically decreased
Because until I inspect the chamber, I assume it is loaded.
Because I assume that it is loaded until I inspect the chamber.
including Personal Protection both in and outside the Home.
and I also teach the development of Standard Operating Procedures for the operation of
both indoor and outdoor ranges in all disciplines. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction
NRA Eight Rules for Using or Storing A Gun
There are many more training rules for both concealed and open carry.
However the three fundamental rules apply in all circumstances.
I hope that I have made it very clear why Cooper rules have failed to protect the shooter.
If you rely only on the Cooper rules you have placed yourself at greater risk.
This is indeed a topic that seems never to rest. If there are empirical data showing that the NRA’s “ABC” ruleset itself generates a lower ND rate among trainees, that would be good news indeed, and speaks well for the hard work of a fine organization, and dedicated trainers such as yourself.
However, there is more to it than that.
For example, rule A seems overly delicate, and frankly, appears guaranteed to leave “training scars” if one must train for the fight, rather than the range. Cooper’s turn of phrase, both more poetic and more accurate “not willing to destroy” also conjures the terrible consequences firearms are capable of delivering. Indeed, it is unsafe to point your duty weapon at, say, an armed robbery suspect, but it must be done and the officer or armed citizen must be willing to take that terrible step and “destroy” his target, if it comes to that. In training we indulge at our peril in soft euphemisms, a luxury the grunt and the dogface, the cop and the armed citizen cannot afford.
Cooper himself does a better job of addressing this, so those interested would be well advised to consult the guru:
http://www.molonlabe.net/Commentaries/jeff11_13.html
That said, I’m not trying to pick a fight. You have your perspective, based on your training and experience, and I have mine, based on my own. That’s not really material, though. Testable hypotheses will eventually be proved in the field. At present, Rules 1-4 have been shown to work, and Rules ABC are the contenders.
Again, I’ll remind you that no set of rules is “better”. For that to happen, two sets of control groups who have never had any experience with firearms would have to be divided with one set trained with Cooper’s Rules and the other set trained with the NRA rules.
The two groups would then be set out into the firearms world for a complete count of accidents, negigent discharges and near misses.
Only then would you be able to claim that one group of rules is “better”.