Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
What is The Best Revolver Speedloader?
Justin did a massive amount of work and shot a whole bunch of rounds to provide you with this useful data. Throw a buck in his Patreon account to pay for some ammo so that he can keep doing this valuable research.
Micro-Preparedness: Staging Your Clothing
I stage my clothing like this whenever I’m traveling and in an area that I might need to immediately evacuate. One additional practice I use is to place my headlamp in one of my shoes/boots. Shoes are easy to find in the dark. When you find your shoes, you have a light source in your hand.
Electronic Hearing Protection: We Test Four Units Ear to Ear
Informative testing on some of the lower budget electronic hearing protection options. Although I don’t have a set myself, several of my friends have recommended the Caldwell E-Max as well. They seem to be the least expensive electronic ears on the market with prices ranging between $20 and $30 a set. They might be a good place to start if you don’t currently have any amplified ears.
A Slight Twist On The AK Reload
The late, great Paul Gomez showed me this technique for reloading an AK-47 and I’ve used it ever since. Pay attention to the fine points here. You can screw yourself if you hit the old mag with the wrong part of the new mag.
‘Second Amendment auditor’ arrested after bringing rifle into OKC Twin Peaks
If gun owners don’t start policing their own, we will be policed by others. Open carry is stupid. Illegal open carry of a long gun into a venue that sells alcohol is even more stupid. This jackass is lucky he didn’t get shot.
Scaring innocent people who are trying to enjoy a meal in a restaurant is not a tactic that will sway the undecided or turn people who don’t own guns into 2nd amendment advocates.
This is attention-seeking bullshit and it needs to stop. People like this guy should be absolutely shunned and denounced by the gun owning public.
Fix your shit. You are not helping.
Podcast Episode 57: Snake Envenomation in Austere Environments
I get lots of questions about snakebites in my medical classes. This isn’t much of a problem in North America, but can be a big issue for travelers in Africa, SE Asia, or Australia. This podcast covers everything you may need to know. If you don’t have time to listen to the whole thing, read How to survive a snakebite in the wilderness.
How to Understand and Defeat Zip Ties
A short but highly informative video covering how to escape from zip ties. Don’t think criminals use zip ties? Read Illegal Restraint and Real World Examples.
How to Spot Thieves, Thugs and Terrorists
A treatise full of quality information about identifying potential criminals before they act. For more info on the topic check out my article How to Spot A Bad Guy.
Tourniquet Dry Fire
Caleb Causey from Lone Star Medics writes a great article about integrating medicals skills into your dryfire practice. Once you get that mastered, integrate them into your force on force training. Once the force-on-force drill objectives have been completed, treat all of the Simunitions or airsoft “wounds” with your medical gear.
Stillness Is the Key
What I’m reading…
A combination of stoic and Buddhist philosophies designed to still a restless mind and promote a healthier mental ecosystem.
Family Feud: Glock 19 vs. Glock 43
The Glock 43 is a great gun, but I agree with the author that the 19 is a better choice if you are only going to own one of them.
Preparedness Should Allow You to Live in PEACE, Not Hide in FEAR
I see this attitude from a lot of my students and I don’t understand it. I very commonly hear students make statements like:
“I don’t go to movie theaters. They’re just too dangerous.”
“I stay away from all cities. The gangs scare me.”
“I don’t go to concerts. Large crowds are very unpredictable.”
“I don’t fly on airplanes or travel to foreign countries because I can’t carry my gun. I won’t be disarmed.”
These people suffer under the delusion that they are “safe” if they stay locked in their homes with their arsenal of weapons always within reach. When did “safety” become life’s ultimate goal? People who lead a safe and sterile existence aren’t really living. Without a little fun, excitement, and yes, even a little danger, life becomes meaningless.
Challenge yourself. Step out of your comfort zone. Go someplace new, even if it means leaving your guns at home. Truly live a meaningful life. In doing so, you will learn how to survive and adapt to uncertain circumstances. Those skills are far more useful than the skills you will learn by taking yet another carbine course.
Vehicle Everyday Carry
A very comprehensive list of emergency supplies for your vehicle. You may also like Winter Wheels: Preparing Your Vehicle for Cold Weather.
Massad Ayoob’s Tips and Tactics for Staying Alert and Aware
Great awareness tips from Massad Ayoob.
Video analysis – Entangled gunfight
“Eventually they go to the ground (again, because Gray Dude has no concept of where his head goes to prevent it) and the going to the ground is exacerbated because Gray Dude decides it is a good time to go for the gun. He makes what Craig Douglas calls a bad timing decision. The reason he does is the same reason we see bad timing decisions over and over – people think the gun is a magic talisman and that it is a piece of cake to draw and deploy when the opponent is at bad breath distance.
