The "Four Rules"

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I don't know if these words are Cooper's or Greg Morrison's, but I always found the explanation to be haughty and self-righteous. If you insist on being THAT rigid, it leaves no room for cleaning or handing to another person for inspection. And then right after the bold print "All guns are always loaded" it says, if someone hands you a firearm, to check it yourself. If all guns are always loaded, don't you think you should be shrieking "HOW DARE YOU HAND ME A LOADED FIREARM!" I've always followed rule #1 as All guns are always loaded, until proven to all interested parties they are not. This covers everything from cleanings to handoffs.

RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

There are no exceptions. Do not pretend that this is true. Some people and organizations take this rule and weaken it; e.g. "Treat all guns as if they were loaded." Unfortunately, the "as if" compromises the directness of the statement by implying that they are unloaded, but we will treat them as though they are loaded. No good! Safety rules must be worded forcefully so that they are never treated lightly or reduced to partial compliance.

All guns are always loaded - period!

This must be your mind-set. If someone hands you a firearm and says, "Don't worry, it's not loaded," you do not dare believe him. You need not be impolite, but check it yourself. Remember, there are no accidents, only negligent acts. Check it. Do not let yourself fall prey to a situation where you might feel compelled to squeal, "I didn't know it was loaded!"
 
How many nits could a nit picker pick, if a nit picker could pick nits? The answer can be found above!
 
If someone can't apply common sense and good judgement concerning the four rules, and understand how to use them in a real world situation to stay safe, they probably shouldn't be handling firearms in the first place.
 
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I don't know if these words are Cooper's or Greg Morrison's, but I always found the explanation to be haughty and self-righteous. If you insist on being THAT rigid, it leaves no room for cleaning or handing to another person for inspection. And then right after the bold print "All guns are always loaded" it says, if someone hands you a firearm, to check it yourself. If all guns are always loaded, don't you think you should be shrieking "HOW DARE YOU HAND ME A LOADED FIREARM!" I've always followed rule #1 as All guns are always loaded, until proven to all interested parties they are not. This covers everything from cleanings to handoffs.

No you shouldn't scream. The rule reminds you to check the gun yourself, at all times. Others should expect you to do so, as they should have done. This should become habit as it's easy to forget.
 
I don't know if these words are Cooper's or Greg Morrison's, but I always found the explanation to be haughty and self-righteous. If you insist on being THAT rigid, it leaves no room for cleaning or handing to another person for inspection.....
Well, you didn't tell us where the quote is from so we can't verify it. However, assuming it's an accurate quote you seem to have missed the most important part:
....This must be your mind-set. If someone hands you a firearm and says, "Don't worry, it's not loaded," you do not dare believe him. You need not be impolite, but check it yourself. Remember, there are no accidents, only negligent acts. Check it. Do not let yourself fall prey to a situation where you might feel compelled to squeal, "I didn't know it was loaded!"...
Again, the Four Rules are about mindset and attitude.
 
You know, when I was a kid I was always told to "Treat every gun as if it were loaded," not "All guns are always loaded." I'm not sure when it changed, but I think that might be where a lot of the confusion is coming from.
 
I've taught my kids the 4 rules and follow them myself. The way I've explained it to them is:

1. Treat every gun as if it's loaded. Make sure you confirm it's unloaded yourself, even if you see someone else check it or are otherwise 100% sure it's not loaded.
2. Never point the gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.
4. Be sure of your target and what is beyond.

While this is a slight variation from what the OP listed, I'm sure once these rules and the reasons for them are explained to people they understand them, as common sense comes into play.

On a related note, I replaced the hammer spring on my P229 a few months ago. A couple of days later I wanted to dry fire it and was sure it was unloaded. The 4 rules came to mind and I checked the gun. There was a round chambered, and following these rules saved an AD.
 
I've taught my kids the 4 rules and follow them myself. The way I've explained it to them is:

1. Treat every gun as if it's loaded. Make sure you confirm it's unloaded yourself, even if you see someone else check it or are otherwise 100% sure it's not loaded.
2. Never point the gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.
4. Be sure of your target and what is beyond.

While this is a slight variation from what the OP listed, I'm sure once these rules and the reasons for them are explained to people they understand them, as common sense comes into play.

