Beware the Man with One Gun

“Beware the man with one gun. He probably knows how to use it.”
— Jeff Cooper

We owe a debt of gratitude to Jeff Cooper—Marine Corps officer, father of modern handgun technique, and founder of Gunsite Academy. His teachings shaped generations of American shooters. And this quote of his, short and sharp, hits deeper the longer you think about it.

Because it’s true.

If I had to pick someone to walk into danger with, I’d choose the man with one gun and ten training classes over the man with ten guns and one class—or worse, the guy with 71 guns, 65 of which he’s never fired, in different calibers, no holsters, no ammo, no systems. That man is a liability, not an asset.

We could even coin our own saying:
Beware the man with too many guns. He probably doesn’t know how to use any of them.

Training Scales. Gear Doesn’t.

When I train a man, I don’t just see a student. I see a force multiplier. If he goes home and trains his family the same way, that house is now a fortress. If his neighbors get interested, now the community is safer. If enough of us keep doing this—training families, training neighborhoods—we shift the balance of security across towns, cities, and eventually states.

This is how you build a polite society, or a nation no one wants to go to war with. One household at a time.

That’s why I take each student seriously. It’s not just a class. It’s stewardship. A bad instructor can destroy confidence, build bad habits, or even get people hurt. A good one can strengthen a household, a block, a zip code.

There’s a saying in the Talmud: “You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”That’s how I view this mission. One student at a time. One future protector at a time.

One Gun or One Class? I’ll Take the Class.

If you told me I could have a gun or a training course—but not both—I’d take the course every time.

Here’s why: Guns are everywhere. You can buy them, borrow them, steal them, or take them. But training takes time. It takes discipline. And once you have it, it can’t be taken from you. You don’t have to register it. You don’t have to declare it. There’s no serial number.

And in an age where governments work hard to regulate and restrict civilian training, that matters. Simunition, for example, was taken away from civilian instructors just last year. They can outlaw access to the training, but not the knowledge already gained.

You are the weapon. The gun is just a tool.

And unlike a tool, your training can’t be dropped, confiscated, or lost. It stays with you. It shows up when it matters.

Let’s Talk About the 71-Gun Guy

You know this guy. Most groups have one.

Overweight. Broke. Fighting with his wife over money. His guns are pristine, mismatched, mostly unfired. No holsters. No ammo. No purpose. This isn’t preparedness—it’s compensation. And deep down, he knows it.

Now—I’ve got nothing against owning a lot of guns. If a guy owns 71 pistols, all one platform with proper holsters, mag carriers, optics, belts, body armor—and has trained with every setup—then that’s a man preparing to be a leader when it all goes bad.

That guy can train a squad, arm a neighborhood, and coordinate community defense. He’s your local warlord in the best sense of the word.

But 71 guns with no training? That’s dead weight. Worse, it’s a false sense of readiness. He thinks he’s prepared—but he’s not. And any trained man will relieve him of those guns in short order if it ever came to that.

What’s the Right Balance?

It depends on your goals:

• Want to carry daily and defend yourself? One reliable handgun, a concealment holster, a few boxes of quality defensive ammo, and a couple of good classes.
• Want to defend your home? Same gear, plus a larger home-defense weapon, and some basic room-clearing and CQB instruction.
• Preparing for societal collapse? Then scale your training, stockpile critical gear and ammo, and start building a team.
• Want to lead when no one else can? Train now. Buy gear now. Prepare to train others when the time comes.

That might mean you skip the fancy vacations or the flashy car. Instead, you spend your money on medical kits, radios, ammo, and tuition for another weekend of training. You’re building something bigger than yourself—and you know it.

Final Thought

Next time you meet a guy with a big gun collection, ask: Is he a protector—or a pretender?

And while you’re at it, ask yourself the same thing.

Because as Jeff Cooper said:
“Beware the man with one gun. He probably knows how to use it.”

Be that man.
Be ready.
Train with purpose.
And give good a fighting chance—one class at a time.