I was looking for something in the OC arcives, and noticed the recurring discussion of the Four Rules and suggestions for modification. I had a quick idea I wanted to jot down before I forgot it, and it somehow turned into a rather long document. :-/

To begin, I should clarify that this need not be seen as a call for a change to the UF Ordnance Corner header, nor is it an attempt to diminish the importance of either Rules 5 and 6, as written by DesertRat66, or any number of other, equally important gun safety practices. Rather, it is a discussion of what the Four Rules are, how they function, and perhaps just as notably, what they are not.

The Four Rules form a system of redundant failsafes, designed to prevent a negligent discharge (ND) and, in the event of one, minimize its effects. The use of the term ND instead of “accident” has been discussed more times than I can count, but nonetheless bears repeating. Negligence is the key component. A firearm is an inanimate object; a machine; a construct, and as such can not act of its own volition. It requires a human operator to act upon it. A person who claims that a gun “went off on its own” is like the typical clueless user who claims his computer “just stopped working.” The actual cause is an error on the part of the operator, who now, either ignorant or unwilling to admit his mistake, seeks to lay the blame upon the device.

As a system of redundant failsafes, the Four Rules operate on the assumption that violations will occur, in a specific and predictable order. They recognize and account for both violations of negligence and necessary violations of circumstance.

Rule 1: All guns are always loaded.

The sense of this rule is clear. Xavier has written a good piece on the meaning and application of Rule 1, in which he quotes Jeff Cooper, author of the Four Rules:

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.

Obviously, dealing with a loaded gun includes any number of things, from not inserting objects into the muzzle and using the safety where applicable to not sweeping people with the muzzle or giving it to an unsupervised child. Situations arise, however, that require a gun to be unloaded, such as during transport by car, airplane, or post. Or, for example, safety dictates that a gun not being kept ready for defensive use be stored unloaded. Is it, then, under the strict conditions of Rule 1, possible for a gun to be considered unloaded? The answer is yes, when we remember that we are dealing with the Four Rules of Firearm handling. A gun being stored or transported as such may be regarded and treated as unloaded (provided this is indeed the case!), because it is not being handled. This changes the instant someone picks it up. From the moment he lays his hand upon the gun, it is loaded again, and he must remember that.

This brings us to the point of chamber-checking – opening the action and either visually or tactilely ascertaining the presence of a live round. This is generally performed for one of two purposes: either the person anticipates firing the gun in the immediate future and wishes to verify that it is indeed loaded (Rule 1 says it is, but as we know, where safety is concerned it never hurts to double-check!), or he intends to perform an action that treats the gun as though it were unloaded: He intends to violate Rule 1.

Very little imagination is required to come up with any number of circumstances in which this is the case: cleaning the gun, passing it to another person, or placing it into storage, for example. Safety dictates that the gun first be unloaded before any of these actions are performed. At the same time, they all involve handling the gun, so under Rule 1 it is still loaded. Thus, Rule 1 is violated, regularly, consistently and under completely normal circumstances. It is also violated due to negligence and disregard for safety. This is, however, precisely what the system of the Four Rules anticipates.

Rule 2: Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not prepared to destroy.

When Rule 1 is violated, the system falls back onto Rule 2. The gun is, under Rule 1, still loaded, but no longer being treated as such. Thus, there now exists an increased danger of a bullet exiting the barrel at an unintended time: a ND. Thus, Rule 2 exists as the logical failsafe: it recognizes this danger, and acts to contain it. If Rule 2 is followed and a ND occurs, what stands in the path of the bullet may be tolerably perforated.

Again, this is limited to handling. A person who sets down a gun, renders it unloaded and walks in front of the muzzle, which is standard procedure at a gun range, does not violate either Rule 1 or Rule 2.

What of mechanical failure? A gun with a worn or broken trigger, stuck firing pin, or other condition that renders it mechanically unsound can fire without the trigger being pulled, but only if it is handled, and under Rule 1, as soon as it is handled it is loaded. Therefore, a ND that results from a mechanical failure is still a ND, because the user had to handle (and thereby load) the gun and operate the action. If he causes a mechanical failure ND by subjecting the gun to a sudden shock (by dropping or falling on it, for example) it is still a ND, as the key component of human input in the form of negligence is still present. This type if ND is the reason keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction is Rule 2. Negligent discharges due to mechanical failure are, however, rare.

While Rule 2 is often, like the other rules, violated as a result of negligence, there are other circumstances under which it is violated as a matter of course. When drawing from some kinds of holster, for example, the gun must be rotated to bear on target, and in doing so the muzzle sweeps a significant area. Alternately, consider the fact that most gun owners store their long arms muzzle-up. When the owner takes the gun out of storage he handles it, and in doing so points a loaded gun at whatever is directly above the storage location. The reverse applies if the gun is stored muzzle-down. A person using a muzzle-loader must regularly place his hand in front of the muzzle, likewise anyone cleaning a firearm from the same direction, as is often the case with semi-automatics. Again, these are consistent and intentional violations under completely normal circumstances. Thus there exists Rule 3.

Continued in the next post...