The Four Golden Rules of Firearms Safety

AC ^ | Feb 11, 2010 | Dan S. Defense

[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.

[ArrogantBustard]

Ping

[edpc]

5. Firearms should not be handled after uttering the phrase, “Hold muh beer.”

[Vaquero]

if you go to Gunsite in northern AZ...it is posted everywhere.

Mr. Cooper was great man...I especially like rule #1...

...an unloaded gun is a club...why bother.

[MeganC]

Respect the will of anti-gun liberals and decline to use your guns to defend them when they’re assaulted.

[I see my hands]

The first rule of interaction after shooting a BG: Say "I was afraid for my life, I want a lawyer" and nothing more, not one word more.

[mamelukesabre]

I think you don’t understand rule number one. It is not telling us it is mandatory to load all guns at all times. It is telling us that we are to assume all guns are loaded at all times and handle them as if they are loaded at all times even if we know they are not loaded.

[ArrogantBustard]

Rule One establishes a mentality without which NO set of rules, however carefully devised, will really make sense.

If it's not loaded, if it can't discharge and kill somebody, why worry about all this safety stuff?

[MrB]

We have a “pre” rule one at our house -

all guns are real, not toys, and are to be treated as such with the following four.

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[petro45acp]

A great scene containing THE four rules can be found in the novel “PALLAS” by L Neil Smith, in the chapter titled “The Grizzly Win Mag.” the author provides appropriate attribution, and writes an excellent scenario around the introduction of Col Cooper’s rules to a very new shooter.

2.5 place guarded trust in mechanical safeties...

[MortMan]

Actually, there is one more thing you should say. “I think I may be having a heart attack.” This makes the police summon a medic, who will evaluate you, and give you time to have your heartbeat slow back down to close to normal.

[Niteranger68]

Based on some conversations with firearm newbies, the first rule (1. All guns are always loaded) is the only one that seems to require a bit more thought than the rest. If taken literally, things like cleaning and dry-fire practice would be off limits. And who wants to assume that all your guns are loaded when you need one to deal with a threat? The idea behind this rule is that one should use the same safe handling practices whether the gun is known to be loaded or not. Heck, we have a small novelty laser pointer (for driving the cats crazy) that is shaped like a handgun, yet I am still careful not to put my finger on the trigger (which activates the laser) until I know my head is clear and I understand exactly what is in my hand.

Good article!

[I see my hands]

I hear you but that would be a mistake as it gives the prosecutor and or plaintiff's atty. the opportunity to question your competence in determining if your life was at threat.

[D-fendr]

“Hold muh beer.”

Whatever you're going to do right after you say "Honey, watch this…", don't do it.

[Joe Brower]

This thread has just added to the FreeRepublic "bang list" (firearms interest list) by adding the keyword "banglist".

Any time a firearms-related thread is created on FreeRepublic, please be sure to add the "banglist" keyword to it so that interested FReepers don't miss it. Just a suggestion.

Let Freedom Ring,

Click the pic to go to the Gun Facts v5.1 download page!

[PapaBear3625]

I think you don’t understand rule number one. It is not telling us it is mandatory to load all guns at all times. It is telling us that we are to assume all guns are loaded at all times and handle them as if they are loaded at all times even if we know they are not loaded.

I was attending an advanced pistol class in another city. The instructor told us to practice dry-firing after class. One student was practicing his dry-firing in his motel room. As you might guess, the firearm he thought was unloaded had a round in the chamber. BANG! Round went through motel wall and through the next room, narrowly missing the occupant.

With me, regardless of my degree of sureness that a gun is unloaded, I will not point it another human, nor tolerate anybody else doing so in my presence. When I need to pull the trigger on my presumably empty gun in order to release spring tension in order to disassemble it for cleaning, I always do so with the gun pointing at a brick wall facing an empty back yard. Etc.

[Joe Brower]

[Ro_Thunder]

[oyez]

Be sure your target is worth the ammo.