Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Officer’s Firearm Repeatedly Malfunctions on Camera In all my shooting classes I stress the need for malfunction drills. Your “100% reliable” pistol will not be 100% reliable in a gunfight. Improper grip (caused by […]
Lessons Learned from the Orlando Shooting Police Response

Written by: Greg Ellifritz Last week I wrote a post about the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando Florida. In it, I outlined the story and provided some guidance that would help the average citizen survive a similar homicidal killing spree. Go back and read it before you move on to the second part below. […]
Knowledge Dump- Orlando Pulse Nightclub Shooting Special Edition

After the Pulse Nightclub shooting last Sunday, lots of folks all over the internet had all kind of important things to say. I attempted to add the links into my Weekend Knowledge Dump, but yesterday’s edition got overly ponderous. I pulled out all the stuff about the shooting and active killers in general and put […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- June 17, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Baggage Claim Ed talks about some of the dangers present in the baggage claim area of a third world airport. He’s right. Lots of shady characters hang out there. Be careful. Two more tips: […]
The Orlando Pulse Nightclub Shooting

Written by: Greg Ellifritz Early Sunday morning on June 12, a murderer (who won’t be named here) pledging fealty to the Islamic terrorist group ISIS, entered an Orlando gay nightclub and shot more than 100 people. Preliminary accounts indicate that 49 innocent victims were killed and an additional 54 victims were hospitalized with injuries. […]
Waiting Will Get You Killed

Today’s article is a guest contribution from my friend Ed Monk. Ed is a police officer, retired Army officer, and owner of the Last Resort Firearms training company. In this article, Ed shares some valuable active killer research. I will be posting my thoughts on the Orlando massacre tomorrow. -Greg By Ed […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- June 10. 2016

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. How To Survive A Riot When All Hell Breaks Loose A very long article with lots of good tips for surviving crowd violence. Along the same lines, you may also want to check out […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- June 3, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Check Your Six: Looking AND Seeing Some thoughts on an after-action scan. I actually favor the technique taught by Craig Douglas. Instead of merely looking by turning the head or turning your back on your […]
Calling the Shots

I recently read Jenna Meek’s new book Calling the Shots-Self Protection and Firearm Choices That Work For You and really enjoyed it. The book serves an important role in your shooting library and will help you explain the basics of firearms use and carry issues to the folks in your life who aren’t “gun […]
The 5 x 5 Shooting Drill and Some Thoughts on Training

Written by: Greg Ellifritz I taught a class last weekend that I don’t often teach. I call it “Tactical Handgun Level 1”. It’s basically the logical next step after a CCW class. It covers fundamental marksmanship, fixing grip and stance issues, drawing from the holster, shooting multiple targets, use of cover, and clearing malfunctions. […]
Why I Don’t Wear a Badge Mourning Band

Written by: Greg Ellifritz Today is Memorial Day in the United States. It is a holiday for memorializing the members of are armed services who have died in battle. I wish to start out this article by honoring the fallen and remembering the families they have left grieving. In the police world, other than […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- May 27, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. This Is How To Be Persuasive: 7 New Secrets From Hostage Negotiation Some very useful information about becoming more persuasive. A Practice Video – A Robbery In A Mall Food Court Here […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- May 20, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. .22 vs .223 – Home Defense – Drywall Penetration Did you know that .22 LR and .223 rounds penetrate a similar number of interior walls? The key to avoiding collateral damage inside a home isn’t […]
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 […]
Lock Your Damn Doors 2016 Edition

Written by: Greg Ellifritz Two years ago, I wrote an article titled Lock Your Damn Doors. In that article I looked at a month’s worth of burglary and theft reports from the city where I worked and tracked how many theft victims had left their houses or cars unlocked before the thefts occurred. […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- May 13, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Emotional Components of Knife Defense, Part 1 A detailed look at why some folks fear being stabbed more than being shot. It’s a very common, but scientifically baseless fear. A medical study of criminal […]
Back from Cuba!

Written by: Greg Ellifritz Lauren and I spent last week on a short vacation. Our primary destination was Cuba, where we spent four days in Havana. As there are no direct flights for tourists from the USA, we had to catch a flight from Cancun, Mexico. Since we both love the beach there, we […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- May 6, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Appendix Carry (AIWB) Basics: Keep it Secret. Keep it Safe. “Usually, when somebody says they’ve tried appendix carry and then they immediately decide they don’t like it, it’s because they’re using the wrong kind of holster. […]
“A Vulgar Display of Power”

Written by: Greg Ellifritz I’ve been studying the active shooter phenomenon for a long time. The one active shooter event that has occurred closest to where I live isn’t commonly discussed in the literature on the topic. The event to which I refer is the 2004 shooting at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in […]
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 […]