Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Training Red Flags: What to Look Out for When Choosing Instructors
Fewer than 1% of gun owners seek professional training beyond a CCW class. My readers might be the exception. Keep an eye out for these warning signs so that you aren’t wasting your money.
The .380 ACP: History & Performance
The articles I write about the .380 are consistently the most popular on my site.
Unqualified Officer Bungles Chase With Horrible Consequences
This is staggeringly poor performance. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon. Remember, this is who might be coming when you call 911.
The Best Self Defense Ammo – Ballistic Testing
Ammunition-to-go has published a large study of ballistic gelatin performance using defensive rounds fired from shorter barrels into clothing covered gelatin. These tests are not the same as the FBI protocol, but still provide useful information. This is an article you should read.
Inexpensive Methods of Testing Bullet Penetration by Old N Bold
Innovative thinking about alternate ballistic testing media.
Texas DPS 25 yard course of fire
A challenging shooting drill for you to try. If you don’t want to devote 50 rounds to a single drill try The Devil Drill instead.
7 Week Free Functional Bodybuilding Workout Plan
This looks like a great workout to both add muscle mass and increase cardiovascular performance.
The Educational BeatDown
Learn about how to avoid the “educational beatdown” and when that “beatdown” might be something else:
“The person looking for an excuse to get violent will try to get you to do or say something that can be used as a rationalization. It is not a reason—they already have the reason in that they want to hurt someone. It just needs to sound like a reason. When someone tries to incite you to inflammatory language and anger, that is the time to slow down, and act thoughtful and cold. And check the audience.
If there is no audience, this is probably a lead-in to a predatory assault. Experienced predators will mimic social patterns so that YOU stay on the predictable (and much less violent) social script. If there is an audience and they are egging on the threat, be prepared for a Monkey Dance. Apologize and leave, but be prepared to crash through the crowd if necessary.”
For more on the topic, check out my article on The Educational Beatdown.
The Four Pillars of Fighting
What I’m reading…
James Yeager’s posthumously published treatise on fighting.
Evaluating Hornady’s Varmint Express #4 Buckshot
The author says it best:
“If your likely engagement distances don’t exceed 10 yards, maybe this load could work for you, at least in terms of pattern size. There are better-performing loads, and the need for a less penetrative buckshot solution is dubious at best. I am not certain why someone would choose 4-buck over 00 loads, but if that is you, and you are limited to only the potential for 10 yard shots, then this one might be worth consideration. I wouldn’t use it, but you can 😉”
For more info about shotgun ballistics, read Shotgun Basics: Buckshot (Part 2).
Covenant School Active Shooter Case–MNPD Body Camera Footage
After the horrific police response to Uvalde, it’s great to see some officers from Nashville handle business correctly. Watch this six minute badge cam video.
A quick explanation for those of you who have never done this stuff or had active shooter response training…
The officers make immediate entry to the school but don’t have any actionable intelligence about where the killer might be located. They correctly began a slower search of all the open rooms in the school. Once they got an indication of where the killer was (motionless body in the hallway and sounds of gunfire) they rushed to that area.
The leading three officers were armed with a rifle, a shotgun, and a handgun. Any of those weapons would be fine in the close quarters of a classroom. Once they realized the shooter might be down a long hallway in an open area, you hear an officer say “Push the LPVO” at about the 5:35 mark. “LPVO” is an acronym for “Low Power Variable Optic.” It’s a lower magnification rifle scope that is the better choice for longer range confrontations. “Push the LPVO” is an order to move the guy with the scoped rifle up to the front of the group to best insure the most accurate shot.
Excellent work.
How to Survive a Human Stampede
As awareness about proper active killer response is growing, we are seeing more people quickly fleeing the scenes of spree shootings. That’s good. The downside is that the mass exodus can cause additional difficulties. Here are some tips about how to successfully navigate a large crowd without becoming a stampede casualty.
What Is a Mid-Length Gas System? Splitting the Difference
Everything you would want to know about mid-length gas systems in AR-15 carbines.
Going Red Dot, Or Not?
For those of you considering pistol red dots. You might also like Red Dots for Old Eyes.
Footprints/Mounting Standards on Red Dot Sights provides a handy reference for red dot mounting options.
Deep Practice: Improve Your Shooting The Right Way
Richard Nance’s thoughts on deep practice.
IWBA Wound Ballistics Review
After some high profile bullet failures in the 1986 FBI Miami Gunfight, lots of folks started on a quest to find bullets that would both expand and penetrate adequately, even when shot through intermediate barriers. One of the groups that was at the forefront of this research quest was the International Wound Ballistics Association (IWBA). They were the ones who introduced and publicized the use of calibrated ballistic gelatin as a bullet test medium. I was a member of this organization more than 20 years ago before it became defunct.
Here are all of the old IWBA journals. This is a goldmine of reading for all you ballistic nerds. Link opens to a Google drive where the journals are stored.
Do I Need a Weapon Mounted Light on a Defensive Pistol?
Some intelligent thinking on weapon mounted lights. For what it’s worth, I carried a WML on my police duty pistol. I have one on my bedside home defense gun. I don’t carry one during my daily CCW.
Adding Capability & Capacity – Magazine Extensions
Erick talks about increasing magazine capacity. You should also check out Erick’s excellent interview about low light operations in the ACLDN monthly journal.
Rangemaster April Journal
This month’s edition has a very thorough review of portable microphones for instructors as well as Tom’s favorite Bullseye shooting drills.
So You Want to Start Sprinting?
Sprinting is one of the best things you can do to both improve your fitness level and your ability to escape a violent criminal. I sprint a couple times a week and would rather skip a day of lifting than skip my sprint day. The only problem is that most people haven’t sprinted since high school. Here’s how to start a sprinting program without ripping a hamstring.
Original ATF AR-15 Classification Refutes Claim that Rifle ‘Not Meant’ for Civilians
Interestingly enough, the original AR-15 rifle was meant for the civilian market, not the military. For more information on this subject, check out Interview with Reed Knight on Eugene Stoner and the AR-15. AR-15 rifles are far more common than the anti-gun folks might lead you to believe. They aren’t “military” or “criminal” weapons. The latest study shows that six percent of Americans own one. And the true number is far higher. Many gun owners will lie to a survey asking questions about numbers and types of weapons they own.
8 Emergency Preparedness Drills to Do with Your Kids
Some suggestions for you parents.
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.
