Jeff Cooper

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What a great sport he helped create, RIP;


The International Practical Shooting Confederation is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of it's first President, Jeff Cooper, who died peacefully at home today.

Born 10 May 1920 in Los Angeles, John Dean "Jeff" Cooper, was a United States Marine Lt. Colonel who served in World War II and in Southeast Asia during the Korean War. In addition to his expertise in firearms, he was a history instructor, philosopher, adventurer and author.

He is generally regarded as being "The Father of Modern Shooting", but he was known by his admirers simply as "The Guru".

In the 1950's he was a guiding light in the Bear Valley Gunslingers in California, later to develop into the Southwest Combat Pistol League. Many techniques new to pistol shooting which revolutionised the use of the handgun in combat can be traced back to these beginnings and Jeff's later work at the American Pistol Institute at Gunsite Ranch, Arizona (which he founded and developed). Jeff was also influential in the development of the modern rifle, notably with his "Scout Rifle" concept.

One of his most significant contributions to shooting generally was his "Four Rules of Firearms Safety":

1. All guns are always loaded.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target.
4. Identify your target, and what is behind it.

-:which have been adopted by virtually every shooting organisation, shooting range and shooting club throughout the world. In the 1960s he coined the term "hoplophobia" to describe an irrational fear of firearms!

When IPSC was founded at a conference held in Columbia, Missouri, in May of 1976, practical shooting enthusiasts from around the world participated, creating a constitution and establishing the rules governing the sport. Jeff Cooper served as Conference Chairman, and was elected the first President of the Confederation.

We extend our sincere and heartfelt sympathies to his wife Janelle and daughter Lindy.

May he Rest In Peace.
 
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I thought in later years he sort of said IPSC was #### and started IDPA? I use to like to read his writings in GA years ago.. did he still post them? ALways had something interesting to say.
 
RIP Colonel, your writings were endlessly educational and entertaining. I didn't always agree with Coopers Corner, but I sure as hell read it every single month.
 
raks said:
RIP Colonel, your writings were endlessly educational and entertaining. I didn't always agree with Coopers Corner, but I sure as hell read it every single month.
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X2

He did lose some credibility when he made the comment about the Winchester 94 being a better combat rifle then an SKS, but he did walk his talk.

Keith, Skeeter, and now Cooper. I quess that's the last of the old writers. :(
 
damn and I never got to ask him if the story I'd heard about the creation of El Prez was true or not.
RIP Colonel
 
Jeff Cooper's Commentaries
About Jeff Cooper
Born Monday 10 May 1920 in Los Angeles, California, died Monday 25 September 2006 in Gunsite, Arizona.

John Dean Cooper is widely recognised amongst gun enthusiasts as the father of modern combat pistol shooting.

Jeff became a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Marines after serving in the Pacific during World War II and having re-enlisted for Korea.

In the fifties Jeff was a guiding light in the Bear Valley Gunslingers in California, later to develop into the Southwest Combat Pistol League. Many techniques new to pistol shooting which revolutionised the use of the handgun in combat can be traced back to these beginnings and Jeff's subsequent work at the American Pistol Institute at Gunsite Ranch, Arizona (which Jeff founded and developed). Jeff was very influential in the development of the modern rifle, notably with the "Scout Rifle" concept.

Of special note are Jeff's writings on the combat mindset, particularly in Jeff's books "Fireworks" and the later "To Ride, to Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth." Jeff held an MA in History and Jeff's clear and precise writing style complements the intelligence of Jeff's writings.

Jeff was Editor at Large for Guns & Ammo magazine where edited versions of the "Commentaries" were published. Jeff was the Founding President and Honorary Lifetime Chairman, the International Practical Shooting Confederation. Jeff was a member of the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association of America.

As is noted in these "Commentaries" Jeff's writings always garnered controversy and are read with interest by all true students of the use of firearms in the social context. They have a wider relevance to those seeking insights into the condition of modern man.


Further biographical information can be found at,
http://www.FrFrogsPad.com/cooper.htm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

John Pate
Shoot straight
 
THanks Col Jeff Cooper For Practical Pistol Shooting

It is with deep regret that I learn of the death of my own inspiration for doing some practical pistol shooting over the past 45 years. Also "The Col" or "Gun Guru" always had his act together in so many ways.

Col Jeff Cooper, like the USMC Officer he was in WWII, "led the way forward" and created practical pistolcraft as a recognized discipline.

He witnessed and documented how a young lawman named Weaver used a two hand hold with his revolver to win pistol matches.

He gave a anotther policeman named John Bianchi some ideas for the holsters he started making in his garage.

In 1962, I ordered one of the holsters John Bianchi was supplying from his garage workshop based on what Jeff Cooper had written about them.

I first read about Col Jeff Cooper in the inaugural issue of Guns and Ammo which I bought in either 1960 or 1961. I had never seen a gun magazine before and learned a lot about the Colt 45 including some of Col Coopers tales of going to Mexico about this time.

His writing was always based on "Seeing the Elephant".

As a WWII USMC Veteran what he wrote about had "total authenicity"..

When he became the first President of IPSC in 1976? it was a logical progression as he essentially founded its initial culture based on his practical teachings.

In the 70's I followed along Col Coopers articles and always found them very instructive. For example after one I phoned Milt Sparks to get several of the holsters that Col Cooper recommended. I tried out the Yaqui Slide as well and found it a very practical way to carry the Colt 45.

Since 1978 or thereabouts when I got my first Colt 1911A1 I followed the ideas Col Cooper presented and tried to imitate them in some ways.

It is hard to remember a time in the 1950's and 1960's when Police Forces in North America were firmly wedded to revolver usage. Col Cooper and Border Patrolman Bill Jordan fired articles back and forth as a "dynamic duo" with lots of knowledge.

It really is difficult to sum up some 45 years of reading off and on Col Jeff Coopers writings.

Simply put his writings were a major influence in my life; I took up pistol practice as a lifetime hobby from 1961 until this date some 45 years later "propelled along" by all the great ideas.

God Bless You Col Jeff Cooper.

No one but God will ever know how many good lives you saved by founding Gunsite or how much you contributed to the future of the shooting sports by being the Founder of IPSC.
 
Lest we forget he also was a prime mover behind the International Defensive Pistol Association after he left IPSC.

Was the reason for the motivation of a young teen back in the 50's to get into pistol shooting, a sport I enjoy to this day.

R.I.P. Col. you have eraned it.

Take Care

Bob
 
Canuck44 said:
Lest we forget he also was a prime mover behind the International Defensive Pistol Association after he left IPSC.
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hmmmm... I've been in IPSC since way before the idea of IDPA - back when Bill Wilson was making a fortune off IPSC shooters making new and wonderful compensators and such. This is was before he decided that he had got what he could get out of IPSC and then make a new wad of cash off "defensive" shooters. (There's a reason it's idpa.com and not idpa.org...;) )

I've been around throughout the whole birth and growth of IDPA, listened to the bashing of IPSC by IDPA shooters and IDPA by IPSC shooters (In both cases, it's stupid - 'cause it's all good - it's shooting...) and never heard anything about Cooper supporting IDPA any more than other shooting sport. I read his writing where he expressed his disappointment with IPSC race guns, though - which is certainly understandable given his original concept at the 1976 Columbia Conference and his later writing on defensive pistol.

Do you have any reference material to detail his involvement in IDPA? I'd like to learn the details...:)
 
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