A Different View of Gun Safety.

[GardoneVT]

Let’s get the controversial stuff out of the way; I think the Four Rules are the worst thing to happen to gun safety.

I respect and understand Col. Coopers goal to boil firearm safety into four easy ,cogent rules. That said true safety in anything involving deadly risk -not just guns- is having a *mindset* of safety. Not just following a series of rules and labeling yourself safe.

Cultivating a mindset of safe handling and personal awareness of potential infallibility is where we should be as a gun safety culture,regardless of equipment or tactics.Instead what I see are people deciding the Four Rules are the end of the story, and then quibbling about the details. That view says you’re 100% safe as long as those Four Ironclad Rules are followed 100% of the time -which isn’t humanly possible. If you’re reading this and shoot more then once every six months,you’ve assuredly broken at least one of the Four Rules. Just because you may not humanly recall the instance doesn’t mean it didn’t happen; and yes there is research behind that statement.

My thinking is that true gun safety should be taught as being personally aware of the risk of handling guns first,with following the Four Rules being a result of that safety mindset. I’ll admit I don’t know how that could be effectively taught,especially within the context of a limited organizational budget; but what isn’t the answer to me is teaching 100% compliance with Four Rules and hoping for the best.

[olstyn]

Honestly the biggest gripe I have with the four rules is that the way they're presented. "All guns are always loaded" is factually untrue, for one thing, and for another, the rules are presented as though they're never to be violated, when in fact, they are set up such that as long as no more than one is violated at any given time, then nobody who doesn't need shooting will get shot. For those who have a logical/factual mindset, that sort of presentation is problematic, because they can't escape the temptation to poke holes in the presentation. I guess that was really just a long-winded way of saying that I think you're on the right track.

[Duke]

For me the rules still apply - as much as can be applied - to the actual fight also.

There will always be more things around you don’t need to shoot than things you do need to shoot.

[BehindBlueI's]

I'm not a fan of "all guns are loaded" or the variations. The "all guns are loaded" is superfluous and counterproductive.

Functionally, what's the difference between:

All guns are always loaded.
Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

vs

Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

When I investigate AD/ND incidents, the "I thought it wasn't loaded" comes up a lot. The "all guns are loaded" can actually foster this notion, because logically you know all guns aren't always loaded and it creates a disconnect. That disconnect leads to the belief, conscious or subconscious, that there are actually two ways to safely handle a gun, the 'loaded' way and the 'unloaded' way. Dropping the "all guns are always loaded" leaves you with three rules and on split in loaded/unloaded. Treat guns like guns.

Now, having had this debate on another forum ad nauseum, I know the counterargument of "if they'd followed the first rule, it would have been ok". Right, but they didn't. If they had followed the other three, also, they would have been ok. The first adds nothing, fosters a disconnect, and should be dropped so we're not putting the thought of loaded/unloading even mattering in the hands of those new to firearms.

[ST911]

I have come to favor Dustin Salomon's approach to safety. Building Shooters and Mentoring Shooters have been game-changers for me.

Firearms Safety Rule 1 - Always know where the muzzle is pointed; point it there intentionally.
Firearms Safety Rule 2 - Never place a finger on the trigger unless intending, or willing, to press it.

Firearms Safety Recommendation 1 - Check the condition of a weapon each and every time it is handled.
Firearms Safety Recommendation 2 - Do not place a finger on the trigger, unless the sights are aligned on a target.
Firearms Safety Recommendation 3 - Be sure of the target and what is in front of and beyond it.

[Robinson]

I'm still a believer in the four rules, but that doesn't mean I think that's all there is to the issue of safety. Being an advocate of safety, making it a priority, and understanding how things can go wrong along with how to prevent those things are key.

Cooper became annoyed when people constantly questioned/shot down the "all guns are always loaded" rule because he expected them to know the meaning behind it. Finally he published some comments to the effect of "it means always treat guns as if they are loaded". In other words, don't handle a gun differently just because you believe it has no ammunition in it. He just thought that part went without saying and didn't need to be spelled out.

[olstyn]

He just thought that part went without saying and didn't need to be spelled out.

Saying something that's factually wrong and then assuming people will interpret it the way you intend is not exactly guaranteed to have the results you want.

[Robinson]

Saying something that's factually wrong and then assuming people will interpret it the way you intend is not exactly guaranteed to have the results you want.

Cooper certainly wasn't right about everything, but do you think he was dumb enough to think all guns are literally always loaded? Is anyone you know dumb enough to take that statement literally?

[Bergeron]

I like the four rules, and I think that modifying the first to “verify the condition of a gun when you handle it” is a better statement.

I really, really like teaching that there is no “loaded” or “unloaded” way to handle or otherwise be safe with a gun- there is only “the” way to handle a gun. Partly because I was just in a gun shop and saw that mentality at play, and because I simply hate people muzzling themselves/others, and because I hate to see fingers randomly attached to triggers.

[BobLoblaw]

I think the rules are excellent and have prevented many injuries and deaths. I’d always interpreted the rule in question as “assume and treat all guns as if they’re loaded” instead of the literal translation. Rules are good for people with little common sense.