Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
FSI Investigates Unintentional Discharges: When Are You At Greatest Risk?
Force Science takes a look at where police unintentional discharges take place and what we can do to prevent them.
Federal Syntech Defense: Ammo Test
Some very thorough velocity and ballistic gelatin testing of the newer synthetic jacket rounds from Federal. I wouldn’t be super excited about carrying the loads for self protection. There have been several segmented handgun rounds that have previously been on the market. None has worked well in real life. While having additional wound channels is great, the rounds tend to do very poorly against any type of barrier. It’s probably best to stick with a conventional jacketed hollowpoint for defensive duties.
Investigating TikTok Accounts
For parents and investigators looking for information about navigating the TikTok app.
Stop Doing Drills; Start Using Challenges
We all do training drills. Daniel Coyle thinks that we should reconsider the word “drill” and what that implies. He has a very good point.
How the Razzle-Dazzle Game Takes All Your Money
Understand how the “Razzle-Dazzle” scam works before you shell out any money on this new gambling game.
Skills and Drills: Rolling the Dice
Instead of rolling the dice on a “Razzle Dazzle” game as described above, roll your dice to create your own shooting drills from this article.
Assessing Public Perceptions of Police Use-of-Force: Legal Reasonableness and Community Standards
This study illustrates why there are so many contentious issues between the police and the public. The Supreme Court says that it is reasonable and legal for officers to use physical force (including striking someone) to protect themselves from physical harm, to protect another from physical harm, or when reasonable to effect a lawful arrest.
Those are the legal rules that every police officer in the country operates under.
Yet 30% of the population believes it is NEVER acceptable for a police officer to strike an adult male, even to defend himself or to prevent a violent prisoner from escaping.
This is really a bad time to be in police work. You can use completely legal and reasonable force, yet still be condemned by 1/3 of the population who have absolutely no understanding of the law or police policy. Even worse, this 30% will also be members of the jury for any civil suits or criminal charges that the officer may experience.
Life as a Nonviolent Psychopath
Fascinating article about a neuroscientist who realizes his own brain scan closely matches the brain scans of the psychopaths he is studying. It’s interesting to me that the same traits the author describes are described by Malcolm Gladwell as being necessary to create”disrupters”…agents of change that can completely transform the world.
OPSEC for Legal Marijuana Consumers
I am not a cannabis user. With six months to go until I get a retirement pension, I don’t think it’s very smart for me to smoke up and then subsequently fail a urine screen. Keeping my job and pension at this point in my career are important life goals. As such, I stay away from weed and any other illegal drugs that might cost me my job.
With that said, I would imagine that a fair number of my readers are regular cannabis users. Those folks should be very careful if they want to maintain their rights to own and carry a firearm. This article provides a lot of good information about ensuring one’s anonymity while cultivating marijuana or purchasing it a dispensary.
While on the topic of cannabis, I know that some of you are using legal CBD oil for various ailments. If you are, read Why You Should Never Buy CBD Oil From Amazon.
Pat McNamara on Dealing With D-Bags and When to Draw Your Weapon
“You aren’t armed just because you have a gun. The mind is the final weapon. Everything else is supplemental.
I believe that most confrontations will be physical rather than lethal. Escalation of force must be considered in any confrontation. The first thing to consider is that the best way to get out of a bad situation is to not get there in the first place. Don’t beg for attention and achieve separation if the situation dictates that you do not have to be there.”
Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for Water Disinfection for Wilderness, International Travel, and Austere Situations
The latest scientific evidence covering the efficacy of different means of water filtration and disinfection.
How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries
I talk to lots of folks who believe that common citizens living in countries outside the USA cannot own guns. That is simply untrue. While most other countries make gun owners jump through significantly more hoops to buy guns, you can actually own a gun in almost every country in the world.
