Jeff
Cooper - the father of modern pistol shooting
10/5/1920 - 25/9/2006
 The
guru. The father of modern pistol shooting. Loving father and husband.
Author. History instructor. Philosopher. Adventurer. Lieutenant Colonel.
John Dean ‘Jeff’
Cooper was all of this and more. Born on May 10, 1920, Jeff, as he
was known to his friends, died while at his home in Arizona on
September 25, 2006. He is survived by his wife Janelle, three daughters
and five grandchildren.
Jeff is probably best known for founding
and developing the American Pistol Institute - or Gunsite - in 1975.
Gunsite was created to train law enforcement and military personnel
as well as law-abiding citizens. Its mission, according to Jeff,
was “to provide good people with
the skills by which they may conduct themselves as responsible citizens
of a free Republic.”
Located in Arizona, Gunsite covers 2000 acres
and is equipped with a classroom, playroom, funhouse, campground, pro
shop, full-service gunsmith facility and 11 shooting ranges - one of
which is a 727 simulator. Jeff, and a number of other hand-selected
instructors, taught Gunsite students Cooper’s Modern Technique
of defensive shooting. The technique incorporated a modern Weaver stance,
a large-calibre handgun and quick acquisition of the sight picture.
It
also stressed firearm safety. Rather than the Ten Commandments of Firearm
Safety, which can be found around most clubrooms, Jeff reduced the
10 rules to just four: 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 and identify your target
and what’s behind it. Jeff dedicated his life to shooting
and to Gunsite until he sold the ranch in 1992.
Jeff was also the founder
of the International Practical Shooting Confederation. He was a member
of the NRA Board of Directors and he served as editor-at-large for
Guns & Ammo magazine. His role with the magazine started with
the first issue in 1958. His ‘Cooper’s Corner’ column
was one of the most popular features.
In addition to the many contributions
he made to pistol shooting, Jeff was also quite influential in shotgun
and rifle shooting. In fact, according to the Guns & Ammo website,
Jeff also “pioneered
and advocated a rifle technique and design he called the Scout Rifle.
This concept, which called for a low-power scope to be mounted forward
on a rifle’s fore-end, led to the development of several rifles
- including models from Steyr and, more recently, Ruger.”
Further
insight into Jeff’s beliefs can be found in his many
books, including The Art of the Rifle, Another Country, Fireworks,
To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth, C Stories and Gunsite
Gossip.
A more in-depth look at who Jeff really was can be
found in Jeff’s
biography, The Soul and the Spirit, written by his daughter Lindy Wisdom.
In it she speaks about her father’s appreciation for excellence,
the high standards he set for himself and those around him and his
strong moral code.
John Dean ‘Jeff’ Cooper was a dedicated
man. He was dedicated to his family, his work, his beliefs and the
pursuit of knowledge. Those to who knew him, read his work and shared
his views will mourn his passing, but will treasure his memory.
by Tim Lloyd
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