Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Did you know that .22 LR and .223 rounds penetrate a similar number of interior walls? The key to avoiding collateral damage inside a home isn’t choosing an underpowered defensive round. The key is creating safe lanes of fire and avoiding missing the target.
More Sun, Longer Life
“Nonsmokers who avoided sun exposure had a life expectancy similar to smokers in the highest sun exposure group, indicating that avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for death of a similar magnitude as smoking. Compared to the highest sun exposure group, life expectancy of avoiders of sun exposure was reduced by 0.6–2.1 years.”
Safe From the War
I just finished this excellent book from veteran cop and soldier Chris Hernandez. If you like police action thrillers, check it out. He gets the cop stuff perfect. Excellent character development and dialogue. The weapons and tactics were right on point (unusual for most novels I read).
The bad guys have a very innovative attack strategy that most of my friends will appreciate. I think you’ll like this one.
Op-Ed: F#¢k Up Their Canoe
“If you’ve spent time in uniform, military or law enforcement, and you don’t carry religiously, don’t keep a med kit close (in your car, if not on your person) and don’t keep those skills sharp, guess what? You’re a fucking shitbag, period. There’s enough vets out there that when this happens, there will be a vet nearby. He probably won’t have anything more than a pocket knife, and whether he runs or fights and dies, he will have been in a position to have made a difference but failed before the shit even popped off. “
Is the New York Reload faster?
I did some testing along similar lines with my officers a few years ago. The difference in speed really came down to where the backup gun was carried (ankle or pocket faster than vest) and what type of problem the primary gun had. If the primary gun was merely empty, it was almost always faster to reload than to go to a backup gun. If the primary gun had a complicated malfunction *one that required more than a tap/rack to clear), it was almost always faster to go to the backup gun.
This Is The Research-Backed Way To Increase Grit
Some science regarding how to develop a more resilient personality. This is important stuff. The technique I’ve found most useful in my life is to simply do difficult things. It doesn’t matter what type of activity it is, completing a difficult task will help you gain resilience. When facing tough challenges, I regularly look back on my achievements and it alters my perspective. I think thoughts like: “You climbed Kilimanjaro while you were so sick you vomited every other step. This current challenge nothing compared to that.” or “You’ve survived rogue African soldiers pointing AKs at your face and escaped a 600,000-person riot. Fighting with this crackhead isn’t nearly that bad.” Doing hard things gives you the confidence you need to do other hard things.
The Gunsite Advanced 350 Drill
Take a look at the advanced Gunsite 350 shooting drill. Can you make the standards? Speaking of standards, most of my students fail to objectively evaluate their progress. How good are you? Take a look at this article to get an honest answer. The Mad Half Minute is a fun drill to try as well.
What makes an expert?
Most “experts” are far from being qualified to teach the subject matter in which they claim to have expertise.
Revolvers for Self Defense
Do you think revolvers are more reliable than semi auto pistols? Not always. Read this article about an ITTS revolver class where 1/3 of the students’ revolvers were inoperable at the end of a 200-round course of fire.
What if I Told You That Vehicles Don’t Have Blind Spots?
Important information for all drivers…how to adjust your mirrors so that you don’t have a “blind spot.”
Empty-Chamber Carry is Bullshit
I still encounter a staggering number of people who carry chamber empty. If that describes you, please get some quality training so that you feel more comfortable carrying a fully loaded gun.
“There are exceptionally good reasons why internationally acclaimed instructors like Frank Proctor, Massad Ayoob, Mike Pannone, Larry Vickers, and Pat Rogers (RIP) do not teach empty-chamber carry: they have all walked the mile in hostile territory, seen and experienced things that by far most people have not, and have figured out what works and what does not work. The fact that they unanimously and independently conclude that empty-chamber carry does not work should tell you something.”
How Much Training is Necessary to Maintain Strength and Muscle?
A good article about the minimum levels of training necessary to preserve or maintain strength gains.
Beware the Involuntary Trigger Squeeze
This is information that all shooters must understand, but few actually do. There are circumstances that cause an involuntary clenching of the fist. If you experience one and your trigger finger is anywhere near the trigger, you will inadvertently fire your gun. If you are interested in more information, check out my article on the topic.
Ammo Quest: 9mm Federal HST 124 Grain Test
Gelatin testing of the 9mm 124 grain Federal HST. I think this is probably one of the best performing 9mm rounds on the market right now, especially when fired out of a short barrelled pistol. I would look at the same round in 147 grain if I was looking for even better performance out of a full size service pistol.
Intellectual Honesty & Unpleasant Truths…
The truth about most martial arts programs…
“There are exceptions, but the masses don’t gravitate towards this kind of training. Mastering real fighting skills is boring, grueling, and repetitive. Techniques are simple and versatile, but generally not aesthetically pleasing to watch or particularly fun to train. Being prepared for real violence means having your ego checked — a lot. It means being put into scenarios where you will sometimes fail, and have to carry that failure home with you. It often means having to admit to yourself that a lot of what you may have learned elsewhere simply doesn’t work. Most of all, it means having a realistic assessment of your own skills and limitations.
It’s not for everybody…”
HEBREW HOGGER 2016: Training and Pork-Raiser
Some of the best trainers in the business are getting together to put on a one-day training session with all of the tuition money going to support my friend Eli Miller. Eli is a decorated US Army medic who now owns a thriving heirloom pork farm in Alabama. Earlier this year, Eli was involved in a defensive shooting. It was a justifiable use of force and the police did not charge him. The legal defense fees to protect against being criminally charged and civilly sued are bankrupting Eli’s farm.
I would be teaching at this one myself, but I have an upcoming surgery scheduled and will still be laid up on the date of the event. This is a very inexpensive way to get quality training from some of the best trainers in the world and support a good cause at the same time.
* Some of the above links (from Amazon.com) are affiliate links. If you purchase these items, I get a small percentage of the selling price.
