"Armed is a state of mind "(Jeff Cooper)

[srlip]

"you are no more 'armed' because you have a gun than you are a musician because you own a guitar". I corresponded with Jeff all thru the 70's, helped him set up IPSC combat shooting matches. While he was wrong about most things related to guns, he was a masterful writer.

 

[Sunni Man]

"you are no more 'armed' because you have a gun than you are a musician because you own a guitar".

I think your local law enforcement would highly disagree. .

 

[srlip]

so what? they are wrong about most other things, too.

 

[WinterBorn]

"you are no more 'armed' because you have a gun than you are a musician because you own a guitar". I corresponded with Jeff all thru the 70's, helped him set up IPSC combat shooting matches. While he was wrong about most things related to guns, he was a masterful writer.

I grew up reading Cooper as one of the "young" gun writers of the time. Compared to Elmer Keith, Bill Jordan and 'Skeeter' Skelton, he was young.

Col. Cooper had some good ideas and was an excellent writer. The point of the line you quoted, I believe, was that the mental aspect is as important as having the gun. In these days of the media demonization of anything firearms related, it has become increasingly difficult to educate people about guns, shooting, and self defense.

I think Cooper was also right about his idea for the Scout Rifle.

 

[srlip]

well, you[re wrong about the scout, for a fact. I know the origin of the concept, and the reason he insisted on a bolt action was for application in Africa, where auto rifles are illegal. his quote " possession of a rifle is the difference between being a subject into a citizen'. is OBVIOUSLY about fighting, not hunting. I'd MUCH rather "have to" take big game with brain hits (and softpoints in a suppressed M4) than have to fight with ANY noisy bolt action, much less one with low velocity, short range scope, etc.

Jeff was not younger than Skelton, or at least, not by much. I think Skelton was a Korean war vet, actually.

 

[srlip]

skeeter was 17 years younger than Jeff, according to Wiki. Jeff was born in 1911, he was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant Marine right before Pearl Harbor.

 

[whitehall]

Cooper was a Marine Corps WW2 and Korean War Vet. He died in 2006. He was an enthusiastic handgun instructor and a keen observer of behavior related to handgun combat. I bet civilians who go through the involved process of handgun instruction and government regulations are more aware of their rights and responsibilities related to the 2nd Amendment than poorly trained Police Officers in some areas that use government mandated racial, gender and sexual preference profiles rather than qualifications in hiring practices.