Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Odd But Good?
Some historical firearms technology that you’ve likely never seen before.
FILLING THE GAP BETWEEN TOO LITTLE AND TOO MUCH FORCE
Pepper spray is an incredibly valuable bit of gear that you all should be carrying more often. While I might occasionally leave my house without carrying a gun, I’m ALWAYS carrying pepper spray. If you want a smaller-sized container for easy handling and concealment, get one of the POM or the Sabre Red key chain sprays. The Sabre Red key chain unit goes on sale regularly for less than $10.
The non gun safe gun box
Don’t have money for a $1000 gun safe? Here is a creative alternative. Thanks to Mas Ayoob for finding the article.
Throwback Thursday: The FBI Ammo Tests
How the FBI ballistic gelatin testing protocols were developed.
Glock History: Gaston and His Guns
A lot of interesting information about one of the world’s most popular brand of handguns.
C&R Trigger Pull Test
Trigger pull weight comparison on a whole bunch of older rifles.
The real cost of your wage-slave lifestyle
“If you are awake for 16 hours a day, and at least 8 of those hours, 5 days a week, are devoted to serving your boss, then you have given up a minimum of 35% of your life to your employer. More than likely it is closer to 50%. How can you look yourself in the mirror with pride doing that? Or be present for your kids or your spouse? Who’s really more important here?
This really comes down to a belief system of who is more important – YOU or your boss?”
New CPRC Research: Mass Public Shootings are much higher in the rest of the world and increasing much more quickly
“By our count, the US makes up less than 1.1% of the mass public shooters, 1.49% of their murders, and 2.20% of their attacks. All these are much less than the US’s 4.6% share of the world population. Attacks in the US are not only less frequent than other countries, they are also much less deadly on average.
Out of the 97 countries where we have identified mass public shootings occurring, the United States ranks 64th in the per capita frequency of these attacks and 65th in the murder rate.”
The Importance of a Public Knife for EDC
I love it when the knife I designed (TDI LDK) is described as being “distinctly menacing.”
Concealed Carry Corner: Watching For Bullet Setback
A lot of casual CCW carriers don’t understand this problem. When you repeatedly re-chamber the same round, the cartridge becomes compromised and may not perform to the standards you expect. I never re-chamber the same round more than twice in my defensive handguns.
Pat Rogers Memorial Revolver Round-Up 2020
Do you like shooting revolvers? If so, this revolver-centered training conference will be a fun weekend. November 21-22 in Dallas, Texas.
I’m honored to be a member of the instructor cadre. I hope to see some of you there.
Knives for Personal Protection: Introducing Pikal (Reverse Grip Edge In)
Although I don’t think Pikal is the most useful way for a beginner to use a knife, one could make an argument for the superiority of this system for very close quarters knife work.
What Plants are Safe to Eat in the Wilderness
A good infographic about many of the more commonly-encountered edible wild plants. If the topic interests you, read Survival Foods in Your Yard as well.
Training Smart Vs. Hard
Mike Seeklander discusses why “more” is not always “better.”
Size Matters
A valuable analysis of the effects of body size on fighting dynamics. I find it interesting because I have been in real fights as well as trained in various martial arts while weighting anywhere between 190 pounds and 265 pounds. I can tell you there was a very dramatic difference in my performance at those two weights. At 265, I could rip doors off of cars and throw people through walls. At 190, I had the cardio to go for days, but not nearly as much power.
I would estimate that my optimal weight for best overall fighting was between 210 and 220. At that weight, I had a lot of strength and power but still had the wind to handle a longer fight. My observations correlate quite well with the author’s observations of the size of the absolute winners at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club matches.
At my current weight of 240, I’m more optimized for the power side than the aerobic side, but I can still perform well in all but the longest confrontation. I’m OK with that as I will soon be retiring and will be far less likely to need my fighting abilities on a daily basis.
The Retardation of the Firearms Industry
“Most of the people you see promoting the industry today have no experience, no background, and no idea how to properly test, evaluate, or describe the proper application of a product. Keep that in mind as you research your next purchase. Experts are there. They’re just sitting quietly in the corner and not running around like a five year old in a toy store, drooling over each item they see in fancy packaging. Be smart and take some time to learn who’s helping you make decisions about YOUR needs.”
MARCH 2020 NEWSLETTER
This month’s edition has a challenging shooting drill, a Rangemater instructor’s experience at his firearms instructor courses, and an excellent article on complacency. Check it out.
The SALT Method: Triage and Treatment for Mass-Casualty Incidents
An option to start triaging mass casualty victims.
Henry Carbine Part II: Defensive Use
Thoughts about using a .357 magnum lever gun for home protection.
