Written by: Greg Ellifritz Read the first article on this page. Imagine a similar scenario. You hear noises in your house at night. Upon investigation, you find a man you don’t know sleeping on your couch. What do you do? The homeowner in this story shot the intruder. No doubt many of […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 19, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. If You Go to Guns You Failed “If you go to guns you failed” means that you failed multiple opportunities to take preventive measures in ensuring your personal security and that of those who […]
Happy Nine Year Blog-iversary
Written by Greg Ellifritz This week marks the completion of nine full years of blogging about self defense, firearms, and personal safety topics. I started this website on March 18, 2012 and have posted 2071 total articles since then. The average novel is somewhere around 100,000 words. In the last nine years I’ve […]
The Psychology of Previous Investment
Written by Greg Ellifritz I was recently listening to a podcast where the host was interviewing noted author and speaker James Howard Kunstler. Mr. Kunstler is well known in the fields of permaculture, architecture, and sustainable living. He has written several excellent books, with The Long Emergency and World Made By Hand likely […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 12, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Chauvin Trial Attorney Andrew Branca is providing legal analysis on the Chauvin trial in Minnesota. His summary of the first day’s proceedings is very thorough and insightful. I think a lot of you might […]
Free Books- Part 223
Amazon has a tremendous number of FREE ebooks on their website. You can find thousands of free kindle books on Amazon’s site every day. These books can be downloaded to a Kindle reader or a free App on your phone or personal computer. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a free […]
My Favorite Inside-the-Waistband Holsters
Written by Greg Ellifritz I get a lot of questions about holsters. It seems that a lot of folks wants to know what holsters I wear and which holsters I consider “best.” Most folks who have been carrying for awhile will gravitate towards the inside-the- waistband (IWB) holster for optimal comfort and concealment. […]
Cross Draw Holsters
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Recently, a couple of readers asked my opinion of cross draw holsters for carrying a small defensive revolver on the belt. The readers noted that this style of carry is comfortable and very easy to access from a seated position in a vehicle. Those are certainly worthy attributes of the cross […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 5, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Sometimes You Gotta Think Outside The Box Students in my classes regularly ask me about the viability of tossing a wallet or car keys in the direction of the attacker and running away. Here’s an […]
PHLster Enigma Holster Chassis System
Written by: Greg Ellifritz In 2016, I was teaching a close quarters gunfighting class in Virginia. One of my students showed up wearing a Runcible Works belly band. It performed admirably during the class and I wrote up the details in my post A Couple Gun and Gear Comments. Soon thereafter, Runcible Works […]
The Role of the Semi-Automatic .22 Long Rifle Carbine for Home Defense
This is a guest post from my friend Steve Moses, owner of Palisade Training Group. I’ve taken several of Steve’s classes at the Rangemaster Conferences we’ve both taught at over the years. Steve is a very thoughtful and competent instructor and I recommend his material highly. If you are down in Texas, check out some of […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 26, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. How to improve your situational awareness with natural threat detection mechanisms A situational awareness primer. For more information, check out PREPARATION: THE BEST COMPLEMENT TO SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. Robbers Lose To Officer With […]
Free Books- Part 222
Amazon has a tremendous number of FREE ebooks on their website. You can find thousands of free kindle books on Amazon’s site every day. These books can be downloaded to a Kindle reader or a free App on your phone or personal computer. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a free […]
Legendary Lawman- The Story of Quick Draw Jelly Bryce
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Delf “Jelly” Bryce was an old time gunfighter who started his career as a lawman in the 1920’s. He served as a Oklahoma State Game Agent, Oklahoma City Police Officer, and later an FBI agent in the agency’s heyday fighting gangsters and alcohol smugglers. He received the nickname “Jelly” […]
How Should I Flee from an Attacker?
Written by Greg Ellifritz Many people consider flight to be a prime option for dealing with criminal violence. In some cases, it’s a good plan. In other cases, not so much. Before relying solely on your sprinting skills to keep you safe, honestly assess your abilities. When is the last time you actually […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 19, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. On conquering COVID, the invisible suspect Did you know that 196 police officers died from Covid-19 in 2020? That was four times greater than the number killed by firearms. What Shot Feedback […]
“Tragically Misguided” School Shooter Drills
Written by: Greg Ellifritz As the nation continues to cry out for police reform and the creation of a kinder/gentler law enforcement presence, school safety drills are being increasingly criticized and abandoned. After Columbine and several other high visibility school shootings, the public clamored for more cops in schools. They demanded emergency preparation drills. Now […]
Squib Loads
Because I see occasional squib loads when shooting .38 special ammo, I start every snub revolver class by allowing the students to fire a primed case to feel the difference between a squib and a full power round. It’s an idea I stole from Micheal de Bethencourt. I got this email last week: […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 12, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Gunfighting and Neuroscience: Why Using Your Front Sight Might Kill You A look at “quiet eye” research and how it relates to winning gunfights. The best case scenario is that sighted fire becomes such […]
Upcoming 2021 Open Enrollment Classes
Covid-19 combined with ammunition scarcity continue to make scheduling classes for 2021 quite difficult. With that said, I have quite a few classes open for those of you itching to train again. I’m doing more medical, shotgun, and knife classes in 2021. Shotgun ammunition has been the easiest to find during the ammo crisis. […]