This is a perfect crystallization of why that fails most of the time. As soon as Gray Dude makes a play for his pistol, Red Dude has nothing impeding him or his control over the fight and what he wants to do. So he continues driving Gray Dude and lands on top and can easily see and feel Gray Dude going for his waistband and knows exactly what that means.
Red Dude then, because he is on top and in complete control, takes the gun away. Not only that, since he is in control, he can then stand up on his own volition with Gray Dude having little say in the matter, and calmly checks the gun and makes sure it is loaded and starts firing.”
Brazilian Guard Defends Against Multiple Robbers
Here is another example of a close quarters entangled gunfight. There are lots of lessons to be learned in this one. In my revolver courses, I often say “thinking that you are going to be able to reload your revolver in the gunfight is very optimistic.” This revolver shooter fired until empty. He had no spare ammo. If he would have had ammunition, he had approximately 2.25 seconds to perform a reload before the bad guy came back shooting. That’s not enough time for a real life revolver reload even if you practice a lot.
EVERYTHING (AND EVERYONE) IS REDUCIBLE
“As I have gotten older, I’ve developed a habit of acknowledging the talents, accomplishments and expertise of men with whom I disagree, or who have wronged me personally. Some have found it surprising. It would be easy to completely dismiss a man based on a flaw of character that I exposed or of which our friendship was simply another casualty. But it wouldn’t be truthful, and I don’t think speaking that way demonstrates wisdom.
I’ve had close friends lie to me, or panic and lie to others while throwing me under the bus. I’ve caught men who I trusted playing games and angles behind my back. After discovering this, I’ll have nothing to do with them personally, and if asked, I’ll tell you why we’re no longer friends. However, I refuse to dismiss their positive qualities and insist that they are given credit where it is due. I’ve even occasionally sent them business. I don’t want them in my circle of trust, but it would be petty and vindictive of me to obsess about whether or not they make a few bucks doing what they actually do well. I’m proud of this habit, and I encourage it in others.
Either you want to maintain an ordered, hierarchical reality where you value achievement, or you don’t.”
You should read The Way of Men.
Discussion about snub caliber choices
“After certain minimum criteria are met, caliber discussion is a relatively low level priority.”
How To Spend More Time Outside (And Make Every Minute Count!)
I try to spend as much time outside as possible and use a lot of these techniques to make that happen. When the weather is favorable, I also do all my writing outside, eat all my meals outside, and make sure to spend a few minutes every day just relaxing in my hammock. I think it’s incredibly beneficial.
Quit Putting Your Plates on the Bar the Wrong Way
Rip lays down some knowledge. This is one of my big pet peeves. His Starting Strength program is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to get stronger. Need more info? Read Marl Luell’s post Strong(er) 5 Pounds At A Time.
Living in Post-Electricity Venezuela
When trying to anticipate and mitigate potential future dangers, I find it instructive to look at other places around the globe that are experiencing crises. Venezuela is obviously one such place. Take the time to read this article about how the power grid there works or doesn’t work. Could you live under those conditions? While it may not get that bad here, there is the potential for similar major power outages that might cause serious harm in a population that is completely dependent on the grid.
Pay special attention to the “rationing” of electrical power. The cities (where the politicians live) kept power and water longer than the rural areas. Some important thinkers have been predicting some degree of future low-level civil war between urban and rural residents in the USA. If that happens, I would expect the “rationing” of power, water, and cellular data to be a major strategy used to keep “the other side” in line. I think it would be a wise plan for everyone to have the skills and equipment they need to live a life similar to the one described in the article.
In Venezuela, the government has reduced electricity and water availability. Currently in Iran, the government has throttled the internet. I predict we see more internet restrictions than electric reductions in the earliest stages of any conflict here in the USA.
Using The M1 Carbine for Self-Defense
I would not feel the least bit undergunned if I had to rely on my M1 Carbine for self protection. It’s a very handy weapon and a fun gun to shoot. If you have one, make sure you read M1 Carbine Reliability.
‘Pain cocktail’: Dentist claims there’s something better and safer than opioid
I’ve been teaching about this drug cocktail in my medical classes for more than a decade. I’m glad the word is finally getting out.
Guns Guide to Liberals
As a culture, I don’t think we do a very good job trying to see others’ points of view or learn from people who might have political views that differ from our own. Communication without understanding creates alienation and resentment. Like it or not, we are all riding together on this big floating rock in space. It would be nice if we could actually communicate with one another in a civil manner.
In this podcast series, Jon and Sara discuss optimal communications strategies to disrupt the rabid tribalism we see so often in public debate. Listen to what they have to say. I have really enjoyed their first few podcasts.
The Actual Systemic Failings in Law Enforcement
This article highlights one of the many problems in modern police work.
“The bureaucracy of government demands proof of training, not proficiency in it. And even with the best of intentions, the entire system prohibits officers from being trained correctly and in a frequency that creates both a workable understanding of the subject matter and procedural memory (muscle memory) in execution.”
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