Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
The Seeds of (unconventional) War
Pay close attention to the recommendations ISG makes at the end of the article.
Castle Doctrine Fact vs. Fiction
Massad Ayoob writes a very comprehensive piece on castle doctrine, focusing on some cases where homeowners thought they were justified to shoot, but were not. Read the article. My advice to students has always been to ignore the “rights” given to you under castle doctrine. Make the decision to shoot based on whether or not the criminal suspect is a lethal threat to you. If you follow those guidelines, you’ll never be wrong.
Absolute Insanity As New Mexico Man Road Rages
You would be absolutely astounded how often people get involved in absolutely needless road rage incidents. I would guess that my shift responds to road rage situations at least weekly (and I work in a “good” part of town). This is an example of how utterly foolish some people can act in their cars. Don’t be like this.
Vortex Strikefire II Red Dot
A good review of the Vortex Strikefire II. I have three different optics from Vortex and I’m very happy with their overall quality and durability. If you want a decent optic, but don’t want to pay Aimpoint prices, take a look at Vortex.
Fraud
“Entrenched agendas are causing the journalistic industry to fail in its primary role!
Facts are threatening to those invested in fraud”
One Bullet Can Kill, but Sometimes 20 Don’t, Survivors Show
Some information on what bullets can do and when they fail. The expert interviewed is Dr. Vincent DiMaio. His book Gunshot Wounds is the definitive text on the topic. Anyone who speculates about ballistic issues and stopping power without having read the book is likely promoting bad information.
How to clean Dot Torture at 5 yards with Green Ops
A brilliant demonstration of the ever-popular “Dot Torture” shooting drill.
Off-Season Rifle Drills: Keep Your Skills Sharp
I often post defensive shooting drills, but I realize not all of you are here for the defensive aspects of gun ownership. Here are some drills you hunters can use with your long range rifles.
The New Tactical Reality
Michael Bane shares some advice about the realities of how we must live in an age of terrorism and 4th generation warfare. Although this was written after the Paris attacks four years ago, the advice is extremely pertinent with regards to today’s specter of terrorist sleeper cell attacks. Michael’s recently renamed podcast is also a tremendously valuable resource. It’s one of the best podcasts in the shooting world. Past episodes are available HERE.
Lou Ann Hamblin and Jamie Pavlischak discuss magazine releases for smaller shooters
Lou Ann is slaughtering some sacred cows here. Do you need an “ambidextrous” mag release button if you are a lefty? Lou Ann says “no,” especially if you have shorter thumbs.
The JohnO DIY High Visibility Front Sight
One way to make your front sights a lot more visible.
Glock DIY Guide: Disassembling the Trigger Module
The next installation of the do it yourself Glock gunsmithing series teaches you how to take the trigger assembly apart. Once you get it taken apart, here’s how to reassemble it.
Why Cops Don’t Train Jiu Jitsu-A Study
“During this study, we discovered a secondary reason that a staggering 86% of non training officers cited as a reason for not doing extra curricular jiu jitsu training. This secondary reason overlapped all the primary reasons. This, we believe, is actually one of the CORE reasons cops aren’t hitting the mats.
Members in our study indicated that that during the course of their careers, they had not needed Jiu Jitsu training because they felt they had come out on top in most encounters. They pointed to the “haven’t needed it so don’t need it” in this section. This is called a Normalcy Bias.”
Off Hand Fending Position by Craig Douglas of Shivworks
Craig discusses the utility of the vertical and horizontal elbow shields. Those of you who have been to my Extreme Close Quarters gunfighting class should recognize this material.
Shotguns and the Cognitive Dissonance of the Scout Rifle
Everyone likes a good shotgun discussion.
Ammo Evaluation: Comparing Three .44 Loads
Velocity and accuracy testing of three different .44 magnum loads.
If you are really into velocity tests, How Obsolete Are They? Chronograph Results provides chronograph data on some factory loaded “obsolete” cartridges like the .38 S&W and .32-20.
7 Keys to Winning a Use-of-Force Lawsuit
Useful advice for my police readers. You should also check out their 5 Tips for Testifying After a Shooting.
Beat, Break, Damage or Wait? Real “Ground” Fighting
Hock shares some ideas about ground fighting that you may not have considered. You should also read his article titles Protecting the Belt.
Skills Check: Ankle-Carry Drill
Do you carry in an ankle holster? Here are a couple drills to test your proficiency.
What do Civilian Gun Owners Really Need to Know? Part 1: Handgun Ready Positions
If you have drawn your handgun and are moving with gun in hand, the muzzle should be pointed in the safest direction available. You should be proficient using a variety of “ready” positions.
IWB Potty Break Tips
Some suggestions for using a public toilet while carrying a gun. If you choose to use the “underwear hammock” as described, I prefer that you keep the gun in the holster and remove your holster from the belt. Placing the holstered gun into the”hammock” will be safer. When Duty Calls provides additional advice regarding this issue.
Victoria, BC School District Approves Brazilian Jiu Jitsu For Grade 10, 11 and 12 Students
Meanwhile, American teenagers are getting fatter and sicker. We can’t waste time for any physical activity at school. There are standardized tests to pass!
I would hazard a guess that I would use the skills learned in three years of high school BJJ far more often in my adult life than the three years I actually spent doing algebra and geometry.
In this country we can’t even get cops to train BJJ (see article linked above), but in other countries it’s approved curriculum for high school students.
Buy prescription drugs overseas: 5 easy steps
This article provides great information about navigating third world medical clinics and hospitals. What it doesn’t mention is that (depending on the country you are visiting) many of the prescription drugs you want to acquire are sold without a prescription in local pharmacies. Come to one of my “Systems Collapse” medical classes and I’ll explain how to acquire a survival stockpile of drugs using this (and other) methods as well as how to legally bring those drugs into the United States.
The Truth About AR-15 Marketing
“Stay out of the caliber wars. Buy something that’s good enough to be reliable and shoot it so much that it becomes second nature. Buying a gun capable of 1/4 MOA does you absolutely no good if you are an 8 MOA shooter. All the accuracy in the world doesn’t amount to a hill of beans if you can’t make a wind call to save your life.
Take the time to truly master your basic weapon. Ignore the influencers, gatekeepers, and the ads trying to tell you that you just aren’t going to be happy or competitive otherwise.”
.38 Super vs. 9mm – History and Uses
Some of you “Gun Culture 2.0” types may have never heard of the .38 Super. Let’s remedy that.
How to improve response time
Folks, this is the unfortunate reality. Sometimes dispatchers misunderstand the situation and code the call a lower priority than it deserves. Sometimes all the cops on the street are already tied up on other serious calls and can’t get free.
While a 20 minute response to a stabbing in progress would be unusual in my area, it wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility.
Citizens fail to understand how short-staffed most police departments are. We simply can’t find quality candidates who want to be police officers in this day and age.
Every department I know is down a significant number from what their authorized manpower allows. Older cops are retiring and we can’t find new cops to replace them. This situation will worsen as time goes on.
The bottom line is that you are on your own and you’d best learn how to take care of yourself. No one may be coming quickly enough to save you.
Free Self-Defense Seminar!
If you are in the Toledo area, you’ll definitely want to check this out. My friend Jon Penny is teaching a FREE self defense class next weekend. The class will consist of a short lecture/Q&A, some physical fighting techniques, and an overview of the combative attributes of a small impact weapon (like a flashlight). Jon is a police officer and a fine instructor. I am absolutely positive that this will be a tremendous class. Please check it out if you have some free time next weekend.
Some of the above links (from Amazon.com) are affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn a small percentage of the sale price from qualifying purchases.
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