Jeff Cooper
Jeff Cooper was arguably one of the most influential gun experts of the 20th century and is probably best known for having developed the “Modern Technique” of handgun shooting that is still prevalent in today’s world of police and security work. Cooper also made a number of other contributions to the gun community. The following are among his most well known and respected.
Conditions of Readiness:
Cooper developed the “Conditions of Readiness” for use with M1911 variants but which can be used with most semi-automatic pistols.
These conditions are:
Rules of Gun Safety:
Cooper developed his own four all-important rules of gun safety. While they differ slightly than those recommended by the NRA, both sets of rules are valid. The main difference is the NRA rules are generally cited in reference to range shooting while Cooper’s rules are intended for real world situations. Cooper’s rules are:
Books:
Jeff Cooper also wrote a number of books during his career including To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth; Fireworks; Another Country: Personal Adventures of the Twentieth Century; C Stories; The Art of the Rifle; and Principles of Personal Defense.
Other Contributions to the Gun Community:
Cooper developed the idea of the Scout Rifle. He described it in short as “… a general-purpose rifle is a conveniently portable, individually operated firearm, capable of striking a single decisive blow on a live target of up to 200 kilos in weight, at any distance at which the operator can shoot with the precision necessary to place a shot in a vital are of the target.” Several companies have gone about building the scout rifle using the characteristics defined by Cooper. Among them are Steyr-Mannlicher (Cooper actually participated in the development of this rifle), Savage Arms, Springfield Armory, and Ruger. It has also been suggested that one could build a do-it-yourself version of the scout rifle based on a number of different surplus rifle platforms. I have built one myself using the Mosin Nagant, and have met a number of people who have used the Ruger Mini 30. The Mini-14 has been used but the .223 is not really up to the task required by Cooper.
Jeff Cooper also coined the term hoplophobia which he defined as a “mental aberration consisting of an unreasoning terror of gadgetry, specifically, weapons”. This was and is considered by many to be a derogatory term and its usage is somewhat controversial. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg in regard to Cooper’s controversial statements and assertions. Nevertheless, this legendary shootist brought a lot to the gun world and his legacy continues today as he is remembered and admired by gun enthusiasts all over the world.
Conditions of Readiness:
Cooper developed the “Conditions of Readiness” for use with M1911 variants but which can be used with most semi-automatic pistols.
These conditions are:
- Condition 0 -- A round is in the chamber, the hammer is cocked, and the safety is off.
- Condition 1 – A round is in the chamber, the hammer is cocked, and the manual thumb safety is on (also known as “cocked and locked”).
- Condition 2 -- A round is in the chamber and the hammer is down.
- Condition 3 – There is no round in the chamber, the hammer is down, and a fully loaded magazine is in the gun.
- Condition 4 -- The chamber is empty, the hammer is down, and there is no magazine (or only an unloaded one) in the gun.
Rules of Gun Safety:
Cooper developed his own four all-important rules of gun safety. While they differ slightly than those recommended by the NRA, both sets of rules are valid. The main difference is the NRA rules are generally cited in reference to range shooting while Cooper’s rules are intended for real world situations. Cooper’s rules are:
- 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.
Books:
Jeff Cooper also wrote a number of books during his career including To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth; Fireworks; Another Country: Personal Adventures of the Twentieth Century; C Stories; The Art of the Rifle; and Principles of Personal Defense.
Other Contributions to the Gun Community:
Cooper developed the idea of the Scout Rifle. He described it in short as “… a general-purpose rifle is a conveniently portable, individually operated firearm, capable of striking a single decisive blow on a live target of up to 200 kilos in weight, at any distance at which the operator can shoot with the precision necessary to place a shot in a vital are of the target.” Several companies have gone about building the scout rifle using the characteristics defined by Cooper. Among them are Steyr-Mannlicher (Cooper actually participated in the development of this rifle), Savage Arms, Springfield Armory, and Ruger. It has also been suggested that one could build a do-it-yourself version of the scout rifle based on a number of different surplus rifle platforms. I have built one myself using the Mosin Nagant, and have met a number of people who have used the Ruger Mini 30. The Mini-14 has been used but the .223 is not really up to the task required by Cooper.
Jeff Cooper also coined the term hoplophobia which he defined as a “mental aberration consisting of an unreasoning terror of gadgetry, specifically, weapons”. This was and is considered by many to be a derogatory term and its usage is somewhat controversial. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg in regard to Cooper’s controversial statements and assertions. Nevertheless, this legendary shootist brought a lot to the gun world and his legacy continues today as he is remembered and admired by gun enthusiasts all over the world.