Is it finally time for a 5th rule?

[DaBigBR]

I think people get wrapped around the axle trying to codify these things. It's a gun, it needs to be respected. I get where all of it comes from, but it's all an attempt at simplifying something that is already just so damn simple. I remember in the police academy that they talked about the "laser rule" where you treat the gun like there's a laser coming out of it that will cut or burn anything it touches. I always thought that was idiotic...how 'bout it's a fucking gun and if you point it at stuff, it can kill stuff? Seems easy to me.

[Robinson]

I think people get wrapped around the axle trying to codify these things. It's a gun, it needs to be respected. I get where all of it comes from, but it's all an attempt at simplifying something that is already just so damn simple. I remember in the police academy that they talked about the "laser rule" where you treat the gun like there's a laser coming out of it that will cut or burn anything it touches. I always thought that was idiotic...how 'bout it's a fucking gun and if you point it at stuff, it can kill stuff? Seems easy to me.

I've seen people who claim to know how to handle guns safely do some stupid shit with guns. If they had been consciously practicing the four rules those stupid things would not have happened.

[GJM]

The only fifth rule I would support, is have enough ammo, and I don’t mean in the pistol.

[11B10]

I've seen people who claim to know how to handle guns safely do some stupid shit with guns. If they had been consciously practicing the four rules those stupid things would not have happened.

I can relate........

[Totem Polar]

Something that Mas Ayoob said in a recent podcast was along the lines that some trainers are starting to include an addition to the 4 rules. The "5th rule" is some variation on securing firearms from unauthorized access.

Mas has cerainly earned a place at the table on this, and can speak for himself.

What I can say for me, after some thought, is that I am currently in favor of the addition. Up until now, I was in agreement with Col Cooper’s admonition "We need all four; we don’t need another," but the times have changed, and I believe that if the community doesn’t police itself voluntarily, then we will eventually end up being policed by the great unwashed, involuntarily. See Washington State for reference.

I like the idea of all those signs at ranges and gun stores being updated with "all guns should be secure from unauthorized access"

Note, I did not say "locked up" or "locked in a safe container when not in use" but "secure from unauthorizwd access."

That’s it. Such a sentence can encompass everything from safe storage, to retention and OC concerns. It is all but impossible to legislate against every potential; much better that the wider firearms community embrace the idea of keeping their property away from people who’d abuse the tools—with the same attention currently given to "keeping the finger off the trigger," in all it’s iterations and levels of competency. This is something that needs to be injected into the gun culture, and I’d prefer it be enacted by education, consensus, habit and tradition rather than legislative force.

Discuss.

Bumping, because, a read through the instruction manual for my new Daniel Defense piece shows that DD includes the 5th rule, per above, in their manual. The “secure from unauthorized access” rule is numbered as 5, and augments the traditional Cooper 4. FWIW.

[RJ]

So if you don't have your firearms securely stored when they're not being carried......


How can you follow Rule #1.

Bumping, because, a read through the instruction manual for my new Daniel Defense piece shows that DD includes the 5th rule, per above, in their manual. The “secure from unauthorized access” rule is numbered as 5, and augments the traditional Cooper 4. FWIW.

Well, besides giving @BehindBlueI's a stroke for increasing the number of rules from four to five , see above post. Isn't "keep yer dang gun locked up when not in use implied by "Rule 1"?

[BehindBlueI's]

Well, besides giving @BehindBlueI's a stroke for increasing the number of rules from four to five , see above post. Isn't "keep yer dang gun locked up when not in use implied by "Rule 1"?

No stroke here. See:

I agree with this. The 4 rules (and I actually advocate for 3 rules*) is not an all inclusive list of being a safe gun owner. It doesn't include things like how to store, how to transport, how to dry fire, how to operate a manual safety/decocker, how to deal with hot brass, how to call a cease fire, how to verify nobody is left down range, etc. It's a bare bones set of rules on what to do with a gun in your hand.

[DueSpada]

I have just declared a bounty on a particularly invasive species of frog, there are three kids in front of me, their hands tightly wrapped around loaded pellet guns, it is definitely high noon. My last words on safety have to be short and vivid. Four rules are doable, five is a lecture.