Thought this tied in well with the matter currently being discussed over in the “If you could only have one gun (sic) and one rifle” thread, not to mention the current kerfuffle over TC’s recent “Manliness Guidelines” article.
This is a distillation, in large part, of the wisdom of late great Colonel Jeff Cooper, by way of of his student and friend, an Episcopalian minister in Arizona who goes by the name of “Father Frog.”
I’m not so sure about the cinnamon bun thing, but with everything else I am in complete accord (yes, PRCalDude, even the stuff about faith).
It’s long, but people with such short attention spans that they are incapable of reading to the end are likely not the sort of people for whom these rules were written.
Enjoy!
Marksmanship
Beware of the man with one gun.
Fancy guns, sights, and gadgetry do not make up for a lack of marksmanship. (This applies to a lot of other activities too.)
If you can’t do it with a .30-06 you probably can’t do it with anything else.
If you can’t do it with a 2 MOA firearm you probably can’t do it with anything else.
Sight picture and trigger control are life.
Practice, practice, practice!
A close miss is still a miss.
Smoothness first, the speed will come.
Inconsequential increments are meaningless.
Most gun writers are pathological liars.
Internal Ballistics
There ain’t no magic powders!
There are no magic cartridge cases!
Details! It’s in the details.
Inconsequential increments are meaningless.
Most gun writers are pathological liars.
External Ballistics
There ain’t no magic bullets!
Divide the range at which someone claims to have shot their deer by 4 to get the real range.
Always get as close as possible.
Don’t believe manufacturer’s claims.
Velocity erodes, mass doesn’t
In the battle between velocity and accuracy, accuracy always wins.
Inconsequential increments are meaningless.
Most gun writers are pathological liars.
Terminal Ballistics
There ain’t no magic bullets!
Only center hits count
Make the biggest diameter hole you can to let blood out, air in, and destroy as much stuff as you can with each hit
Small bullets may expand, but big bullets never shrink.
Make the deepest hole you can to insure that vital organs and nerve centers can be reached and destroyed from all impact angles.
“Service” your target until it is no longer a threat or capable of any response you don’t want.
No small arm can guarantee 100% instant incapacitation of a determined adversary, man or beast.
Don’t believe manufacturer’s claims.
Inconsequential increments are meaningless.
Most gun writers are pathological liars.
Gun Fighting
Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.
Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
If your shooting stance is good, you’re probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.
Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movements are preferred.)
If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.
In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.
Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on “pucker factor” than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
Use a gun that works EVERY TIME. Don’t trust an untested gun.
Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
Always cheat = always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
Have a plan. A bad plan quickly executed is better than no plan.
Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won’t work.
If your attack is going according to plan, it’s probably an ambush.
Use cover and concealment as much as possible.
Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
Always tactically reload and threat scan 360 degrees at the conclusion of the action.
Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God I trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them).
Decide to be AGGRESSIVE enough, QUICKLY enough.
The faster you finish the fight, the less shot up you will get.
Do not deliberately attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a “4.”
Anyone who claims they know everything about gunfighting is a jerk.
Don’t rely on a single weapon system. Know how to efficiently use all kinds of different weapons.
Remember that after your assailant is down that most likely one of his friends is waiting to kill you.
The only thing you ALWAYS know, is you NEVER know!
When you least expect it, EXPECT IT.
If there is any doubt, there is NO doubt.
The are few interpersonal relationship problems that cannot be solved by the judicious use of high explosives or napalm.
Gunsmithing
All you really need are a good trigger and good sights.
You can remove metal but it’s hard to put it back.
Sharp edges belong on a knife.
Better too loose than too tight.
You won’t find an Allen wrench or a Torx driver in the boonies.
Better a stock too short than too long.
“Kool” won’t save your life or bring down a game animal.
Don’t over-lubricate.
There are no magic lubricants.
Not all gunsmiths know what they are doing.
Life in General
Good manners are always in good taste. Treat others the way you want them to treat you.
Better to be over-dressed than under-dressed.
Be kind and courteous to everyone you meet but have a plan to kill them quickly if necessary.
One cannot have too many good books, too much good wine, or too much ammunition.
Cats are a good judge of character.
Learn something new every day.
Good grammar is a sign of a sharp mind.
Your word must be your bond.
Stay alert!
True friends that will stick by you no matter what are a rarity. Cherish them.
