Rule #5 – Take the Shot

By Dan Zimmerman

Colonel Jeff Cooper was a very smart man. He wrote a lot of books, had a storied career as a Marine Corps officer in WWII and Korea, and established the Gunsite Academy in Arizona which has a well-deserved worldwide reputation for high-quality firearms training. Colonel Cooper was also a staunch supporter of the 1911 pattern Colt .45 semi-automatic pistol and a vocal detractor of the modern DA/SA “crunch & tickle” semi-autos in lesser calibers, as well as the creator of the “Scout” style rifle. There are many people of the gun today who do not know of Colonel Cooper, who died in 2006, but probably know one of his most important lessons: the four rules of firearm safety . . .

Far be it from me, a mere keyboard cammando, to disparage anything the venerable Jeff Cooper had to say, but my EDC is a striker-fired Ruger SR9c and my rifle is a Ruger SR-556. Personally I have never liked the 1911 pistol, although I understand its merits and the reasons so many other shooters do like it.

My point is, the world has changed since Colonel Cooper pontificated his opinions on firearms. The four rules remain sacrosanct because, by and …read more

Source:: Truth About Guns