Should there be a 5th Commandment of Firearms Safety?

It depends on who you ask. First, a review.

The Four Commandments:

1. Treat all firearms as if they are always loaded.
2. Never allow the muzzle to cover (point at) anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard until your sights are on target and you are ready to fire.
4. Be sure to have an acceptable target, know its surroundings, and what lies beyond.

And the simplest version of “why” they’re Commandments:

1. You must NEVER assume it isn’t.
2. So that if there IS a negligent discharge or malfunction, they bullet hits something you were will to destroy.
3. Because cookie grabbers on triggers when they’re not supposed to be is where most unplanned incidents occur.
4. So you don’t shoot things you aren’t supposed to shoot.

These are widely attributed to Marine Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper, the founder of Gunsite Academy in the 1970s. In fact, many don’t know that in his original handouts at classes, what we call Commandment 3 wasn’t in there. There were three, and they were quite succinct. E.g. “All guns are always loaded.” (*) The trigger finger rule came along in the early 80s. Cooper himself was simply a man on a mission to make things safer, taking old “rules” from his lifelong experience as a combatant and an instructor, and organizing them.

There are other versions. Hunter Education has ten, with the fifth being “Check your barrel and ammunition.” In my quick research for this post, I found two other versions of “the 5th Commandment” being promoted on blogs or websites.

[Paraphrased]: “Always keep your firearm properly secured.” Okay, so this broad net can catch a lot of fish. As it is worded, it could easily be manipulated by gun control advocates. I agree with the underlying principle, though. Have small kids in the house? Keep your “ready gun” properly secured: in your quality holster on your hip, as one example. It does NOT have to be in a safe or lockbox to be properly secured, though, which is why I’m opposed to calling this a “Commandment.”

This one is quite popular. “Never catch a falling gun.” I consider this a worthy candidate. Catching something we’ve bumbled or suddenly slips from a surface is darn near human instinct. The overwhelming majority of firearms common in today’s society will not discharge when they hit the ground. Yes, there are two main categories of exceptions to this: really old firearms; and firearms that have been modified with custom parts. This is a “likelihood” situation. Simply—there is a greater possibility of the catcher getting a finger on the trigger (when he or she shouldn’t) than there is of most firearms discharging from the impact of falling.

And to be clear, the “don’t catch rule” is part of the safety brief at our classes. It is that important.

Let us know your thoughts. Is there another candidate for the “5th Commandment”?

The author’s opinion is his alone and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of KRRC or its members.

(*) Credit blog post https://blog.krtraining.com/jeff-coopers-three-gun-safety-rules/

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