Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Ayoob: Cow’s Udders and the Crush Grip
Massad Ayoob discusses how tightly one should grip a pistol.
Active shooter incidents rose 53 percent last year, FBI says
Things aren’t getting better. I’m glad the FBI finally noticed that active killers are going mobile and targeting more than one location. I first wrote about that trend in 2016. It’s not something new that just started happening last year. The trend in school shootings parallels that of active shooter events in general.
Setting Up A Dedicated Home Defense Handgun
I can’t argue with the author’s conclusions. My go-to home defense pistol is a Glock 19 with Surefire X300 and an extended magazine. It’s a good weapon to have if I have to leave my “safe room” for any reason during a home invasion. Interestingly enough, however, the gun closest to me when I sleep is not my Glock. My bedside gun is a revolver. If I am attacked in my sleep, it’s likely to be a very close range physical confrontation instead of fighting a home invader who is on the opposite side of my house. Revolvers are much more reliable in an extreme close quarters gunfight when considering weapon retention, out of battery issues, and getting tangled up in bedclothes.
If a guy busts down my bedroom door at night and attacks me while I’m sleeping, I’m grabbing the .38 snub. If I hear noises from another part of the house, I’ll stay barricaded and grab my Benelli shotgun. If I have to leave my safe room for any reason, I take the Glock.
Different guns for different purposes.
Shotgun Drills for the Indoor Range
Shotgun drills for your next training session.
The Magpul MS1 – You Didn’t Know Magpul and Co Makes Slings Too?
While I like the V-Tac and Blue Force Gear slings, my primary defensive rifle wears a Magpul MS1.
Lead exposure at firing ranges—a review
All you cops and recreational shooters should be cautious of your lead exposure and get your blood lead levels checked if you have any concerns. A Blood Lead Level (BLL) of over 5 μg/dL of blood is cause for concern. According to the study:
“sufficient evidence” that BLLs <10 μg/dL are associated with essential tremor, hypertension, cardiovascular-related mortality and electrocardiography abnormalities, and decreased kidney glomerular filtration rate. “
When my office was in a poorly ventilated 1950’s vintage indoor range, my BLL reached 28 μg/dL. Now, I shoot in cleaner ranges and don’t have daily lead exposure. On average, I shoot about 200 rounds once a week on a well ventilated indoor range. My current BLL is 3-4 μg/dL. It doesn’t take much exposure to elevate your blood lead level.
Now, I wipe my hands, forearms, and face With a D-Wipe lead removing towel immediately after shooting. I then wash my hands and face with soap and water. I don’t wear lead contaminated shoes into my apartment and immediately throw the clothing I wore while shooting into the dirty laundry bin.
Whites Responsible for Less Than 3% of All Mass Shootings In 2022 So Far—But Black Attacks Skyrocket
Some statistics you won’t hear mentioned in the mainstream media.
SHOTBud Timer App Review: A Solid Backup to a Shot Timer
This might be a useful option for some of you.
Why a Handout Gun?
Do you have any “handout guns?” Those are guns you can give away to unarmed friends, family members, or neighbors in a crisis. I have a stockpile of beat up S&W Model 10 .38 revolvers just for that purpose. Those revolvers are reliable, reasonably powerful, and easy for a novice to use. I have the guns in holsters with two extra speedloaders full of ammo for each. None of the guns cost me much more than $200. If I don’t get them back for whatever reason, it isn’t going to break the bank.
The Top 12 Must-Read Books for Expert Negotiators
A very good list of recommended books. I’ve read most of these. I just bought the couple I haven’t read and will be reading them soon.
Surviving An Active Shooter Event: How to Stay Alive and Safe
Decent active killer advice.
Would Your Kids Know How to Survive a School Shooting?
More active killer tips, but this article focuses on your child’s perspective.
Self-Defense: Tactical Movement Against Multiple Assailants
Quality content from Craig Douglas from the new book “Straight Talk on Armed Defense.” It’s a solid book that all of you should read.
Small Gun Class 2022
Karl discusses the exact amount of skill degradation is possible between a large and small carry pistol.
How to train with edged weapons
A lot of good information for those of you interested in training the blade.
What’s the Difference Between Gas-Operated & Inertia-Driven Shotguns?
The difference between gas and inertia semi-auto shotguns.
Shooting with Both Eyes Open | Shooting Tips and Tricks
In general, I think it’s better to shoot with both eyes open than one eye closed. With that said, it isn’t worth losing sleep over. Some folks have a really difficult time not closing their non-dominant eye while shooting. It isn’t that big of an issue. If you have problems keeping both eyes open, this article may give you some ideas to make it work better.
VIDEO Review : Presidia Gel — Effective, Less Lethal CS Spray
I have not trained with this stuff or been sprayed with it yet. I have no idea how effective it is but several generally clueful people recommend it. It might be worth a look for some applications.
Perfect Carjacking Defense in Sao Paulo
Being able to do this will serve you far better than spending a week long class learning how to shoot carbines through your own windshield.
My Carry Gun Is Outdated and Weird
This actually isn’t a bad choice for a defensive pistol, especially for a novice shooter. It functions essentially like a nine-shot 9mm revolver. The gun is slim, accurate, and reliable. The double action trigger is pretty good, even by modern standards. I have two of these pistols. I don’t carry them (although I did carry a 3913 off duty for a few years when my duty pistol was a S&W double action auto), but I think they may be ideal future gifts for a new shooter who isn’t that enamored with guns and firearms training.
Thinking About Case Law
Legal content for my police readers.
Life worth protecting? Get medical skills!
“Next time I go into a concert venue, when questioned about why I’d bring a tourniquet into a concert my response is pretty much:
- Ask Dimebag Darrell
- Ask the Eagles of Death Metal and their fans at the Bataclan
- Ask the people at the Pulse nightclub
- And now, ask Ariana Grande
Folks, if you believe in carrying or owning a gun to protect your life, if you believe that life is that precious that it should be preserved “at all costs”, then damnit – get some medical training.
Close Combat Face Mash
Some of the fine points to making this WWII technique work.
All Secure: A Special Operations Soldier’s Fight to Survive on the Battlefield and the Homefront
What I’m reading…
Bleeding Management, Pt 2: Stab Wounds
We all need more medical knowledge.
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