Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Gunfighting and Neuroscience: Why Using Your Front Sight Might Kill You
A look at “quiet eye” research and how it relates to winning gunfights. The best case scenario is that sighted fire becomes such an “overlearned” skill that you can trust yourself to see what you need to see to make the hit while using most of your visual field to track the factors that are even more important to your survival. If you have to think about using the sights, you aren’t thinking about all the other stuff you need to do to win the gunfight.
How the 22 Wins – 9mm versus 22 Long Rifle
“No live ammo…”
“If the area offers a solid backstop and the lesson includes group dry fire, “no live ammo in the classroom” can be an excellent classroom-management tool. But that’s really all it is. It isn’t a core safety rule, it does not stand on its own without the core safety rules also being in effect, and it’s entirely possible to run a competent and safe lecture-only classroom without it.
Safety rules and protocols are like multiple layers of swiss cheese. Every single one of them has a hole or two. We stack them up so that no one hole goes all the way through the stack.
When we rely on only one layer of protection — whether that layer is “it’s unloaded” or “there’s no ammo here” or “keep your finger off the trigger” or whatever that one layer is — we’re destined to fail. And the hole that goes all the way through the stack may also put a hole in someone we love.”
Leave Cross Draw To Lee Van Cleef, Unless You Can’t Help It
Cross draw carry was once much more popular than it is today. In the current gun world, it’s often difficult to find an article that even mentions cross draw as an option. This piece discusses a lot of the problems with that particular mode of carry and how to best mitigate them. I’m not a fan of cross draw holsters because of the weapons retention issues they create and for the fact that your draw can be “stuffed” easier in a very close range encounter.
Aaron and The Bill Drill
Thoughts on scaling the “Bill Drill.” Another option is doing the “Bill on the Move.”
Surviving the Knockout Game
“What three things can you do to avoid, prepare for and survive such unprecedented street violence?
-Stay switched on
-Use protective intelligence
-Read the mob”
The Best Discreet Last Ditch Slashers and Stabbers
The reviewer described my knife design as: “The Ultimate Discreet Weapon.” Very cool. If you want to read about why I developed the blade and some of its design features in this article on my site. You can buy one of these for less than $25 on Amazon.
The 49th Mystic
What I’m reading…
I don’t read a lot of fiction but a friend recommended this book. I like it so far.
How to Handle Squib Loads and Hangfires
With ammo companies churning out ammo as fast as possible, quality control is dropping. You should definitely know how to recognize and deal with a squib load.
Armed Citizen Rescues Woman and Child
“You’ve all heard of “suicide by cop,” the self-destructive person who forces a lawman to kill him. This incident is a case of “suicide by armed citizen,” not the first such I’ve seen.”
Finding Out
Would you believe that throwing snow on a neighbor’s property would lead to a double homicide? This one is bad, but probably worth watching. .
A couple points…
– I’ve mentioned it in other articles. Don’t dare or challenge someone to shoot you. They might do it.
– How effective were those contact distance handgun shots?
– Consider the role of the two people who came out to render aid. Neither had a phone or medical gear. Neither had a clue about what to do. One asked if the guy needed “hot water.”
– Was the scene safe for those rescuers? If you were a rescuer, what would you do when the suspect comes outside with a rifle for round two?
Tamara’s advice is on point. For additional analysis, watch A Terribly Disturbing Ego Battle. Then go read Claude’s thoughts as well.
How to be angry
It’s best to use anger consciously and allow it to enhance your life rather than the alternative. Thanks to Hock Hochheim for finding the link.
Ohio AG’s office creates online portal to report stolen guns
This is an incredibly useful resource for those of you Ohio residents who buy firearms from private sellers. How To Buy A Gun (Online And In Person) is a good reference for understanding the legality of private sales.
Crime In America: Study Reveals The 10 Most Unsafe Neighborhoods
The most dangerous neighborhoods in the United States.
A Quick Guide To Shooting Fundamentals
A great resource for you new shooters to check out.
Excellent video tutorial about operating the AK safety. I agree with the presenter on every aspect of his instruction except the trigger finger placement when the safety is off. I want that trigger finger higher up on the frame of the weapon to avoid negligent discharges.
Getting an AK: 7.62×39 or 5.45×39?
One more for you AK fans. This is a quick video explaining the relative merits and drawbacks of the choice between AK-47 and AK-74.
16 Things Not to Do When You Travel
Very good travel advice here.
E-Book Resources: For When You’re Feeling Knotty
Free downloadable knot books.
Mitigating A Training Scar With A Deliberate Pause
This is actually a brilliant concept that I’ve never thought of. One immediate use I can see is during weapons disarms training. When practicing, you take your partner’s gun away and then return it to him so you can do another rep. There have been concerns that practicing reflexively like this could lead to a defender unconsciously “returning” a gun to the criminal from whom he has just removed it. Inserting a deliberate pause and thinking about your actions before the return of the weapon in practice may be a way to mitigate this problem.
More than a Gun: Unarmed Defense for Those Who Carry
Neglecting empty hand combatives training is a huge problem in the gun training community.
Six major concealed carry insurance programs are now available to the millions of Americans who carry concealed.
A comparison of some of the major CCW insurance policies and pre-paid legal services. For what it’s worth, I’m a member of the Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network.
Gun Culture 2.0 and the Great Gun Buying Spree of 2020
Dr. Yamane’s thoughts about the massive increase in numbers of guns sold last year.
Six New Tabata Workouts for Fast Fat Loss
I like quick workouts. The Tabata protocol is about the quickest (four minutes) there is. This article covers some interesting variations you can try. Don’t tell me that you can’t find four minutes in a day to work out.
Study Shows Modern Concussion Treatment Strategies Lead to Faster Symptom Recovery
Active recovery decreases concussion symptoms better than treatment using strict rest.
The Truth Behind The Great Ammo Crisis
“You can help as well. The most important thing you can do as a consumer is don’t panic. Ammo is available. AmmoSeek shows a daily inventory of what its bots find in stock. There’s ammo for sale on GunBroker and ArmsList. It’s more expensive than any of us would want, but it’s better to have it available than to have empty shelves. The second most important thing you can do is “don’t be that guy.”
You know that guy—the one who finds 55-grain .223 at a great price and cleans the whole place out. That guy sucks. Buy what you need and maybe a little more, but don’t buy 10,000 rounds of ammo you’re going to end up trying to flip to make a car payment in 6 months.
Last, stop repeating conspiracy theories. Contrary to what your favorite YouTube entertainer told you, there’s no government or industry conspiracy to drive up the price of ammo.”
History and the Decline of Human Violence
A fascinating interview about the declining rates of violence compared to historical norms. If you want an ambitious reading assignment, I highly recommend Pinker’s book The Better Angels of Our Nature.
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