No disrespect intended to Col. Jeff Cooper, but the four rules may very well be his largest mistake.
The intent behind them is clear; creating a simple list of safety maxims to use with guns. Problem is that true safety with deadly devices isn’t based on rules but on mindset. Rules can and are often disregarded, and the Famous Four have the additional drawback of being fundamentally impossible. “Never put your finger on the trigger without intent to shoot”. Sounds reasonable, unless you plan to clean your pistol. A reasonable man would function check his weapon after reassembly , which means pulling the trigger...without intent to shoot. So much for that one.
What we need is to impart a safety culture. Think about good pilots; they’re not safe because they follow rules to a T. They’re safe because they’re committed to prioritizing the safety of their flight above all other factors...including the rules. That’s the mindset which should be in place for every gun owner.
Naturally we aren’t there, and I’ll admit right now I don’t have a prepackaged solution for this which is not contradictory to our nations laws. After all, even the terminally negligent have a right to defend themselves with a firearm. That said, the Four Rules are essentially a theatrical exercise. They are only enforced on a square range (and not all of them at that) , and are seen nowhere else in the world...especially at the local gun store counter.