There are a bunch of different versions of the basic firearm rules out there. Some have 3, some have 10, but the most common are the 4 rules that Jeff Cooper is credited with:
- All guns are always loaded.
- Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
- Identify your target, and what is behind it.
There’s always been a bit of controversy around rule #1, since it’s fundamentally a lie, but it is a good mindset to have. There’s some interesting discussions going around the blogs around this subject, I like this post in particular:
Interesting how he boils it down to 2 rules in a methodical way. I’m not 100% sure I’m on board with it, but I like simplification in general, and it does seem to preserve all of the safety aspects of the original 4. Going to have to read through it a couple of more times.
