So we should all Know Col Cooper’s 4 rules of Gun Safety Of course rule #1 is by far the most controversial in so many way. First we have how to word it.
is it “All Guns are always loaded” or is it “Treat all guns as if they are always loaded”. I will say one thing I never read about, but frequently encounter is the first reading often invokes the biggest fears from people who are afraid of guns, in that they instantly picture the frothing and dangerous gun nut with loaded guns littered everywhere and little children doing children things and getting shot. But I’m not a huge fan of the second one because it invokes sing-song imageries of make-believe. Of course what does this really mean? I mean everybody who wants to improve their shooting needs to practice dry fire with the specific gun they wish to improve their skills with. Also there are a few times when you will absolutely be doing things with a gun, be it cleaning or maintenance, or troubleshooting where you very well may have the gun in a condition to shoot and do things that you would NEVER do with a loaded gun. And of course unloaded guns TOTALLY exist, and the converse of this mentality also exists. My carry 1911 IS always loaded. It gets unloaded when I shoot it at the range, and when I clean it, but otherwise its loaded and in my holster, or loaded and in my safe. Day-to-day I’m the only person who handles it, but what’s the first thing I do before I holster my 1911 every day? Press Check, and look for brass. I want to double check my gun is indeed loaded, because an unloaded gun in a defensive situation is NOT a good thing. Some people have even suggested simplifying the four rules to two. It works, and works damn well, but I still like rule #1.
Now the yucky part. I like rule #1 because when I break it I KNOW I’m breaking a rule, and will always take the extra steps to check my chamber and mag well before I point my gun in the safe direction and pull the trigger.
Of course Alan’s 2 rules work still, as if the gun was pointed at a dirt-filled clearing bucket, or a safe wall nobody would have been hurt. But I like that little angel on my shoulder telling me to check the chamber and mag well before I proceed, and check them in such a way where I am 100% the firearm will NOT go bang before I point the gun in a safe direction and pull the trigger.
This is yet another reason why I HATE magazine disconnects in firearms. I like to remove the magazine entirely and not deal with it when working with a gun I desire to be unloaded, and I won’t need it to operate the gun. Just one less place for ammunition to hide. That’s exactly what happened in this famous video
Empty chamber, loaded magazine, drop the slide, you have a loaded gun…point it at your leg and pull the trigger…well the rest is history.
Maybe it complicates things, but I rather like Rule #1.
