Jeff Cooper on Shooting Gallery

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JohnKSa

JohnKSa

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Did anyone else see this episode?

Did he REALLY say that the 1911 was the most "something" invention of the 20th century?

I believe the word was 'significant', but it may have been 'practical'.

Even taken in the context that he's only talking about firearms, that seems a HUGE exaggeration. In fact, I would say that even if you restrict the scope of the comment to apply only to handguns, it seems a bit of a stretch.

I was hoping someone else saw this and could shed a bit more light on the quote.
 
Jeff Coopers opinion is that the 1911 is the only handgun a person should own, all others are inferior and that any new designs are a waste of time and money.

Just for the record, I own two of them.
 
Didn't see the show

But if we use the last set of parameters you gave, handgun designs, name one handgun design that had more of an influence in the twentieth century. Yes, there are more advanced designs out now, some would even say better designs. But more influential? I think not.
 
Coopers writing can at times be a little outrageous.He has some very valid points but after following him for over 20 years I take most of what he says with a grain of salt.

Kevin
 
Cooper never said the .45 is the only handgun one should own.

He's pictured on one of his books with a Smith M29 and has written about hunting game with the .44 Magnum.
He has also had good things to say about .22 pistols for small game hunting.
He experimented fairly early with scoped .22 pistols.

He does have strong opinions and the .45 is his favorite fighting pistol.
 
That said, who today is driving a car designed in 1911, writing papers on a *heh* typewriter designed in 1911, on medication patented in 1911, traveled on a plane designed in 1911...

While certainly other innovations have changed the world much more than a pistol design, within the realm of handguns I'd have to say it's a singularly effective, resiliant, and innovative piece of work.
 
doesn't seem outrageous to me...

I own other handguns, but I carry a 1911 most fo the time...
 
Jeff Coopers opinion is that the 1911 is the only handgun a person should own, all others are inferior and that any new designs are a waste of time and money.
Click to expand...

This is not true. Its the kind of thing people who disagree with Cooper say, but I would bet none of them can actually find anywhere where he actually said that.

Anybody wanna try?

I have read positive comments from him about the Glock pistol, for crying out loud.

He dislikes DA/SA autos, and he dislikes anything smaller than 45 ACP. If your pistol falls into either of those categories, then he probably thinks the 1911 is better.
 
phones (1876) and lightbulbs (1879) are fundamentally the same as they were, but have certainly gone through comperable revisions to the 1911. penicillin was discovered in 1896.

That said, who today is driving a car designed in 1911, writing papers on a *heh* typewriter designed in 1911, on medication patented in 1911, traveled on a plane designed in 1911...
Click to expand...

(these three are not in the running for most significant invention of the 20th century for obvious reasons)
 
I saw the show, but don't remember the exact quote. I did wish (for the first time) that I was in Michael Bane's place... Those were some historic firearms he got to shoot that day!

Even if you don't care for Cooper's opinions, you have to admit that he's forgotten more about fighting than most men ever will know. Yes, he's lived a long time, and he's seen more than enough different examples of firearms to know what works, and what he likes best.

And like most people that have lived a long time, he's not shy about letting you know just what his opinion is. Whether you agree with his opinions or not, they usually make sense, and are usually based on real-world experience. That's hard to argue with.
 
I've been reading articles by Jeff Cooper for many years. Although I disagree with some of his statements strongly at times he's very knowledgable about most kinds of firearms, shooting and hunting. I personally don't think the 1911 is the best gun for everyone but it's one of the best for someone trained in it's use. For the most part you can't go far wrong with his advise . Guess I'm a bit biased toward the old gentleman because my own father was a Marine on Saipan.
 
For the average person who is neither a LEO or someone who trains constantly under stress...I sometimes think a first shot that requires a much more deliberate and long trigger pull is a pretty good idea. I like the Sig actions myself for the average CCW carrier. The toughest call to make is to start shooting or not. For me personally it's probably better that it's not a light short pull.

For a well trained serious gunfighter...sure, nothing beats a 1911.
 
Am unsure if the Colonel is mellowing with age, but could have knocked me over with a feather when he recently expressed a favorable opinion towards the .45 GAP. Never met him, but joined the Corps far enough back to have been stationed with men who served with and/or knew him, and haven't heard a negative thing about the man himself in all these years. Not counting the NCO's who tsk tsk a lot when the Colonel goes off on a rant, but most senior NCO's will gladly tell you that they teach officers just what they need to know and no more.

all the best

gunny
 
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The Col.'s Opinion...

Col. Cooper did in fact express great confidence in a particular pistol very unlike the 1911. The CZ-75, in fact. He said that while he considered the 9mm. to be less than optimal, the design was sound and reliable to the extreme. This is my paraphrase, not a direct quote. The gist is the same, though.
 
Did it strike anyone else who saw the show that Cooper looks like an ancient mummified corpse?

I know the man is in his 80s, but compared to what he looked like 10 or even only 5 years ago, the transformation was striking and startling to me.

I've had relatives even older who looked much more lively and spry.

Sadly, he's not long for this world, if that's what he really looks like now.

hillbilly
 
Yeah, the Colonel did appear ill ... as though he's suffering from COPD or some other heart/repiratory condition ...

It was a interesting interview. And yes, Michael Bane is a lucky man (my wife wants Martha Stewart's job -- I want Michael's job).

Regardless of one's personal feelings on Cooper's opinions, the man has done much to advance pistolcraft, the concept of self-defense, RKBA and even the firearms industry, so I hold him in considerable respect. He's very well-educated and speaks and writes the King's English in a way that, sadly, is rarely practiced anymore ...
 
I've had relatives even older who looked much more lively and spry.
Click to expand...

I'd say those relatives had less . . . lively lives than Cooper. He's one of those "been there, done that" kind of folks.
 
IIRC correctly in "To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth" the Colonel said that grade A and B shooters should have 1911's, grade C shooters should have .44 special DA revolvers, and grade D and F should have clubs.

He's also suffered a couple injuries in the last few years, I seem to recall him being shot :what: a few years ago, never found out the circumstances. He also broke his back a couple years ago.
 
Cooper was also influential in the development of the Bren 10 (in 10mm). He seems to advocate large caliber pistols with a consistent trigger pull; not just 1911's.
 
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