Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. .45 ACP to the Midface If you think your handgun really has stopping power, check out Sherman’s account of a patient with a .45 slug stuck in his face complaining of a toothache. You’ll […]
Shooting Drill- 15 in 10

Written by: Greg Ellifritz My friend Dave Spaulding introduced me to the 15 in 10 drill in a recent article he wrote for Handguns Magazine. According to the article, the drill was originally developed by Mike Pannone of CTT Solutions. It’s a great drill for developing rapid shooting skills at (relatively) small […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- April 22. 2016

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Escaping Common Restraints – Greg Ellifritz @ Rangemaster 2016 A short interview from Dr. Z about some of the restraint escape options I taught during the Rangemaster Tactical Conference. The History of […]
Safe Rooms vs. “The Red Menace”

This is a guest post from my friend and fellow police trainer Ron Borsch. In it, he discusses some of the realities involved in securing buildings from active shooters and some of the problems we unintentionally create. Greg When I was the founder, manager and lead trainer for a regional police training academy, […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- April 15, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. America’s Best Years Were When We Had No Income Tax Since today is tax day for Americans, we’ll start out with some interesting facts about the income tax. The Glock 19: The […]
“Forging the Hero”

John Mosby sent me a pre-release copy of his latest book Forging the Hero to review. He asked me to write a blurb for his website. This is what I wrote: “Mosby starts his book with a chapter called: “Shit Just Ain’t Right.” It’s a feeling that many of us share, but few are […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- April 8, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. A Beginner’s Guide to Suppressors: Part 1 Everything you want to know about suppressors. Part Two covers the legal issues involved in acquiring one and how to make the purchase. Part Three covers maintenance […]
The Secondary Device

Written by: Greg Ellifritz One of the most commonly used terrorist bombing techniques of late is the use of what is called a “secondary device.” Most recently. a secondary device was planted (but did not go off) in the Belgium airport bombing. A recent terrorist attack where the secondary device worked as planned occurred […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- April 1, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Taming the 12 gauge: Shotgun Recoil Management Some useful techniques if you are a dinosaur like me who still uses a scatter gun for home protection. Gear check! Something that many of […]
Dynamics of Police Shootings

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 […]