Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Ayoob Files: Warning Shots
We haven’t talked about warning shots for a while. Read Massad Ayoob’s take on the issue in this case analysis. If you haven’t read enough Mas this month, you should also check out ACCEPT A PLEA BARGAIN? | and Senior Citizen Handguns.
Clean Your F’ing Gun!
I shoot a lot. My guns are seldom “clean,” even if I carry them every day. They might be a bit dirty, but they are always very well lubricated. Zo’s article here seems to strike a pretty good balance between an immaculate and a filthy carry gun.
AR-15 Barrel Profile Testing: Heat, Size, & Why It Matters
How heat affects each AR-15 barrel profile differently.
You Don’t Have to Shoot First; But You Better Do Something!
Some of the science involving reaction times relative to defensive shootings.
21 Things to Know About Firearm Ownership and Target Shooting in the U.S.
Interesting facts.
FEBRUARY 2025 NEWSLETTER
If you aren’t reading Tom’s newsletter every month, you are wrong.
Don’t Flip ’Em The Finger
Words of wisdom from Ken Hackathorn.
PCC Anyone? Control It Like A Pro!
Some tips for running your pistol caliber carbine.
P&S ModCast 416 – Avoidable Outcomes
Read or listen to this podcast at your earliest convenience. Most people have no idea how bad things can get when one becomes part of the legal system after a self defense incident.
The last two expert witness cases I worked ended very badly for both defendants. Both were arrested after defending themselves from criminal attackers. The fact patterns were such that they seemed to me to be “slam dunk” cases for my clients to win. Despite all of our best efforts, one client took a manslaughter plea bargain rather than pay the money for the legal representation needed to take his case to trial. He’s now a convicted felon.
The second client was convicted of murder and was sentenced to 70 years in prison. Both clients’ cases happened in very conservative rural counties in Texas. Both were very justified self defense cases with witnesses. It doesn’t matter. Both men had their lives ruined.
Pay attention to what my friends are telling you in this interview.
Ambush: The Real Story of Bonnie and Clyde
What I’m reading…
When I’m Good Enough, I’ll Carry
“Nothing you can buy, with the exception of quality training, will make you a better and more prepared concealed carrier. Nor is there any super special training trick that can make you magically ready for anything. Nothing can replace the simple practice of working on skills and then maintaining those skills. On that note, I’ll see you at the range.”
M1 Carbine history: more than the Garand’s little brother
A little history for those of you who are new to the gun game. This is the 1950s version of the pistol caliber carbine. You might also enjoy The Carbine Compromise, a 1966 article written by Jeff Cooper on the same topic.
Read the Cooper piece. Then contrast it with any recently-published blog post. The two are very different. Cooper uses a folksy, entertaining, meandering, and informative style of writing that I don’t commonly see in today’s blog posts. Today’s “content” is optimized for efficiency. Every modern web article is much more direct, densely cramming more information into a short article that won’t generate the TL;DR reaction in a distracted reader.
I actually found myself smiling as I leisurely consumed Cooper’s words. I can’t remember the last blog post that generated a similar reaction.
A Super Scientific Shooting and Moving Study
Why don’t more firearms trainers do research like this and publish it? Experiments like this one are how we move our art forward. I did a similar movement study more than two decades ago. I submitted it for publication in the IALEFI police firearms instructor journal. That one simple experiment ended up being my first published article and led to this website that thousands of people read every day.
The 2025 SHOT Show
I shared what I thought were the exciting innovations at SHOT show last week in this article. It’s fun to see how other writers are excited about different things. Here is a great compilation of new SHOT show introductions. You might also like this article about SHOT show ammo trends. and this one about New Rimfire Offerings
Snipers Below Freezing: An Assessment Of Finnish & Soviet Sniping In The Winter War
A solid history lesson for you snipers and precision rifle enthusiasts.
The Polygraph & Polygraph Countermeasures
How a polygraph works and how to beat it.
YeagerFest 2025
Karl’s AAR of a very unique training opportunity. If the article interests you, you should also listen to this podcast about the same event. You’ll learn more about the art of firearms training in that one podcast than most folks will get out of a weekend gun instructor class.
Trends In Police Training — Part 1
That Gelhaus guy is pretty smart. Don’t tell him I said so.
No Clips on Pockets
I learned this lesson early in my overseas travels. NOBODY carries a knife clipped to their pocket outside of the USA. If people in other countries notice your clip knife, you can get lots of unwanted attention. I think people get lazy about it here. In the USA, if I see someone with a knife or flashlight clipped to their pocket, I automatically start looking to evaluate if that person is carrying a pistol as well.
I carry a knife and flashlight clipped to my pockets every day. But I keep those clips concealed by an untucked shirt, hoodie, or jacket.
What’s the best distance to practice at for self-defense? It’s not what you think
Here is one more excellent post about how to structure your range trips for maximal combat relevance.
Guard Steps In To Stop Kidnapping In Progress
Think about how you might handle this scenario.
Getting Back to Training
How you might structure your training program when recovering from a significant time off without practice.
Study – IQ Progressively Decreases in Children With Each Year of Muay Thai
Protect your kids’ brains.
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