Home Invasion! Grab The Defensive Rifle- Dead Trigger….What The Hell Do You Do Now??
A superb article on rifle malfunction drills. I agree with him. Transitioning to the pistol is the best solution when I’m carrying one and within the effective range of the pistol. I’ll fix the rifle if I am either behind cover or more than 25 yards away from my adversary.
How to See U.S. Embassy Locations and Current Travel Advisories on One Map
A handy place to see all of the United States government travel warnings and worldwide embassy locations on a single map. I always look at our government’s warnings before I travel, but I don’t think they are the best source of information. Our government tends to sensationalize relatively low risks when dealing with a lot of other countries. I find that the British and Australian travel warning sites provide more rational information.
No, Video Games and Psych Meds Are Not The Cause of Mass Shootings
Pay attention here. John gets it right.
Lubricating the Kalashnikov
Tips for lubricating your AK rifle.
And So It Goes
Having lived (and taught rifle classes) through the era Tam describes, I’m very grateful for today’s much better options.
The Most Important Aspect of Self Defense that Nobody Talks About
“For me personally, I choose to live as fulfilling a life as possible. I enjoy good food and drink, the arts, and travel. My study of predators, violent criminal actors, and defense craft are there to supplement this lifestyle, and make sure that I’m able to have the broadest and most varied range of experiences possible. It’s an easy trap to get caught in, and it’s not discussed much. I just wanted to highlight this pitfall so that more people are aware that it’s out there. Ultimately it’s your life. Live it how you choose. But I do think it’s worth asking the question whether or not you’re spending more time training than you actually do living. “
It’s really easy to allow your training and practice routines to dominate your life. Alex provides some uselful perspective here to remind you that the majority of your most treasured experiences have absolutely nothing to do with firearms and self defense. Alex also mentions my blog in the video. I appreciate the kind words.
Vid Analysis – Bus Robbery
Cecil provides a great breakdown of an attack caught on video.
“To sum up, the entangled fight in real life happens again and again, whether weapons are involved or not. You can try to ignore that at your peril.”
Whistleblower cops accuse DC police of downgrading crimes to look better on stats
You really can’t trust the crime rates reported by the government. The system itself is mandatory, but there is no punishment if a police department doesn’t participate. Many agencies refuse to report their crimes to the Feds.
Then there is this type of issue. Police agencies want to look good. There is a significant amount of downgrading and under reporting going on in many agencies.
The latest trend I’m hearing about is when an agency looks at the case resolution rather than the initial report when compiling statistics.
If someone was charged with attempted murder, but plead guilty to assault in a deal with the prosecutor, the crime reported is “assault” not “attempted murder.” If for some reason the charges get dismissed, the crime then doesn’t get reported at all.
It’s a racket. Trusting the government’s figures probably isn’t the best idea if you want to know what is actually happening.
For more info on this particular scandal, read ‘It’s not OK to lie to the community’
What If You’re in a Hostage Situation?
These two experts offer some valuable (if a bit paranoid) perspectives about how best to respond to a hostage taking scenario in a foreign country. They have some good ideas (I like the tactile “danger cue” you can give your spouse that doesn’t involve speech), but a lot of their recommendations seem somewhat extreme. Going to a conference at a five-star hotel in a friendly foreign country really doesn’t require a military battle plan. I doubt any traveler prepares as much as these guys suggest. It makes me wonder how widely they have traveled in their personal lives.
Read the article. You’ll probably pick up a few tricks you hadn’t considered. Don’t buy in to the abject paranoia.
Coronavirus: What we know now, what’s coming, and how to prepare
I’m getting lots of questions about the COVID-19 virus. In the linked article, Grant Cunningham provides comprehensive advice on this coming threat.
While I think it’s going to have a large impact on our country, I’m personally pretty ambivalent about it. I’m (relatively) young and don’t have a compromised immune system. I don’t smoke. I’m pretty healthy. My immune system is strong. I’ve never in my life had the regular flu virus and rarely even get colds.
I’m not likely to die from this infection if I catch it. If it does result in my demise, that’s OK. I guess it was my time. There’s something to be said for going out at the peak of my life and never having to suffer the wrath and indignity of an unkind aging process. While I’m in no hurry to pass on (especially via a respiratory virus), I’ve mentally dealt with the prospect of death and it just doesn’t bother me.
For that reason, I haven’t paid the least bit of attention to the issues surrounding this coming pandemic. I’m not the one to ask for advice on this topic. Read Grant’s article and material from other scholars in the field. I don’t know (or care) enough about this virus to offer a useful opinion.
Practical Vehicle Carry
Solid advice about carrying a gun in a car.
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