I got back a few days ago from a 10-day trip to Turkey. I’ll have a full article about my trip posted next week, but until then I need to share some critical information for you shooters who travel by air. On my flight home leaving Turkey, I had to go through Turkey’s dual […]
Last Friday, the terrorist organization HAMAS declared a “Worldwide Day of Jihad.” While not too much happened, I think it’s prudent to be prepared for additional threats from this organization and its unaffiliated followers. I just returned from a 10-day trip to Turkey. Being much closer to the conflict over there and experiencing the […]
If you pay attention, you’ll regularly see video of criminal attackers armed with contact weapons closing the distance by charging their victims at a dead run. That’s a difficult scenario to handle and a lot of victims give in to their natural reaction to back up and create more distance. The problem is that […]
I recently saw this video and it caused me to think about how common criminal attacks are fundamentally changing. Take a few seconds and watch the clip. Surveillance video shows brutal attack on cashier in gas station robbery Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Traditionally, the most likely criminal attack most folks […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz We know that active killers frequently have to reload or clear gun malfunctions. When the killer is preoccupied with the task of making his gun work again, it provides an opportunity for victims to either escape or to attack. A friend of mine with limited gun knowledge asked me […]
One of the biggest mistakes I see my students make is trading a good tactical position for a position that offers better visibility instead. It’s nice to be able to see what’s going on, but it’s seldom a good idea to trade a position of relative safety for one that gives you a better view. […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Yesterday was the beginning of police memorial week. It’s a week designated to honor currently serving and deceased police officers. Residents in many communities are choosing to celebrate police week by replacing their external light bulbs with bulbs that are blue colored instead. In my former state, the effort is […]
You might have seen news coverage from yesterday’s vehicle run-down attack in Texas. If you missed the story, the link below will get you up to speed. Brownsville: Seven dead as car strikes people in Texas border town Vehicle attacks peaked in the United States in the 2017-2018 time period. Back then, the […]
Two weeks ago, I attended a large weekend music festival in Tampa, Florida. Almost all of these festivals have some type of security screening with either pat down searches or metal detectors. I’ve written in the past about how to smuggle defensive weapons past security checkpoints in places like these, where “no guns” signs […]
Shotgun patterns have been on my mind since attending Rangemaster’s excellent shotgun instructor class in Nashville two weeks ago. I was honestly a bit shocked that many of my fellow students didn’t really understand the differences in buckshot patterning at various differences. I patterned three different common 00 Buck defensive loads out of my […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Within the last couple weeks, dozens of schools have been targeted by hoax bomb and active killer threats. Check out some of the news articles below for details. Multiple fake threats made involving Montana schools Friday Multiple schools threatened with ‘hoax’ shooter phone calls Police respond to false calls […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Take a look at this article. Tacoma man shoots would-be burglar in the face The link above shows what happens in a typical birdshot defensive shooting. The birdshot created the desired response (stopping the attack), but it certainly didn’t incapacitate the burglar. If the burglar had been armed, […]
In the last decade, the relationship between the police and the society they serve has been quite contentious. Have you ever thought about how exactly you want your police to act? What mission priorities would you charge them with handling? It’s an interesting thought exercise. If you care about this issue at all, […]
There have been a rash of police training injuries and deaths this year. If you haven’t been keeping track of such things, here are a few recent news articles to get you up to speed. CBP instructor dies after accidental shooting at west Miami-Dade gun range Retired DC Police Lieutenant charged with involuntary manslaughter […]
I’ve written quite a bit about malfunctioning guns over the years. I published Criminals and the Guns They Carry. That article was a study of all the unloaded broken and malfunctioning guns police take from criminals. I later wrote Weapon Malfunctions in the Active Shooter Environment about how commonly killers’ guns jam […]
What follows is some straight talk about my professional experience with dead bodies. Don’t read any more if you have a weak stomach or if you’ve had a recent death in your family. You’ve been warned. As most of you know, I worked as a police officer for 25 years in an upper class […]
Last week, there were two abduction cases that made it to national news. The first consisted of a Tinder date gone bad. The female half restrained her date’s hands and ankles with duct tape before choking and stabbing him. The second was even more sinister. After a long standing feud, a former employee went […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of open carry (carrying an unconcealed handgun or long gun in public). Except in a hunting context or in very rural areas where one is unlikely to encounter another human, I generally think it’s a poor decision to carry openly. Too […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz “The bad guy can lure you to an isolated place. This is almost infinitely varied. Anything from offering a cheap, unlicensed cab to telling you that there is a beautiful shrine just down the alley that isn’t on the tourist maps. It’s hard to pass up. I have learned an incredible […]
I’ve written extensively about the issue of air travel with guns. I encountered a problem last weekend that I hadn’t seen before. If you fly with guns frequently enough, you will notice that you can’t check in online or through your airline’s app for the return flight of your round trip if you checked […]
