Posted on 03/02/2011 9:21:03 AM PST by ArrogantBustard
Guns are dangerous tools. They can save lives and they can destroy them. When you take on the responsibility to handle a firearm, you must take it seriously and you must educate yourself, on all that it takes to be a safe and responsible gun owner. You may be surprised to learn that there are only four basic golden rules to gun safety. If you follow these rules—at all times—you will be safe and so will the people around you. Please realize that any gun owner who's foolish enough to disobey these golden rules, by negligence or stupidity, makes us all look bad. If you know someone who's new to firearm ownership, or if you know an "expert" who thinks he or she no longer needs to follow these rules, please send them this link. I hate to sound melodramatic, but it will probably save lives.
The four golden rules were given to us by the late Col. Jeff Cooper. To many, as to me, Mr. Cooper is the father of the modern pistol craft. If you take the time to read his books (e.g. To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth) , you'll find that he is much more than that but, in this context, we'll look at the knowledge he condensed and packaged for us.
The four golden rules to firearm safety:
1. All guns are always loaded.
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 the target.
4. Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at shadows and/or noises.
(Excerpt) Read more at associatedcontent.com ...
'treat every gun as a loaded gun' is essentially another version of 'all guns are always loaded'... less confusion is absurd...the ASSumption that all guns are always loaded DEMANDS that i verify for myself the condition of the weapon, whether you just 'checked' it and handed it to me, or whether i stowed it in the safe/cupboard/drawer yesterday...
by simply english semantics, 'unloaded when not in use' allows a casual mind to have irresponsible/lazy wiggle room for an ASSumption that "well, since its not in use, it could/should/must be un-loaded", and more possibility for bad results...
now IF you or yer nra endorsed brethren can demonstrably cite/source valid data that shows a statistical advantage to a passive wording when being instructed of handling of dangerous tools, Id love to see it...but i bet that the only *proof* lies in the nra says so...and that just aint good enuff for me...
at the end of the day, both packages of attitudes towards safe handling of firearms accomplish the same goals, for those who are responsible enuff to live by em...i just fail to see why anyone would militantly endorse a weaker wording that may just cost their kids his/her life...
I like bacon. Noah was the crow that ate the silicone sealant out of the window frames at work. He was ADD. About maybe 5% of the population are truly ADD. I was watching the starlings on the power wire today and most of them swooped to the lawn to eat seeds, but a few stayed on the line. I assumed that was the bird’s 5%. They are known as lunch if you’re a kestrel. There’s a strong correlation between the Meyer Briggs group INTP/ENTP with ADD. Don’t know if it’s causal, or even peer review studied. I’m ENTP, and love birds. And bacon.
It seems that Cooper assumed some basic common sense while the NRA dumbs it down for those without common sense.
Arrogance breeds idiocy.
Once upon a time I had a Taurus .22 LR pistol with a tip barrel that was a knockoff of a Berretta.
While at the range it began double firing.
Fortunately I was observing the rules, treating it as loaded, , pointing it only at the target, ensuring my target and behind.
The gun malfunctioned and fired twice per pull on the trigger.
Accidental, yes.
Negligent, no.
Keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. If the gun was defective, The first thing I would look to would be I would hope you would observe NRA Rule one
the manufacturer is negligent not an accident.
lack of cleaning by the operator
On the tv show Sons of Guns, the daddy test fired a Thompson they were rebuilding which continued full auto after he’d released the trigger. Not slam fire, malfunction. in my experience as an IDPA range officer, I’ve seen slam fires in mini 14’s and SKS’s. I’ve seen several FTF’s where the primer was dented. Cooper was sufficient in all these cases.
OTOH, observing a squib... and praying the shooter heard you shout STOP is a real wakeup.
Shoot fast. Shoot straight. Shoot safe.
Practice. Carry. Glock rocks.
btw that was sacrilege what they did to that Thompson
I know. Akin to refinishing a musket in flat black and a pic rail. Sick.
You do jump to conclusions, don’t you?
Knowledge and wisdom are not synonymous.
Negligence has an actual definition and shouldn’t be bandied about carelessly.
Bottom line is that the NRA rules seem to be very well adapted for those unable to understand Cooper’s 4, and that is from your own admission.
Really ??
I was told the gun is always loaded, the dog always bites, and the mule always kicks.
Even as a young child I do not recall taking this to be literal, but to be a cautionary statement to be acted upon until proven other wise.
Unloaded and verified firearms have never loaded themselves in my presence. Nice doggies have quit being nice - but then they are not inanimate objects. No experience with kicking mules.
Where’s that gun cam?
http://montego.roughwheelers.com/Images/s&w.gif
if it hadn’t been a knockoff I’d have written a letter to the Parrish Sheriff
the project that had me moist was when they built the ma deuce
mmm 50 cal. anti aircraft weapons...
There is some validity to that - NRA sought to develop easy to understand, universally applicable rules that are simple for both novice and expert to implement.
As noted, the major issue with the "Cooper" rules is the "all guns are loaded" assumption. For the expert or journeyman, that might be a useful caution - for someone inexperienced with firearms, it's not instructive.
In practice, NRA 1 and 2 inherently assume a loaded firearm and direct "Always" appropriate action.
3 simply directs that operators unload firearms not under their direct or indirect, immediate control - which cause the majority of unintentional shootings.
"Weaker" wording? Precisely the opposite. "Cooper" No. 1 is not helpful to the novice shooter. NRA 1 and 2 actively direct the operator to treat the gun as loaded, regardless of it's condition, without the use of fiction.
NRA 3 directs operators to unload firearms not in their span of control -an element that causes the majority of firearms injury to kids, and the Cooper rules don't address.
"well, since its not in use, it could/should/must be un-loaded", and more possibility for bad results...
Impossible if NRA 1 and 2 are obeyed. "All guns are loaded" is meaningless absent the requirement to safely handle the firearm, it adds nothing.
my kids will work on the knowledge that all guns should be considered hot, unless and until they see for themselves...
Please dont waste anymore bandwidth on this semantical masturbation, as Im sure you have a desk full of NRA donation mailers that you really outta be lickin stamps for...
LOL, yes, that's how I renew my instructor creds =).
Quite frankly I don’t have a problem with someone modifying the rules for specific groups, but I do have a problem with someone showing open contempt for someone as iconic as Cooper.
It doesn’t take a lot of guts to challenge a dead guy.
Ya know...even compared to yourself you’re not all that.
I have no clue what you are trying to say.
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