Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Weapon Lights on Handguns: Essential or Unnecessary?
Dave Spaulding talks weapon mounted lights.
Home Defense with Tom Givens
Tom Givens discusses some home defense tips. After you read this article, check out Tom’s monthly Rangemaster Journal.
Moment four female Chicago police officers spend three minutes trying to arrest ‘shoplifter’ who easily escaped
I’ve commented extensively about the problems with contemporary American policing. This video illustrates the primary issues.
– No one wants to be a cop in this political environment. The good cops who have other career options are taking other jobs and retiring at an unprecedented rate.
– Many candidates applying for new cop jobs are folks who would have been judged unsuitable and passed over just 5-10 years ago. Now departments have to hire them because they need bodies.
– Fitness and performance standards have been relaxed because departments need more officers
– Training has been radically decreased nationwide. With the huge personnel shortages, cops are needed to work patrol shifts. Departments can’t pull them off the streets to do training.
Combine these factors with activist prosecutors and police administrators trying to discipline or criminally charge officers who conduct legal arrests using reasonable force that merely have “bad optics.”
The result is that you get unfit and untrained officers who are hesitant to act. Maybe not such a big deal in a shoplifting arrest, but remember, these are the same cops who will be responding to your 911 call or when you kid’s school is getting shot up.
The problem is only going to get worse. You’d best prepare to take care of yourself.
Striking Distance: Sap and Blackjack Buyer’s Guide
In last week’s edition of the Knowledge Dump, I linked to an a video showing some basic sap strikes. A few readers wrote to me asking where they can purchase a sap. Here is an article showing numerous sap variation with links to most of the best current sap/blackjack makers.
Fixing Failures with the Sig P365-380
Some things to try if you are having feeding issues with your Sig .380 (or any of the other larger .380 auto pistols).
November 11, 2023 – Critical Incident
For my cop friends, this would make excellent roll call training material. It’s the recent shooting where the Austin swat cop was killed. Play the videos in order. Listen to the radio traffic first and then watch the videos.
The best live fire drills to do at the range
Some pistol shooting drills to try the next time you go to the range. Need another drill? Try the REDHAWK TRANSITION TARGET or the The New and Improved New Jersey Carry Permit Shooting Test.
Project: Build An Emergency Water Filtration System
Everything you would ever want to know about filtering/purifying water in an emergency.
Storing Magazines Loaded: Yes or No?
I’m not too worried about storing loaded magazines.
Can’t I just kneel on his groin?
Some tips for controlling a femoral artery bleed.
“SUMMARY: Putting your knee in a casualty’s groin can eliminate common femoral artery blood flow. The key is to place your knee gently in the groin crease, putting too much body weight into your knee will be painful to the casualty, and they will not remain underneath it.”
For some additional medical content, read Should Wounds Be Stitched in a Survival Situation? People want to learn how to close wounds. In the medical classes where I teach suturing, I get about 30% more students than my medical classes that don’t include suturing. In reality, suturing is a skill set that is fun to know and practice, but there would be very few wounds I would sew up in the field.
Carjacking Turned Kidnapping Attempt Gets Scary Fast
A multiple attacker carjacking quickly turns into a kidnapping attempt. These “follow home” attacks are one of the most common forms of robbery right now. Watch the video. See how the criminals operate. Have a plan to deal with an attack like this.
Gun Cleaning: How Much Is Too Much?
Most of you are probably cleaning your gun more than necessary.
“At some level, PMCS should be performed after every use and periodically, but this notion that you must fully clean a gun every time you shoot it is a superstitious belief. If it’s something you think must happen, then I’d suggest you don’t walk under ladders, stay home on Friday the 13th … and never open an umbrella inside the house.
Just sit in your easy chair cleaning your guns. All the time.
Won’t that be fun?”
AR-15 Muzzle Brake/Flash Hider Comparison
A comparison of sound output from various flash hiders and muzzle brakes. The muzzle brakes/compensators on an AR-15 roughly DOUBLE the noise of the shot. They also annoy the hell out of anyone on the line with you. Stick with the flash hiders. Besides, his earlier test showed significantly greater muzzle flash with the compensators as well.
Do I Need A Gun? … Well, Do You?
Why should you read this? Because Clint Smith wrote it. The membership requirements for being a “gun guy” or “gun girl” consist of reading every Clint Smith article you can find.
Why You Need a Good Tactical Flashlight
Candelas and lumens and F1 flashlight standards are easy to geek out on. None of that is as important as your light having a “momentary on” switch that instantly activates the light to the highest setting.
“For a defensive flashlight, I prefer a tailcap switch with options for a half-press and full press (click). With this type of switch, I expect the half-press to be momentary on mode at full output while the press to click is constant on at full brightness.”
Press the trigger smoothly
The Tactical Professor gives us a dry fire drill that will help us press the trigger more smoothly.
Experts
“What is an expert? Is an expert currently at the top of their field, or is it ok to have been at one point? Are all experts equal or can you still be an expert if someone is “better” than you?”
While you are on the site, you should also read Revolvers are just Awesome.
Characteristics and Obtainment Methods of Firearms Used in Adolescent School Shootings
Most school shootings are not active killer attacks. It’s important for armed school staff to be able to successfully respond to the more common threats while still maintaining defensive capability for a real school active shooter attack.
Situational Awareness Tips & Drills
Some simple tips that will allow you to notice threat cues just a little faster.
Understanding Bad Guys: A Psychological Endeavor With Ross Hick (part 2)
On the same topic mentioned above, here is a quick description of observable criminal pre-attack indicators. For some more information on the topic, read How to Spot a Bad Guy.
How Far To Extend Your Arms?
Bent elbows? Straight elbows? Locked elbows? Which is best?
Some of the above links are affiliate links. If you purchase these items, I get a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
