The weather is becoming colder. Many of you folks will soon be wearing large winter coats if you aren’t already. Have you ever tried to draw your defensive firearm while you are bundled up in a winter parka? Sometimes it’s harder than one might think. A friend once asked me for some winter […]
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K and L-Frame Snub Revolvers
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I may have a slight problem…an addiction to snub revolvers. Oh, I love a good J-frame and carry one around almost daily. but my true passion is the J-frame’s almost unheard of larger snub cousin…the K-frame snub. Many of you know all about Smith and Wesson’s K-Frame revolver. […]
Lessons from Shotgun Instructor School
Last month I drove to the amazing Royal Range in Nashville to take Rangemaster’s Defensive Shotgun Instructor class. I had previously taken all three levels of the Rangemaster handgun instructor classes and the one-day shotgun user class. It was time to get the shotgun instructor cert. I was a little worried. The class […]
My Thoughts on the Ruger LCP .22 Pistol
I purchased the new Ruger LCP II “Lite Rack” .22 handgun about nine months ago. I’ve finally got enough rounds through it to trust it for defensive carry. I’ll be honest. When I first got the pistol, it didn’t function well at all. It really didn’t matter what ammo I fired through it. […]
Glock Pistols- What Breaks and How to Fix It
OK, let me get this out of the way right off the bat. I carry a Glock pistol during about 95% of my waking hours. My police duty gun was either a Glock 21 or a Glock 17. A Glock 26 or a Glock 19 in 9mm are constant companions in my off-duty hours. […]
The 9mm Revolver: Boom x 6 or 5 or 7
*This is a guest post from Travis Pike. To learn more about him, check out the “about the author” blurb at the end of the article. Travis is a big revolver fan and thought that my audience might appreciate this piece. I think you will enjoy it. -Greg When talking about revolvers as a […]
Initial Impressions-.22 Ruger LCP II
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I picked up a new Ruger LCP II in .22 long rifle last week. I’ve owned the same gun in .380 acp since it was introduced. It fits the small niche of a “back pocket” gun better than any other. The downside of the .380 version of this gun […]
Shootout: Glock 42 versus Kahr CW 380
This is a guest article from friend and student “Gaston Garand.” I think the Glock 42 and the Kahr are the two best pocket .380 autos on the market right now. When Gaston found 400 rounds of .380 ammo, he put the two to a test and offered to write up the results for my […]
The Springfield XD- A Polemic
Written by: Greg Ellifritz A recent discussion on my Facebook page prompted me to write an article to explain why I really don’t care for the Springfield XD pistol. I’ve seen hundreds of the guns go through my classes in the last decade. I remain unimpressed. The gun’s main selling point seems to […]
Choosing a Gun for the Woman in your Life
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Reading the article The Right Gun for a Woman, According to Women got me a little fired up. Go check it out before you continue here. Female Shooters On: Semi-Autos vs. Revolvers As most of you know, I’m not a woman. I don’t purport to […]
Don’t Dig the Rig #20
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 […]
Shooting the new Glock 48 and 43X
Written by Greg Ellifritz Last week, my friends at the LEPD Shooting Range in Columbus let me know that they had the new Glock 43X and Glock 48 in stock and available to shoot as rental guns. I eagerly took them up on their offer to let me shoot the two new guns. […]
Range Testing the Ruger LCR
This is a guest post from my friend Marcus Wynne. Marcus is an accomplished trainer and author who was once the lead firearms instructor for the Federal Air Marshals. He sent this report out to a firearms instructor email list I’m on. I thought a lot of you might find value in his observations, so […]
Shooting the Hudson H-9
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I’ve been down at TDI teaching my impact weapons class the last couple days. As per my custom, before and after class I generally tend to shoot a lot of practice rounds at a couple of the beautiful ranges they have down there. One of my fellow instructors recently […]
Shooting the S&W Shield EZ .380
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I’ve been hearing some good things about the new S&W Shield EZ. It was introduced about two months ago. Smith and Wesson designed it to be a gun that could be used for concealed carry or home protection by those who are extremely recoil sensitive or those who lack the […]
#Don’tDigTheRig- Part 4
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. All are carried by someone. Unfortunately, some of the choices are less than […]
Observations from TDI’s Extreme Close Quarters Class
Written by: Greg Ellifritz You all really seem to like it when I post information about the gun and gear problems I see in class. I could write a 3,000 word article filled with high level tactical insight and it will be virtually ignored. But if I talk about how a certain gun is […]
Gun and Gear Issues in Last Weekend’s Class
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I require the completion of at least one day of advanced firearms training (over and above a CCW class) from a known shooting school or traveling instructor as a prerequisite to take my close range handgun class. I find that after completing some advanced training, students generally have a basic […]
8 Quality Carry Guns for Under $400…Or Not
Written by Greg Ellifritz Guns and Ammo’s online magazine ran an article touting the 8 best “quality” handguns available for under $400. I like the premise of the article, but I can’t say that I agree with the author’s choices. Check out the article HERE. The author chooses the following guns as “affordable, reliable […]
Hating on the Taurus Judge
Written by: Greg Ellifritz One of my retired officers came to the range to shoot his requalification course a while back. He brought a new toy to play with…the Taurus Judge. This is a pistol that amazingly popular among neophyte gun owners. It’s a five-shot revolver with an alloy frame, fiber optic sights, and […]