The USMC’s Rules For Gunfighting

15 Thoughts

By Dave Hood

1. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.

2. Decide to be aggressive enough, quickly enough.

3. Have a plan.

4. Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won't work.

5. Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

6. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber does not start with a “4.”

7. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.

8. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)

9. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.

10. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.

11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

12. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance or tactics. They will only remember who lived.

13. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating and reloading.

14. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.

15. And above all . . . don't drop your guard.

BT


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