Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Are Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper’s Teachings Still Relevant?” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/4-rules-of-gun-safety/.
Are Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper’s Teachings Still Relevant?
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
HansGruber
Ronin
Yes. His teachings still hold.
HansGruber
Ronin
So…I disagree—depending on the individual.
Some people have a problem with alcohol, even one drink; others don’t.
Personally, I fall in the latter category.
If I go out for lunch, and choose to have A (singular, ONE) beer, and have a J-frame in my pocket…i don’t feel like it’s going to be an issue, any more than I think driving home after that one beer will be (in fact, the driving part is more likely to cause an accident exponentially more than the firearm).
Don’t take this as an endorsement of getting hammered and playing with guns, though. Or going gun shopping after a few…because that’s how you end up buying guns you really didn’t intend to…
fordag
Elite
It will be an enormous legal issue should you need to use your pistol in self defense shortly after lunch. This is why I only drink alcohol when I'm at home for the night and I'm not going anywhere that evening.
Besides the price they charge for an ounce and a half or so of good single malt Scotch in bars and restaurants is absolutely robbery.
fordag
Elite
Jeff Cooper covered that in his expanded rules.
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.
(For those who insist that this particular gun is unloaded, see Rule 1.)
3. Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target.
This is the Golden Rule. Its violation is directly responsible for about 60 percent of inadvertent discharges.
4. Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified.
Those will do. We need all four and we do not need five. It should not be necessary to belabor this issue, but life is not perfect."
– Jeff Cooper, Commentaries, Volume 11, Number 4.
Any firearms dealer that lets anyone with any sign of alcohol or drugs will lose his license.
HansGruber
Ronin
Well, since I’m not breaking any laws…(MN allows carry up to .04 BAC)…I don’t think it will be, any more than if I was driving and got in an accident.
Your state laws may vary, but I’m only concerned with mine.
I will agree with pricing, though. $60 for a pour of Hakushu?!?
HansGruber
Ronin
Don’t tell my usual dealer, then.
I mean, he’s given me a taste of local moonshine a few times.
Bemused Berserker
Elite
I would hold that everything Col. Cooper taught still holds significant significance today and tomorrow. His condensing of the 10 Commandments to 4 Cardinal Rules of Gun Safety is a monumental change.
How many of us learned the 10 rules as kids, only to find that Col. Cooper's 4 rules were a lot easier to remember and apply? I know I did, and that's how I taught my children and now, my Grandchildren. When your 7 year old Grandchild can repeat the 4 and demonstrate them, you know they're successful.
Cooper had opinions on stances and guns that were based upon his personal biases. No, the 1911 isn't the end all, be all of guns, and the Weaver stance may be best for some, but it doesn't work for all shooters, but these were his opinions and not the fundamentals that he taught.
I still find Col. Coopers work and opinions to be just as relevant today, as they were 40+ years ago when I first read his work.
How many of us learned the 10 rules as kids, only to find that Col. Cooper's 4 rules were a lot easier to remember and apply? I know I did, and that's how I taught my children and now, my Grandchildren. When your 7 year old Grandchild can repeat the 4 and demonstrate them, you know they're successful.
Cooper had opinions on stances and guns that were based upon his personal biases. No, the 1911 isn't the end all, be all of guns, and the Weaver stance may be best for some, but it doesn't work for all shooters, but these were his opinions and not the fundamentals that he taught.
I still find Col. Coopers work and opinions to be just as relevant today, as they were 40+ years ago when I first read his work.
Bemused Berserker
Elite
fordag
Elite
That's interesting to know about MN.
In my state there is no stated %
"...any individual who carries on his person, or has under his control in a vehicle, a loaded firearm while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, marijuana, narcotic drugs, depressants, stimulant substances, or the vapors of glue shall be held in violation of this law...."
Either way I can see any politically minded DA making it a large part of their prosecution.
$60 a glass?! 12 or 18 year old?
HansGruber
Ronin
12…seriously.
And, after discussing this subject with an attorney years ago, when I first started carrying…since I’m not in violation of the law, and unless there’s a direct link to the shooting…it would most likely get tossed in the evidentiary hearings. Of course, it would cost me $$$ in legal fees, but…
I’m comfortable with it.
Bemused Berserker
Elite
In general, I agree with you. At one time, I would've added any Controlled Substance to the statement.
Now, I would say that small amounts of Alcohol or legally prescribed medications are OK, as long as there is no Impairment. If you're starting to get a buzz from it, you shouldn't carry.
Because of the Degenerative Joint Disease I was diagnosed with 12 years ago, I eventually had to be prescribed a narcotic to deal with the pain of bone rubbing on bone. Do I or anyone else notice any Impairment? Not that shows up in a Sobriety test. I never feel euphoria with the medication, just a reduction in pain to a manageable level.
Judgement is the main concern. If your judgements compromised, you shouldn't carry or even handle a gun.
Now, I would say that small amounts of Alcohol or legally prescribed medications are OK, as long as there is no Impairment. If you're starting to get a buzz from it, you shouldn't carry.
Because of the Degenerative Joint Disease I was diagnosed with 12 years ago, I eventually had to be prescribed a narcotic to deal with the pain of bone rubbing on bone. Do I or anyone else notice any Impairment? Not that shows up in a Sobriety test. I never feel euphoria with the medication, just a reduction in pain to a manageable level.
Judgement is the main concern. If your judgements compromised, you shouldn't carry or even handle a gun.
HansGruber
Ronin
Bingo. Couldn’t agree more.
