Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Covert Rifle Carry
While I don’t think that carrying a folding stocked rifle in a backpack everywhere you go is a great plan, I must admit that it may be useful in certain situations. If I’m driving out of state, I generally take my folding stock AR-15 “pistol” with me in a Vertx backpack. I never carry it on my person, but like that it’s a low profile way of carrying a long gun in and out of hotels. If I am a long way from home, it’s comforting to have a more potent weapon should society collapse when I’m on the road.
The Ayoob File
Massad Ayoob shares his unique perspective about gun-related issues you haven’t likely considered. You should also read his piece titled AN INSTRUCTIVE BLAST FROM THE PAST.
How To Avoid Buying Holsters That Won’t Work | Armed And Styled
Holster attributes that you should be looking for.
Intuition vs Logic
Many of the folks I meet in my training classes are very analytical and data-driven people. They could probably benefit from relying a little more on intuition instead of rational analysis.
All About MIM – Part One
Should you worry about MIM parts in your pistols and revolvers? Read and learn.
REALITY CHECK II | Tier 1 Training Everyone Deserves It
“Sure, do whatever your state’s police officer certification agency says you need to do, but make it better. Change the targets, make them bigger, smaller, laying on their side, partial, covered in old T-shirts, multiple targets, shoot multiple zones of a human’s natural armor, angled, close, far and moving! Make the cops think, and give them the tools to do it. Check out the “Bad Guys Don’t Come With Scoring Rings” article in this issue for ideas.
Shoot close, in weapon-retention mode, from ready, from the holster, under a car, around a car, odd positions, in uniforms so clothes get dirty and cops don’t hesitate to get down. Shoot 1-handed, 2-handed, strong-hand, opposite-handed, shoot guns other than our guns so you become students of weapon-craft. Make them use a “pick-up” gun on the ground they know nothing about. Make then think!
Remember, as LEOs, bad shots and bad tacticians are like drunk drivers — they generally get other people killed. Don’t be a damn, Tier 2 drunk. Please.”
Skills Check: Pocket Pistol Drills
Some basic drills to shoot with your pocket pistol. I carry a pocket gun on occasion. I’ve found the Desantis Nemesis holster to be a quality rig at a good price. Want some drills to practice with your shotgun? Try Army Vs Navy — Shotgun Quals For All.
METT-TC and Your EDC
“METT-TEC isn’t a perfect or exact system of guidance for EDC, but it’s a pretty good place to start. It makes you consider factors that might have been previously ignored. To me, it’s a handy way to organize my thought process, especially when things are outside the norm.”
New Study: Stress, Training, and the Objective Reasonableness Standard
Some surprising training outcomes.
Lead Management Made Easy!
Tatiana provides some lead poisoning mitigation strategies for shooters.
Dogsoldiers
What I’m reading…
TFB Armorer’s Bench: 10 Random Quick Tips and Tricks
Great tips for those of you who tinker with your firearms.
Best AR-15 Battlesight Zero Distance
I tend to use a 50 meter zero on my red dot and LPVO equipped AR-15s. My ARs with higher powered magnified optics are zeroed at 100 meters. I could make a logical argument why either of those two zero distances is optimal.
Trigger Control: Easy to Say, Tough to Do
Dave Spaulding’s thoughts on managing the trigger.
Don’t Put Your Keys Between Your Fingers for Self-Defense
The article is correct. Placing your keys as a weapon in your fist as pictured above is stupid. While striking in that manner may produce slightly more pain and injury to your attacker, it isn’t enough of a benefit to outweigh the risk of hurting yourself or not punching as hard as possible when attacked.
The other “expert” opinions are definitely improvements over the “wolverine” technique demonstrated above but they still will not cause significant damage to your attacker.
How about we just not use keys as a weapon? If you need a weapon, carry a weapon. Don’t improvise when you have other options available. Put some POM pepper spray on your key chain if you need a handy weapon. That will work much better than hitting the attacker with your homemade key chain flail.
November ACLDN Journal
The ACLDN is a great organization to which I belong. They have a monthly journal with an excellent interview with Massad Ayoob covering disparity of force and a review of a book to which I contributed.
Non-Lethal Self-Defense: Less Than Lethal (But Still Pretty Darn Effective)
Kelly McCann’s thinking on less lethal tools.
Phlster Enigma Modification: The Bumster
I’m a big fan of the PHL-ster Enigma. This might make it more comfortable for those of you who are having problems getting used to the leg leash.
A little less Vang…
Many older pump shotguns have a longer forend that limits the use of “side saddle” type reloading devices. Here is a quick and easy modification to a common shell card that allows some spare rounds to be carried on the gun without altering the forend.
Are Mini Shotgun Shells Viable for Self-Defense?
While we are on the topic of shotguns, here is a rational analysis of the utility of shotgun mini shells.
Military Police Officer Faces Down Active Shooter! (Andy Brown)
Andy Brown was a military bike patrol cop who dropped an active killer from a very long distance away before some of you were born. You should listen to his story.
The Drawbacks of a Subcompact Single-Stack 9mm
Good perspective here:
“In reality, the G43 is a lot closer, capability-wise, to a J-frame revolver or a pocket .380 ACP, and that is going to drive my tactics and decision making. In a scenario such as one with a lunatic in a movie theater or mall, the little G43 can’t engage from ranges where I’d be perfectly comfortable making a shot with a G17. They may both say “Glock 9×19” on the slide, but the gulf in capability between duty size and pocket size is broader than some people realize. The armed citizen who carries a single-stack 9mm owes it to him or herself to know exactly what can or cannot be done with it.”
Guns ADD Risk of Negative Outcomes – Part 2 (Light Over Heat #44)
Dr. Yamane’s continued discussion about why academics think gun use is irrational. You should also watch Defensive Gun Ownership is Irrational – The Standard Model Part 4.
AIWB- General gear considerations
Some thoughts on appendix carry.
A Taste Of Carry Optics
Massad Ayoob’s valuable opinion on pistol optics. Brian Hill’s video Why Are You Not Finding Your Dot? will also be useful for you dot shooters.
Handgun Combatives: Legacy Class / Day 4 of 5
Dave Spaulding is a long-time friend. I’m happy for him that he is retiring, but the tactical world lost an incredible resource with him no longer teaching classes. Here are some video highlights from his last course.
Safely Drawing a Pistol During a Close Quarters Engagement
Extreme proximity demands an alternate draw technique as compared to when you have a standoff distance between you and your attacker.
Some of the above links (from Amazon.com) are affiliate links. If you purchase these items, I get a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
