Written by: Greg Ellifritz I was going through some references the other day and a found some very in-depth notes I had taken during a class I took a couple of years ago. The class was Force Science Research Center’s “Dynamics of Police Shootings” Course. When I realized that I hadn’t published these notes […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 25, 2016
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. The Speed vs. Emergency Reload: When, why, how Dave Spaulding shares his thoughts on reloading your pistol. Read his book Handgun Combatives. Police Release More Information on State Trooper Attack One of […]
Some Press from the Rangemaster Training Conference
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Last weekend I taught a class at the Rangemaster Tactical Conference titled “Escaping Criminal Restraints.” The class focused on escaping zip ties, rope, duct tape, or handcuffs in the event you are restrained during a takeover robbery, home invasion, or kidnapping attempt. The class was well attended by about 65 […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 18, 2016
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Vision, Perception, Combat, and Court How cognitive perception interferes with your ability to see motorcycles on the road and additional attackers in a gunfight. Self-Defense Law: The 5 Elements for Justified Use […]
Happy Four-Year Blog-iversary!
Written by Greg Ellifritz Tomorrow will mark the completion of four full years of blogging about self defense, firearms, and personal safety topics. I started this website on March 18, 2012 and have posted almost 900 total articles since then. Over the course of the last four years, the website has seen […]
AR-15 Rifle Ballistic Gel Testing- Best Choices for a Defensive Rifle Round
This is a guest post written by retired police chief Jeff Chudwin. Jeff is a well known law enforcement trainer and has served as the president of the Illinois Tactical Officers Association. Jeff recently sent out an email to a list of police firearms instructors describing his gelatin testing of numerous .223/5.56mm self defense rounds […]
“Understanding and Training the Female Shooter”
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I first met Lou Ann Hamblin more than 10 years ago at a police training conference organized by the now -defunct American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers. The conference brought together all of the biggest names in the police training business, putting on a bewildering array of classes. In between […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 11, 2016
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. TangoFoxtrot’s Rifle Dust Tests: Mini-14, AUG, ARX-100, SCAR Some interesting dust tests using common rifles. Now you know why I hate the Mini-14. Even more interesting to me (since I don’t live in a […]
The Lisa Mearkle Police Shooting- 7 Lessons to Learn
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I was recently reading this article about a police shooting that stemmed from a foot pursuit after a man violated a few traffic laws. Officer Lisa Mearkle tragically ended up shooting an unarmed man. She faced murder charges, but was acquitted. Examination of some of the particulars of this case will […]
The Tactical Professor’s “Baseline Evaluation”
Written by: Greg Ellifritz The Tactical Professor describes a great shooting drill you can use to establish baseline competency and track improvement over time. I like drills like this that provide a measurable standard that you can track over time. The drill requires 50 rounds (five sequences of 10 shots each) and is […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 4, 2016
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. INTERVIEW: Former SEAL Matt Bracken Talks SHTF and a Dirty Civil War Former Navy Seal Matt Bracken discusses some of his insights about the future. The discussion isn’t pleasant. If you haven’t read Matt’s […]
An Observation About Two Recent Active Killer Events
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Within the last two weeks there have been two very high profile active killer events in the United States. The first was when an Uber driver shot eight people in Michigan. The second was when a lawnmower manufacturing worker shot 17 people in Kansas. Even though the two killings […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 26, 2016
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Photos show what crime looks like before it happens A very interesting article about the algorithms used to alert surveillance camera operators to “suspicious” behaviors. The list of “pre-crime” activities that trigger an alert […]
AARs from Last Weekend’s Knife Class
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Last weekend, John Murphy of FPF Training hosted me for a Defensive Knife class in Manassas Virginia. The class was well received by the 22 students who attended. A couple of the students shared AARs (After Action Reviews) of the class. If any of you are interested in seeing […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 19, 2016
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Too Much Gun Pointing? Many of you understand when it’s legal to shoot someone, but what about merely pointing the gun as a threat? Take a look at this article that describes when […]
gunFIGHT!
Written by Greg Ellifritz A couple weeks ago I opened my mail to find that my friend and fellow trainer Richard Nance had sent me a copy of his new book gunFIGHT! I quickly skimmed the book and realized that it covered quite a few concepts that are not commonly addressed in most gunfighting […]
Prosecuted for a Negligent Discharge
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Read this article. An NYPD officer just got convicted of both manslaughter and official misconduct after an accidental shooting that occurred on his SECOND DAY of patrol. For all my cop friends and those who want to be cops. Study this case. Here’s the deal… I don’t […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 12, 2016
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. The Folly of Chasing Gear – CCW Gear Some advice to get you new carriers heading in the right direction. A Quick Guide To Shooting Fundamentals Another resource for you brand new […]
Your Tactical Training Scenario- Robbery Turns Into Hostage Taking
Written by: Greg Ellifritz You and a co-worker are working late into the night. As you open the door to leave, a man bursts in and holds a gun to your head. He marches you and the co-worker to a different part of the building where the safe is located. The attacker thinks […]
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 […]