On a related note, I replaced the hammer spring on my P229 a few months ago. A couple of days later I wanted to dry fire it and was sure it was unloaded. The 4 rules came to mind and I checked the gun. There was a round chambered, and following these rules saved an AD.

That's exactly how they were explained to me, word for word. When I was a kid my parents sent me to an NRA safety course, and of course I had to take hunter safety when I was 12. Both instructors phrased it that way.
 
If someone can't apply common sense and good judgement concerning the four rules, and understand how to use them in a real world situation to stay safe, they probably shouldn't be handling firearms in the first place.

Pretty much.

I know a lot of people in this thread already made the same basic statement, maybe not so bluntly. But yeah.

You can't write a rule that literally covers every conceivable scenario, literally. You cannot. Even if you could, it would read be a full length book and require a legal background to comprehend.

The 4 rules are outstanding the way they are, you just have to avoid trying to outsmart them as that results in not being smart enough to use them


A lot of absurd objections by those who insist on being completely literal are alleviated when you do simple, common sense things like distinguish between a firearm that is being held/handled/touched by a person, and one that is not...or a firearm that is in a secure case/holster that protects the trigger guard, and one that is not. I mean, if you have to tell somebody that the handgun sitting in the display case with a chamber flag inserted at the gun shop is okay to be "pointed" at you as you walk by, because they think the rules don't allow for that...yeah they probably shouldn't be handling guns until they learn to think critically.
 
All guns should be treated loaded, until it isn't. If "all guns are always loaded" everyone would be walking around with incredibly dirty firearms. Any time a firearm leaves my control without a lock, I check it. If I unload my carry firearm, place it on my desk, walk away, it is rechecked when I get back. Even though I put the ammo somewhere else away from an unloaded firearm, it is still a good habit.
 
Question? How does one check the pull of a trigger?????????????????

Well, you don't do it with the gun pointed at your buddy's head. And you check to make sure it's unloaded so you don't embarrass yourself by negligently putting a hole in your roof. And even after checking that it's unloaded you still don't point it at your buddy, just in case you're the kind of person who forgets that removing the magazine doesn't unload the chamber.

Which can be summed up in "Treat every gun as if it were loaded." It works!
 
Where are my tweezers?? I think I found another nit!

No, wait ... they must be under this dead horse.

If we can just make it through another page of this we may be able to push this thread into the top ten most tedious topics in THR history. Come on! We can do this!
 
when I discuss the safety rules with new shooters the first 4 are

KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGE RUNTIL READY TO SHOOT.
 
THEN

CONSIDER ALL GUNS LOADED

POINT THE MUZZLE ONLY AT WHAT YOU INTEND TO SHOOT OR DESTROY

always wear eye and ear protection


never use alcohol or drugs when shooting.....
 
A simple test.
Last night my 19yo son and I were looking at some on my guns. I pulled out the Browning Hipower to show him the new grips I had put on it. I remover the mag and checked the chamber. My son was watching me. I then handed him the gun. He pointed it in a safe direction and check the gun to make sure that it was clear. I asked him why did he check the gun to see if it was clear. He said " All guns are loaded." I asked why. He said that you must assume that they are loaded until you clear it your self. I then asked, Now that you know the gun is clear, would you point it at your head and pull the trigger? He looked at me like I was stupid and said. " Hell NO! You treat all guns as if they are loaded even when you know they are not"
He started shooting when he was five and was raised on the 4 rules.
 
Thing is, there are a multitude of variations already for the 4 rules. If you don't like Cooper's version, find another one that trips your trigger. I have helped teach Hunter Safety for 30 some years and have come across many different versions, and as I said before, have seen some listed as the "10 rules of gun safety". All say basically the same thing. The ones that are remembered the most, are those that are the simplest. If one wants to take four sentences and make a 4 page spreadsheet outta them, go for it. Just don't ask the rest of us to join you, because most of us completely understand them as they are.
 
If we can just make it through another page of this we may be able to push this thread into the top ten most tedious topics in THR history. Come on! We can do this!
Not today, five pages is enough for now, maybe next time, and there will be a next time, trust me, as this topic/debate/argument/discussion, always comes back around again. :)
 
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