Written by: Greg Ellifritz I saw this article last week and I felt intensely disappointed. Police across the country are growing beards to help fight cancer In the last few years, November beard growth has become a trend in police departments all across the country. While I admire the officers’ efforts towards […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz We all know that it is often harder to get accurate hits with smaller pistols as compared to full-sized guns. If you aren’t aware of this fact, read Karl Rehn’s study comparing shooters’ scores on a qualification test using both pocket pistols and full sized guns. If you don’t […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Sex sells. People are usually more curious about ways they can improve their sex/dating life than than they are about ways they can protect themselves from crime. But what if those two goals aren’t mutually exclusive? I found this video on a male dating/relationship advice site. It’s made by […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz Last week I was reading a forum post about the utility of the flanking maneuver in a battlefield context. Flanking is a critical battle strategy and even the greenest of soldiers understands its importance. Yet the idea is generally not taught in a law enforcement context. Ask a cop […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I was reading a news account of a defensive gun use yesterday when I was struck by two things. Before I get to my insights, read the short article: Armed Portland Woman Fends Off Flasher High on Crystal Meth. The article talks about a woman who drew a […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz Concealed Nation has a regular feature on its website called #DIGTHERIG. It consists of reader submitted photos about their individual chosen concealed carry weapon and holster choices. A huge variety of guns and holsters are featured. Real people carry each of these gun and holster combinations. Unfortunately, some of […]
I was recently reviewing an older Club Orlov article titled: Understanding Organizational Stupidity. In the article, Orlov attempts to answer the question “Why Are We Being So Fucking Stupid?” He is speaking about stupidity regarding American Economic policy, but I see the same problems in the way most police organizations function. I know […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz Tom Givens, firearms trainer and owner or Rangemaster Shooting School made an important observation in a recent class I attended. To paraphrase, Tom said “The average person gets most of his education about firearms and gunfights from television and the movies.” It’s an important idea…and it’s important that we as […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz With my two most recent articles being about using the .22 for self defense, someone is bound to want to know about the .22 Magnum. Here are my thoughts on the defensive application of that particular little cartridge. For what it’s worth, I have my 351 in my pocket as I […]
After posting yesterday’s analysis about using the .22 for self defense, I’ve decided to re-post this article that discusses some of the “how” questions that go with yesterday’s “why” questions. -Greg I’ve recently received quite a bit of feedback on carrying and using the .22 as a self defense weapon. I had no idea […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz Since my handgun stopping power study was published last month in American Handgunner Magazine, I’ve received several questions from readers about my data. I expected to be castigated by all the big bullet aficionados for reporting honest data about the “mouse gun” calibers. That wasn’t what I received. […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Last Saturday I attended Larry Lindenman’s excellent class on the use of saps and blackjacks for personal defense (full review out later this week). During the class, a student asked if the sap would break a side car window. No one in the class knew the answer. Today […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Shooting is a damn dangerous activity. In the last couple weeks, I’ve seen accounts of four different incidents where shooters have been hit by ricochet rounds coming off of garbage in the backstop, dangerous steel targets, or direct fire from a poorly placed target array. Let’s take a look at […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Think about your last firearms training session. From which distance did you spend the majority of your time shooting? Next question… When you visualize possible scenarios when you might have to defend yourself with a firearm, how far do you imagine the criminal shooting at you will be? […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz Reason Magazine recently published an article titled “Is This the Summer of Snitches?” The article discussed numerous news stories from the last couple months when petty and vindictive people called the police to report someone committing a relatively minor legal infraction. You would be absolutely amazed how often this happens. […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I’ve seen some stunning examples of irresponsible behavior by gun owners lately. All made the nationals news; which, as a gun carrier, you should try to avoid. All of them involved carrying a gun in a faulty holster or carrying without a holster at all. Let’s look at a […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Editor’s note: It’s the season for outdoor festivals, concerts, and Independence Day celebrations. All of those events are vulnerable to terrorist vehicle run-down attacks. These attacks have not gone away. There were several in Europe last month. They still form a critical part of the Islamist attack strategy. I wrote this […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Last week, the FBI posted their study of the Pre-Attack Behaviors of Active Shooters in the United States from 2000-2013. The study is 30 pages long and well worth the time to read if you are interested in the subject matter. This study is different from others because the FBI […]
This is a guest post by my friend Ron Borsch, a retired police officer and trainer. Ron is one of the most notable researchers in the “active killer” field and shares his thoughts on the issue. In this piece, he discusses the rapid increase in recent school shootings and what we can do to abate […]
This is a guest post by my friend Ron Borsch, a retired police officer and trainer. Ron is one of the most notable researchers in the “active killer” field and shares his thoughts on the issue. In this piece, he discusses the multitude of motivations an active killer might have and shares his research […]
