Gunfights USMC V. USN Recommended by: MSgt J. R. Cook, Ret.

USMC Rules for Gun fighting:

  1. Bring a gun. Preferably two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.
  2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
  3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
  4. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)
  5. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.
  6. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
  7. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.
  8. Use a gun that works EVERY TIME. “All skill is in vain when an angel pisses in the flintlock of your musket.”
  9. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
  10. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
  11. Have a plan.
  12. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won’t work.
  13. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
  14. Flank your adversary when possible and always protect yours.
  15. Never drop your guard.
  16. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.
  17. Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust…everyone else keep your hands where I can see them).
  18. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH…hesitation kills.
  19. The faster you finish the fight, the less injured you will get.
  20. Be polite. Be professional. And have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
  21. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
  22. Your number one option for Personal Security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
  23. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun the caliber of which does not start with a “4.”

Navy Rules for Gun fighting:

  1. Go to Sea
  2. Send the Marines
  3. Drink Coffee

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20 thoughts on “Gunfights USMC V. USN Recommended by: MSgt J. R. Cook, Ret.”

    1. I would rather go with 2 rifles vs 2 guns rather than take a ship vs a boat however won’t forget my cover and leave my hat home.

      Reply

  3. Mostly true but not always. See ANGLICO staffing [Sub Unit One, 1st ANGLICO, FMF] bringing bigger guns to bear.

    Reply

    1. When in doubt….call in the Missouri…if further in doubt, call in CAS on station…Lightning From the Sky, Thunder from the sea..Semper Fi

      Reply

  6. * “THERE AIN’T TOO MANY THINGS YOU CAN’T FIX, WITH $500 OR A .30-06 !!”
    * .45 ACP: 2 IN THE BODY & 1 IN THE HEAD WILL MAKE DAMN SURE THE BAD GUY IS DEAD !!!”
    * “MARINES NEVER DIE…THEY ARE TRANSFERRED TO “PERMANENT INACTIVE DUTY STATUS !!!”

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  7. Most important of all, there is no overkill, there is only “open fire!” and “reloading!”. Maxim 37 of the “70 Maximums for maximally effective mercenaries.”

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    1. That ain’t no s#&t! My Corpsman saved my ass from the Spector of death in the guise of heat stroke in 1976 on Okinawa. The plates on my truck say “DOCTHX”.
      If you’re reading this Doc Blackmon, thank you again for keeping me alive.

      Reply

  11. Some folks believe that just having a firearm makes you safe but I like the quote of the late USMC Col Jeff Cooper [aka ‘The Gunner’s Guru’ from Guns & Ammo Magazine]: “Having a handgun doesn’t make you armed any more than having a guitar makes you a musician”

    If a person lacks skill, tactics and will, the firearm is a paperweight or ballast … at best, a hammer. Being able to fast-draw or shoot non-combative paper targets at a range doesn’t make someone a gunfighter. Most folks – even ‘trained’ cops – tend to miss their targets under stress.

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  12. Speaking of combat shooting, my sainted Gunny said it best when describing the proper use of the M1911 pistol: “Shoot ’em in the left eye and watch their expression change in the right; the fight’s over.”

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  13. Corporal 2/9 1967-1968 corpsman is just another jar head that is in the fight with you. If you get hit he puts his ass in harms way to save your life. Semper Fi Doc

    Reply

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