YOU are responsible for what happens to you.
You are NOT entitled to an easy life and luxuries.
Always do the right thing. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.
Flowers say “I’m sorry,” chocolate says “I love you.”
Don’t do stupid things, don’t associate with stupid people, don’t go to stupid places, and don’t live in stupid areas.
Do not rely on the government for anything, especially your survival. Anyone who says, “I’m from the government and I’m going to help you” is NOT your friend, and is not interested in your welfare…
Don’t be upset by people who don’t like you or who speak ill of you. They are the ones who will never know the pleasure of your friendship.
Don’t throw rocks at people with guns. Don’t stand next to people who throw rocks at people with guns.
Enjoy the little things in life too.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and confirm it.
Money doesn’t make you better than someone else. It is just a convenience on the road of life.
You won’t have trouble if you are prepared for it.
You cannot personally solve everyone’s problems, nor should you feel that you have to. You need to take care of yourself too.
The magnitude of one’s stupidity is amplified by one’s position in society.
Morons are equally distributed among time and space, so it does not matter where you go. You are very likely to find at least one in a location where you least expect it.
It’s not what you look like nor what people think of you that defines you, but rather what you do.
Pay close attention to everything, notice what no one else notices. Then you will know what no one else knows and that’s always useful.
Don’t stand out or call attention to yourself. The squeaky wheel get close attention and the nail that is standing up gets hammered, and those who are paying attention will note you as a potential subject of interest.
Agents of the government and politicians all lie to you and are not your friends.
Cooking
Don’t overdo the seasonings.
An unwatched pot usually boils over.
Simple, hearty food, is the best–especially when shared with friends.
A day without red wine is not a complete day.
Fresh baked bread negates the cholesterol in butter.
Use fresh ingredients.
The most critical ingredient in a recipe you are working on is the one you ran out of last week.
Electric stoves keep cooking once the burner is turned off.
Homemade cinnamon buns are considered a health food.
Use real butter.
Woodworking
Don’t buy cheap cutting tools.
Measure 3 times, cut once.
You can make a board shorter, you can’t make it longer.
A properly aligned table saw will get out of alignment at the most critical cut of the project.
Don’t believe dimensions given in a project’s plans until you have checked them.
A sharp pencil will always be on the other side of your work area.
Before beginning to screw and glue check the fit of all pieces.
A dull cutting tool is worse than having no tool.
Faith
God is the one in charge, but don’t expect him to just do everything for you. He gave you a brain and muscles for a reason.
Pray daily. (Yes, He wants you to pray for yourself too.)
Showing Christ’s love does not mean you have to accept as “OK” every behavior of every person. It just means that you have to treat everyone with respect and compassion.
You will be a better witness by example than by bible thumping. The best sermons are lived, not spoken.
God doesn’t care if you are Baptist, Catholic, Episcopalian, or whatever. He cares about how well you follow his directions.
When you talk to God, remember to listen.
God doesn’t expect you to walk on water. He just wants you to get out of the boat.
Don’t ask God to do difficult things FOR you, ask Him to help you find the strength to do difficult things for yourself.
Thanks for that! I like the well-roundedness of it: you can never have too many books, too much wine or ammunition…heh. The dude’s definitely onto something about the cinnamon buns.
[quote]Varqanir wrote:
Thought this tied in well with the matter currently being discussed over in the “If you could only have one gun (sic) and one rifle” thread, not to mention the current kerfuffle over TC’s recent “Manliness Guidelines” article.
This is a distillation, in large part, of the wisdom of late great Colonel Jeff Cooper, by way of of his student and friend, an Episcopalian minister in Arizona who goes by the name of “Father Frog.”
I’m not so sure about the cinnamon bun thing, but with everything else I am in complete accord (yes, PRCalDude, even the stuff about faith).
It’s long, but people with such short attention spans that they are incapable of reading to the end are likely not the sort of people for whom these rules were written.
Enjoy!
Marksmanship
Beware of the man with one gun.
Fancy guns, sights, and gadgetry do not make up for a lack of marksmanship. (This applies to a lot of other activities too.)
If you can’t do it with a .30-06 you probably can’t do it with anything else.
If you can’t do it with a 2 MOA firearm you probably can’t do it with anything else.
Sight picture and trigger control are life.
Practice, practice, practice!
A close miss is still a miss.
Smoothness first, the speed will come.
