Via this morning’s Survivalblog, Jeff Cooper passed away yesterday.
I’ll just reiterate the quote from this post last week, upon learning of his heart attack:
No matter who you are or what you’ve done with a big bore handgun, you do it better because that man lived.–B.C. Walsh USMC-22nd MEU (SOC), HPD SWAT, Lafayette Gun Club Combat Pistol Team
–B.C. Walsh USMC-22nd MEU (SOC), HPD SWAT, Lafayette Gun Club Combat Pistol Team
I’m sure there will be many eulogies posted around the blogosphere over the next few days. As you see them, we’d appreciate it if you’d stop by and post them in the comments to this post for others to share.
The “official” announcement from Gunsite is posted at Michael Bane’s blog here: http://michaelbane.blogspot.com/2006/09/col-jeff-coopera-giant-has-fallen.html
One commenter reports that Col. Cooper once said he wanted a handle on the inside of the door to his tomb so he could come out to stop those who would mash their triggers.
Alphecca notes a well-written Cooper retrospective at neveryetmelted: http://neveryetmelted.com/?p=1623
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Rule #1: ALL GUNS ARE LOADED.
Simple, safe, succinct. Following this rule avoids accidents in several ways.
I work in a high tech semiconductor factory where there are rules for safety, rules for proper operation of our processes, rules for making changes, rules for verifying changes were made, heck, rules for putting on my work clothes.
ALL GUNS ARE LOADED covers most problematic issues arising from handling and using guns, in four words.
Only a few more lines were required to cover safe gun use in essentially every situation imaginable.
Thank you, Col. Cooper, for helping me use guns safely.
The best way to eulogize Cooper is with his own words. I posted the intro to Principles of Personal Defense. After I read it I shared it with friends, it’s a short read but it’s definitely a must read if you believe in self-defense. Here’s the first paragraph (I did shorten it):
“Some people prey upon other people. Whether we like it or not, this is one of the facts of life. It has always been so and is not going to change… anyone who is aware of his environment knows that the peril of physical assault does exist, and that it exists everywhere and at all times. The police, furthermore, can protect you from it only occasionally.”