The Poodle Scout

Col Cooper, from his Commentaries, Vol 2, No 1, January 1997.

We have never been enthusiastic about the use as a battle round of the 223, which is essentially a varmint cartridge, and our view is shared by most of the people who have used the M16 in close combat. 

Or, in Vol 8, No 10. September 2000.

Witness the fact that we now have a curious artifact known as the "Poodle Scout" in caliber 223.

Or, vol 14, No 5, September 2006

 We have people now who have no idea what a shooting sling is for - and this is for instructors, not just the troops at large! We have in possession a Boy Scout training manual dated from about 1937 which sets up an excellent standard for the individual rifleman. Dismal as this may seem, our currently standard poodle shooter is not much to work with.

The complete index to Jeff  Cooper's Commentaries can be found here.

Yet, today Ruger announced a new product, a Gunsite Scout rifle chambered in .223.  I can only imagine what the Colonel thinks about that development, but I hope that they sell them by the boxcar load.    Which brings me to just one more Cooper quote, when asked about the industry.  Vol 9, No 3.

The aim of the industry, of course, is to sell stuff, which is fine

Indeed.  The aim of the industry is to sell stuff.   But, I think that we can reasonably dub this new rifle, The Poodle Scout.  Col Cooper has already named it.