Inconsequential increments are meaningless.
Most gun writers are pathological liars.
Internal Ballistics
There ain’t no magic powders!
There are no magic cartridge cases!
Details! It’s in the details.
Inconsequential increments are meaningless.
Most gun writers are pathological liars.
External Ballistics
There ain’t no magic bullets!
Divide the range at which someone claims to have shot their deer by 4 to get the real range.
Always get as close as possible.
Don’t believe manufacturer’s claims.
Velocity erodes, mass doesn’t
In the battle between velocity and accuracy, accuracy always wins.
Inconsequential increments are meaningless.
Most gun writers are pathological liars.
Terminal Ballistics
There ain’t no magic bullets!
Only center hits count
Make the biggest diameter hole you can to let blood out, air in, and destroy as much stuff as you can with each hit
Small bullets may expand, but big bullets never shrink.
Make the deepest hole you can to insure that vital organs and nerve centers can be reached and destroyed from all impact angles.
“Service” your target until it is no longer a threat or capable of any response you don’t want.
No small arm can guarantee 100% instant incapacitation of a determined adversary, man or beast.
Don’t believe manufacturer’s claims.
Inconsequential increments are meaningless.
Most gun writers are pathological liars.
Gun Fighting
Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.
Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
If your shooting stance is good, you’re probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.
Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movements are preferred.)
If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.
In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.
Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on “pucker factor” than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
Use a gun that works EVERY TIME. Don’t trust an untested gun.
Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
Always cheat = always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
Have a plan. A bad plan quickly executed is better than no plan.
Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won’t work.
If your attack is going according to plan, it’s probably an ambush.
Use cover and concealment as much as possible.
Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
Always tactically reload and threat scan 360 degrees at the conclusion of the action.
Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God I trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them).
Decide to be AGGRESSIVE enough, QUICKLY enough.
The faster you finish the fight, the less shot up you will get.
Do not deliberately attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a “4.”
Anyone who claims they know everything about gunfighting is a jerk.
Don’t rely on a single weapon system. Know how to efficiently use all kinds of different weapons.
Remember that after your assailant is down that most likely one of his friends is waiting to kill you.
The only thing you ALWAYS know, is you NEVER know!
When you least expect it, EXPECT IT.
If there is any doubt, there is NO doubt.
The are few interpersonal relationship problems that cannot be solved by the judicious use of high explosives or napalm.
Gunsmithing
All you really need are a good trigger and good sights.
You can remove metal but it’s hard to put it back.
Sharp edges belong on a knife.
Better too loose than too tight.
You won’t find an Allen wrench or a Torx driver in the boonies.
Better a stock too short than too long.
“Kool” won’t save your life or bring down a game animal.
Don’t over-lubricate.
There are no magic lubricants.
Not all gunsmiths know what they are doing.
Life in General
Good manners are always in good taste. Treat others the way you want them to treat you.
Better to be over-dressed than under-dressed.
Be kind and courteous to everyone you meet but have a plan to kill them quickly if necessary.
One cannot have too many good books, too much good wine, or too much ammunition.
Cats are a good judge of character.
Learn something new every day.
Good grammar is a sign of a sharp mind.
Your word must be your bond.
Stay alert!
True friends that will stick by you no matter what are a rarity. Cherish them.
YOU are responsible for what happens to you.
You are NOT entitled to an easy life and luxuries.
Always do the right thing. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.
Flowers say “I’m sorry,” chocolate says “I love you.”
Don’t do stupid things, don’t associate with stupid people, don’t go to stupid places, and don’t live in stupid areas.
Do not rely on the government for anything, especially your survival. Anyone who says, “I’m from the government and I’m going to help you” is NOT your friend, and is not interested in your welfare…
Don’t be upset by people who don’t like you or who speak ill of you. They are the ones who will never know the pleasure of your friendship.
Don’t throw rocks at people with guns. Don’t stand next to people who throw rocks at people with guns.
Enjoy the little things in life too.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and confirm it.
Money doesn’t make you better than someone else. It is just a convenience on the road of life.
You won’t have trouble if you are prepared for it.
You cannot personally solve everyone’s problems, nor should you feel that you have to. You need to take care of yourself too.
The magnitude of one’s stupidity is amplified by one’s position in society.
Morons are equally distributed among time and space, so it does not matter where you go. You are very likely to find at least one in a location where you least expect it.
