Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
The 10mm Auto: Cooper’s Big Bore
A very thorough history of the development and evolution of the 10 mm auto cartridge.
COUNTER SURVEILLANCE: CARRYING WEAPONS WITHOUT TELLING EVERYONE
Some good tips for identifying people carrying guns as well as the things you should be trying to avoid in order to keep your weapon concealed.
Modern Reticles
A nice comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of most of the available scope reticles. If you enjoy long range rifle shooting, you’ll also like Rifle Shooting and Temperature Effect.
Weak Hand Shooting
You should recognize that weak hand shooting is an important (but often neglected) skill. Commit to practicing it more. This article will get you started.
Becoming An Elite Crossfitter: Performance Analysis of the Top 10%
A very interesting analysis for all you CrossFitters. As I have been saying and writing for more than a decade, the difference between top level performance and spot number 1000 isn’t in metabolic conditioning or running speed. It’s in strength. Improve max strength and every other measure will improve as well.
Mark Rippetoe has been discussing this issue for years. Read Conditioning is a Sham.
KA-BAR TDI Law Enforcement Knife – Might save your life!
A very nicely done review of the TDI knife and how it is designed to be carried and used. You’ll see a cameo appearance of yours truly (disembodied arm stabbing hanging deer carcass) near the end.
The “Best” Offense
The late Todd Louis Green hits a home run with this blog post about students chasing perfection and not improvement.
13 Cases That Show Why You Should Carry a Backup Gun
Massad Ayoob provides the details on 13 separate cases where having a backup gun saved a defender’s life.
The Red Cliffs of Zerhoun
What I’m reading….
Many of you are familiar with Matt Bracken’s “Enemies” Trilogy. Did you know he had a new book out? I’m looking forward to getting into this one.
How to Cure Common Shooting Mistakes
Many recreational shooters don’t study enough about this topic. Learn how to diagnose your own shooting mistakes. You can’t improve until you know what’s holding you back.
Rich’s book gunFIGHT is a great addition to your library.
Stupid Grips on Knives
Listen to Hock. Hold your knife with ALL of your fingers.
Human Predators: Four Features and Four Phases of Assault
A physician talks about common attack strategies non-stranger rapists use on the women she treats in the hospital emergency department.
What Does a Premiere Firearms Trainer Look For in a Good Instructor?
Mike Seeklander talks about the makings of a good instructor. A lot of you “instructors” out there need to pay attention.
Me and My Patrol Rifle, Part 2
Basic sight zeroing for a patrol rifle.
Officer Stacy Booth: ‘I didn’t think I’d survive’
For all the officers out there who don’t carry a backup gun…
“She was reaching for her sidearm when she was struck by the first bullet. It split open her right forearm, blowing two arteries, striking the gun and rendering it inoperable.”
“The second bullet passed through her lower right abdomen, severing part of her intestines, putting a hole in her pelvis and cracking her femur.”
Fortunately the suspect chose not to go after her. She had to drag herself to a neighbor’s house. The neighbors fled in fear when they saw her bloody body and wouldn’t help her.
Finish the fight. Get to safety. Call for help. Treat your wounds. If you are a police officer today who can’t do all of the above, you aren’t prepared for duty.
Make sure you have a backup gun accessible to the weak hand and make sure you can shoot it well. Have a tourniquet and pressure bandage on your person and know how to use it. Recognize that you might be on your own for awhile before the cavalry arrives.
They stole my stuff.
For most of us, it really isn’t YOUR stuff. You likely learned YOUR stuff from other instructors who came before you. While I occasionally figure out an innovative solution to a certain problem by doing hard work and pressure testing my skills, most of the stuff I teach in class came from people way smarter than I am who have contributed significantly in the field. MY STUFF is THEIR STUFF re-packaged with my unique slant on things.
Attach A Sling To Your AR
These are innovative ideas and would be worth exploring as a field expedient solution when something breaks on your AR-15 sling or mount. But seriously, unless you are dead broke, you shouldn’t be attaching your slings like this. The best way to attach your sling? Buy a quick detach sling swivel and mount it using the holes expressly designed for such purpose on your rifle.
Situational Awareness is your best survival tool – learn to use it
A long article containing many thoughts on situational awareness. The exercises and resources at the end are especially valuable.
WHAT YOUR TROOPERS CARRY
Curious about what every state patrol agency carries as a duty weapon? Check out this list from Massad Ayoob.
Hornady .44 SPL 165gr FTX Gel Test and Review
I know I have some revolver fans as readers. Anyone carry a .44 special? What do you use as a defensive load? This one looks pretty decent with excellent expansion and penetration that is a bit less than desirable. I agree with the host here. If you are shooting the gun out of a shorter barrel your penetration will actually increase enough to pass the FBI ballistic gelatin standards.
Las Vegas Casino Will Use New Technology to Detect Prohibited Weapons
People who carry defensive weapons of any type need to keep up with the latest surveillance technology. This field is changing at an exponential rate. The particular weapons scanner mentioned in the article works from six feet away and can be programmed to detect guns, knives, and some types of explosives. My prediction is that we will see technology like this as a standard in any place where large numbers of people gather within the next decade.
Eventually, these scanners will get good enough that they might have actually have the unintended effect of increasing crime rates as CCW holders will be reluctant to carry out of fear of getting caught. The criminals aren’t as scared of the consequences of getting busted as the law-abiding citizens are.
What’s the solution if you want to protect yourself?
Many will explore alternate technology designed to “hide” from these scanners, but I don’t think that’s the best plan. The better plan is to carry innocuous objects that can be used as a weapon in a pinch (like what many of you do when traveling through airports). The BEST plan is to become a superior fighter by greatly improving your empty hand fighting skills. As you become more and more skilled in this arena, it won’t bother you as much if you aren’t allowed to carry a gun.
What History Can Teach Us About Mass Killings
A look back at how mass murderers have been treated in other historic cultures around the planet. It seems that reducing notoriety and depriving the killer or a dramatic death is one of the keys to preventing these killings.
Some of the above links (from Amazon.com) are affiliate links. If you purchase these items, I get a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
