Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Concealed Carry: 10 Pieces Of Gear To Avoid Like The Devil
Read this article. If you pay attention, Mas will save you a lot of money on future holster purchases. This article is an excerpt from Ayoob’s new book Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry Volume II – Beyond the Basics. If you are smart, you will buy and read everything that Massad Ayoob writes.
M1 Carbine for Home Defense
I think the M1 Carbine is an underrated defensive weapon. It may be one of the best choices for smaller statured, younger, or weaker family members. It’s pretty much the forebear of today’s popular pistol caliber carbines. Both shooters in the video mentioned the recoil on the M1 Carbine. I don’t think it recoils much at all, certainly not enough to worry about.
NDs and Things – Lessons to be Learned
One of the reasons I hate shooting on public ranges with the poorly trained public in close proximity. Check out the article and learn about the importance of trigger finger discipline. If the short video gets yanked off of YouTube, here is another copy of it uploaded onto Facebook.
Enough Gun
One of the most common questions I get asked is about how much gun is “enough” for concealed carry. The late Todd Louis Greene shares his important thoughts on the issue in this useful article. I am generally in agreement with Todd here. I most often carry a Glock 19 when I’m out in public.
You will also find me occasionally armed with a .22 snubby or a .380 Glock 42. Inconsistent? Maybe. The one other factor that most people fail to consider is their personal skill level. The higher skill an individual has, the more likely he will be successful with a “mousegun.”
For an additional perspective on the topic, read The .22 LR For Self Defense: Good, Bad Or Crazy?
Fightin’ Words: The Psychology and Physicality of Fighting
What I’m reading…
I’ve enjoyed all of Hock’s books. I’m looking forward to getting farther into this one.
What Would You Say You Do Here?
“However, this idea of putting the process first isn’t just limited to what happens on the range, it can affect how you see yourself as an instructor. I’m thinking of all the amateurs I know who are proud of the fact that they’re NRA instructors and teach concealed carry classes. That’s nice. What improvements do you make in your students? Can you tell me? Do you recognize improvement when you see it? What do you do to make that improvement repeatable? Instruction is about making better shooters, not handing out certificates.
The good instructors I’ve had all have one thing in common: They focus on making better shooters. The bad ones? They focus on their own achievements. If your pitch to me is “I’m an NRA Senior Master Chief Training Counselor” or a similar list of credentials, that’s nice and all, but what does that have to do with me learning to shoot better?
However, if your pitch revolves around helping me understand where I need to improve and how you can help me accomplish that task, now I’m interested, because I care more your accomplishments as a teacher than your credentials as an instructor.”
The Benefits of a Backup Gun
One of the prime advantages to a backup gun is the fact that it may be accessible in positions or situations where your primary gun is not.
Speaking of backup guns, in this article Claude Werner compares a Smith J-frame to a Ruger LCP to find out which gun shoots better. I think Claude may be a better shooter than I am. I shoot significantly better with my snub revolver than I do with my LCP.
Is Ammunition Waterproof?
The final word about how water and moisture will affect modern ammunition. Besides water damage, in some cases older ammo can degrade from other causes. Read about that issue in my Old Ammo article.
Pistol Sights Under Various Lighting Conditions
Photos of how different sights appear under different lighting conditions. Sights are a very personal preference. I currently have the Trijicon XR sights on all my carry handguns. If you haven’t found a useful sight picture yet, I’d suggest that you give them a try.
The Unspeakable Pleasure
Dr. Leonard Sax is one of the world’s foremost researchers on the topic of the psychology of sex and gender. He uses his expertise in this article to attempt to explain why we are seeing more and more active killers.
“There is nothing new about hate. The temptation to kill is as old as Cain. But today, moral absolutes have been undermined by a popular culture that celebrates individual fulfillment over self-sacrifice, the indulgence of personal pleasure over doing one’s duty. A corollary to “You do you” is “Haters gonna hate.” If my analysis has any merit, then the road ahead is clear, though it will be a long road. We must combat the culture of “You do you.” We must teach haters to love.”
Is Appendix Carry Safe?
Spencer Keepers from Keepers Concealment provides some tips to make appendix carry a little safer. I’ve been carrying Spencer’s holsters every day for more than five years. I’m convinced he makes the best appendix rigs in the business. Spencer is also an incredible shooter and instructor. Check out his course schedule and definitely take a class from him if you are able to arrange it.
The Risks of NPE “Non-Detectible” Knives
Phil shares his advice about carrying non-metallic blades in “non-permissive environments.” My favorite option is to carry a ceramic knife (make sure the handle has no metal).
Reload Lookiloos
The late Todd Louis Green talks about where the eyes should be during a speed reload. I agree with his opinion. I teach eyes on the threat until the moment the mag enters the gun, then “look” the magazine into the well before returning your eyes to the threat. I learned the “paint in the magwell” trick from Dave Spaulding years ago and have used it with much success. I use white-out to make the dot. It’s temporary and visible.
Police Use of Force- Dispelling the Myth
If you are a police officer, check this one out. Then compare the recommendations with your own use of force policies. See any problems? Most of you will. Forward this article to your bosses and get the problematic items changed. Opens to PDF.
While you’re there, you also want to check out this article on Perception, Recall, and Use of Force.
Survival Weapons: The AR-15 and Its Derivatives
A lot of useful information about America’s favorite rifle.
Concealed Carry Options for Women
For my female readers…
Make the First Shot Count
“Train to ensure that the first shot out connects. Train to a nominal number of rounds downrange to resolve any given situation. Train to evaluate what works and what doesn’t.
Make that first shot count.”
Scott Reitz wrote an excellent book as well. Everyone who carries a gun should read The Art of Modern Gunfighting.
Community Caretaking Searches; When Can You Enter?
An article my police readers should study.
Neighbor Loses It in Public Housing
There are a lot of crazy people running around. How good is your long range pistol shooting skill?
Memento Mori : Negative Visualization Practice
“Everything, up to and including our ability to breathe, is a fleeting magical gift from infinity. If something is taken from you, be thankful that you had the opportunity to enjoy it. We’re going to be OK.”
The Do’s and Don’ts of Handgun Shooting for the Cross Dominant
I’ve had a partially written article on this topic in my website’s “drafts” folder for the last couple years. I’m going to delete it. I had planned on discussing everything Melody talked about here. She covers the topic well and uses better photos than I would have taken to illustrate the concepts. If you want to learn about cross-eye dominant shooting, this is the article to read.
6 Terrible Reasons To Not Carry Concealed
In my state, CCW permit holders are required to notify police officers if they are carrying a firearm when stopped. I regularly stop CCW licensees who are not carrying their guns. In fact, I would guess that somewhere around 90% of the licensees that I stop are not carrying their firearm at the time. When I ask them about it, I get all of the excuses this author mentions.
With that said, there are two sides to every story. Some people are making rational informed choices when deciding not to carry a pistol.
Long-Term Ammunition Storage 101
Some good tips for long term ammo storage. My ammo stockpile is stored in a very similar manner to what the author suggests. I really don’t think you can have too much ammo at this point. Ammunition is likely to become more expensive and more difficult to purchase in the future. If ammunition is limited in the coming years, I want to have enough stockpiled to ensure that I have a lifetime of practice ammunition stashed away to keep my skill levels high.
Some of the above links (from Amazon.com) are affiliate links. If you purchase these items, I get a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