It’s not what you look like nor what people think of you that defines you, but rather what you do.
Pay close attention to everything, notice what no one else notices. Then you will know what no one else knows and that’s always useful.
Don’t stand out or call attention to yourself. The squeaky wheel get close attention and the nail that is standing up gets hammered, and those who are paying attention will note you as a potential subject of interest.
Agents of the government and politicians all lie to you and are not your friends.
Cooking
Don’t overdo the seasonings.
An unwatched pot usually boils over.
Simple, hearty food, is the best–especially when shared with friends.
A day without red wine is not a complete day.
Fresh baked bread negates the cholesterol in butter.
Use fresh ingredients.
The most critical ingredient in a recipe you are working on is the one you ran out of last week.
Electric stoves keep cooking once the burner is turned off.
Homemade cinnamon buns are considered a health food.
Use real butter.
Woodworking
Don’t buy cheap cutting tools.
Measure 3 times, cut once.
You can make a board shorter, you can’t make it longer.
A properly aligned table saw will get out of alignment at the most critical cut of the project.
Don’t believe dimensions given in a project’s plans until you have checked them.
A sharp pencil will always be on the other side of your work area.
Before beginning to screw and glue check the fit of all pieces.
A dull cutting tool is worse than having no tool.
Faith
God is the one in charge, but don’t expect him to just do everything for you. He gave you a brain and muscles for a reason.
Pray daily. (Yes, He wants you to pray for yourself too.)
Showing Christ’s love does not mean you have to accept as “OK” every behavior of every person. It just means that you have to treat everyone with respect and compassion.
You will be a better witness by example than by bible thumping. The best sermons are lived, not spoken.
God doesn’t care if you are Baptist, Catholic, Episcopalian, or whatever. He cares about how well you follow his directions.
When you talk to God, remember to listen.
God doesn’t expect you to walk on water. He just wants you to get out of the boat.
Don’t ask God to do difficult things FOR you, ask Him to help you find the strength to do difficult things for yourself.[/quote]
[quote]pushharder wrote:
Cooper was the man.[/quote]
He was. I’m not sure he ever came around on the isosceles stance though.
I know enough about handgun shooting to know it’s a good way to get really shot up. They’re great for concealing, but that’s about it. If you’re at home, use a shotgun. Nothing beats a shotgun for home defense, especially when you’re already in a good ambush position.
It’s actually faster than an SMG when you consider all of the lead it puts on target at once, and it’s faster to aim. Absolutely put a youth stock on it. The factory stocks are too long.
[quote]PRCalDude wrote:
pushharder wrote:
Cooper was the man.
He was. I’m not sure he ever came around on the isosceles stance though.
I know enough about handgun shooting to know it’s a good way to get really shot up. They’re great for concealing, but that’s about it. If you’re at home, use a shotgun. Nothing beats a shotgun for home defense, especially when you’re already in a good ambush position.
It’s actually faster than an SMG when you consider all of the lead it puts on target at once, and it’s faster to aim. Absolutely put a youth stock on it. The factory stocks are too long.
[/quote]
True, in the house I use number four shot, and a Glock 23 with 135 gr corbons if I would ahve to move.
[quote]pushharder wrote:
tom63 wrote:
PRCalDude wrote:
pushharder wrote:
Cooper was the man.
He was. I’m not sure he ever came around on the isosceles stance though.
I know enough about handgun shooting to know it’s a good way to get really shot up. They’re great for concealing, but that’s about it. If you’re at home, use a shotgun. Nothing beats a shotgun for home defense, especially when you’re already in a good ambush position.
It’s actually faster than an SMG when you consider all of the lead it puts on target at once, and it’s faster to aim. Absolutely put a youth stock on it. The factory stocks are too long.
True, in the house I use number four shot, and a Glock 23 with 135 gr corbons if I would ahve to move.
You beat me to it. I think #4 shot is about the best compromise for in-home shotgun protection.
[/quote]
I live in town Push. A small town, but even a hollow point will zip through a wall and across the street. Number four shot will hit hard at 10-15 feet and penetrate much less.
On the show Best Defense, they showed various loads and how they penetrate walls. a 9mm hollow point went through at least three standard walls, maybe four. A 45 was a little less. i think the 9mm might have penetrated more than a 223, I’m sure sure though.
The bird shot went through one. So if I have to sit still, shotgun, move handgun.
