The Four Rules

These rules of firearm use and handling, introduced by Colonel Jeff Cooper, are the foundation on which a shooter's habits are built, so I thought I should post about them early. This is also an admittedly self-serving effort to firm them up in my mind, so I can easily rattle them off when I have a new shooter with me and, in time, drill my kids on them endlessly. Of course, this whole blog is essentially self-serving, so if you're here then you're hopefully ok with that.

The theory behind these rules is that, when they are followed, a negligent discharge will be impossible, or if it happens the damage will be mitigated to a great extent. Of course, nothing is certain - mechanical safeties fail, and human error is a given - but the goal is redundancy. You should be treating the gun as if it's loaded, so you're careful with it at all times. If that fails, then your finger's not on the trigger. If that fails, then it's pointed in a safe direction, and so on.

Before getting to the rules, I should note that if you follow these to the absolute letter at all times you'll never get anything done. Cleaning your gun or dry-firing it for practice necessitates suspending one or more of the rules for a little while, and that's ok. The important thing is being able to think to yourself "I know I need to act like this is loaded, but I've dropped the mag and triple-checked the chamber, and I'm pointing it in a safe direction, so I'm ok to do a little dry fire practice." By knowing exactly how you're breaking the rules, you're still aware of them and, as far as I'm concerned, you're still acting safely.

Rule #1 - Treat all guns as if they're loaded

Even if it's not, the gun is always loaded. This requires a bit of doublethink, but it is the most important of the rules because it is the building block of all of your smart gun habits. Guns are designed to do one thing, and this rule is about respecting that fact. You wouldn't take a loaded gun and point it at your own head or your buddy's head just for a laugh, right? So don't do it with an unloaded gun either. Even if you've triple-checked it. This is also why you don't muzzle-sweep other people at the range or at the gun shop, even with an unloaded firearm. Yes the clerk just took an obviously unloaded gun out of the case, and checked the chamber just to be sure, but you still don't point the thing at him when you're checking the sights, because it's loaded (even though it's not). Build smart habits, early and often.

Rule #2 - Never let the muzzle cover anything you're not willing to destroy

Ties in with #1 quite a bit, but remember that redundancy is the goal. The muzzle is the end that the bullet comes out of, so don't point it at your friends, or other people, or your cat, or your own face. This rule fosters awareness of where the gun is pointing, which should always be prominent in your mind when a weapon is in your hand (especially because that weapon is always loaded!). Indoor ranges always have this rule on their books - all guns must be pointed downrange (towards the targets) at all times. When it's on the table, or when it's in your hand - never pointed anywhere but where you're going to shoot.

Rule #3 - Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot

TRIGGER DISCIPLINE! Everyone loves pointing out poor trigger discipline in movies and tv shows because it's all over the place. Trigger discipline refers to this rule, also colloquially and colorfully known as "keeping your booger hook off the bang switch." More redundancy - if you slip up and muzzle sweep someone, with your gun that is loaded even if it isn't, your finger won't be on the trigger so it's "ok" (really not ok, but at least nobody got hurt and you learned your lesson). Your trigger finger, when you're holding the gun and doing anything but actually firing it, should be pointed straight ahead and resting on the area above the trigger, on the frame. This serves several purposes: beyond being safe, of course, it lets anyone else looking at you see that you're being safe, and it also gives your brain an easy, no-look way to know where the gun is pointing.

Rule #4 - Always know your target and what is beyond it

"Beyond" means behind, above, next to, and below. At indoor ranges, this is taken care of; the range has been built with bullets in mind, so as long as you're shooting (and keeping the gun pointed) where you're supposed to be, you are ok. This rule is more important in the context of shooting out on your grandparents' farm, or on some Federal land (BLM land is ok to shoot on), or out on a bridge in Osawotamie, KS, or something like that. When you shoot, you need to account for what may happen if you miss. This rule is why you shouldn't be shooting up at a target, why you shouldn't shoot at cans right on the edge of your neighbor's yard, and why - I hope I don't need to say this - you don't fire your gun in the air in celebration. Yes, you're a crack shot and you'll hit the target every time, but what if you don't? What if you're shooting up at your target and your bullet, which might have a few thousand feet of travel left, goes toward your neighbor's house? These things have to end up somewhere and, tragically, sometimes they end up inside of people half a mile away who had no reason to expect it.

Learn and internalize these rules and you will be a better gun owner and human being for it. Safe handling doesn't just benefit you and the people in your life; all of us who enjoy the hobby have an interest in everyone being safe with their guns.