If It Doesn’t Work Against A Skilled Opponent, Then It Doesn’t Work At All
“The techniques we learn in the combat sports, in the “live” arts, they work against someone who knows them. They work against someone who knows them and doesn’t want you to succeed. They work when your opponent has speed, size, and strength on you. They are true like gravity, they don’t care about your opinion. They don’t mind your belief system. Your feelings are irrelevant, when blood is cut off from traveling to the brain your going night night whether it happens on the mat or out in an alley, in the dark, face down in a puddle of piss and broken bottles as I am to believe all “real fights” take place.
I’m not saying you won’t win. I’m saying why are you training at all to beat someone that doesn’t need technique to be beaten? And why would you pay someone to show you something that only works on people that anything will work on?”
A Prepper’s Guide to International Travel
A good look at some basic international travel precautions. I honestly don’t pay too much attention to the US government travel advisory levels. I would guess that 90% of my travel destinations are in category two (exercise increased caution). I’ve visited a few level three countries (reconsider travel) and never had a hint of a problem there. In fact, two of the most relaxing vacations I’ve ever taken were in Nicaragua and El Salvador.
I also never register with the STEP program. Read the stated mission of the US State Department:
“The U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity.”
Note that assisting American travelers isn’t one of their listed priorities. The embassy may be able to help in some situations, but I think the best bet is to plan on handling things yourself. If the embassy helps, it’s bonus points.
With that said, I still program the address and phone number of the local embassy into my phone when I travel. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to also locate the British, Canadian, and Australian embassies if you are in a really tumultuous county. During civil unrest, there may be protests outside the US embassy, limiting your access. Our allies may be in a position to help.
Don’t Use Wasp Spray For Self Defense
Please don’t rely on insecticide to keep you safe in the event of a violent attack. It didn’t work for this couple and it won’t work for you. If you need an education on the topic, read my article titled Pepper Spray: How to Choose it and How to Use it.
LESSONS FROM THE FORT WORTH TRAGEDY
Massad’s take on this horrible police shooting.
Wheelgun Wednesday: One-Handed Revolver Drills
Some more advanced revolver shooting drills. Whatever you do, please do not shoot your revolver from the retention position the author shows. There are lots of potential problems. First, the gun should be much higher, with the thumb indexed against the pectoral muscle for optimal retention. Shooting from the hip like this is simply sloppy and allows the bad guy much greater access to your firearm.
Second, do not angle the gun outboard. The reason that is done with autopistols is to keep the slide from hitting clothing, gear, or a flabby chest. There is no need to do it with a revolver as a revolver doesn’t have a reciprocating slide. It does keep hot gasses away from your body, but at the expense of your face and eyes.
In a good retention shooting position, you will have your body weight leaned forward. Your face will be over the gun. When you turn the gun sideways, you lose the protection offered by the revolver top strap. If the revolver is even slightly out of time (quite common) the shaved piece of bullet jacket could be directed straight up into your eyes. Keep the gun oriented straight up and down without any cant.
Are revolvers relevant for concealed carry?
One more revolver shooting link for you this week. In the video, Caleb masterfully describes the two demographic population groups who can gain utility by using a small revolver in place of a semi-automatic.
THUMB COCK THAT HAMMER!
“So the premise of operation is simple. Double action is the default. But when there is time, such as for a long shot, a shot requiring extreme precision, or a premeditated shot (different from an emergency shot at close range), the Keith-Askins-Cooper…and Suarez suggested method is to thumb cock the weapon and take it in single action.”
36 Righteous Men: A Novel
What I’m reading…
An “apocalyptic thriller” written by Steven Pressfield? And even better, one that was rejected by several publishers because it was too “dark.” How can I resist?
Thinking about what’s important
In this article, Claude takes a look at a defensive confrontation and breaks it down into exactly which actions the defenders had to perform during the incident. His analysis provides an important mechanism to consider when evaluating these cases. Can you perform the required actions?
The “Baits” Hotel: Travel Security Advice from Experts
This is some pretty solid hotel safety advice. Sometimes due to poor planning or a lack of availability, you can’t get a hotel in the safe neighborhood where you want to stay. In those cases, I try to book a hotel that is within sight of a police station. Even the corrupt third world cops have a deterrent effect against a lot of violent crimes.
Dapper & Deadly: The Life of FBI Special Agent Jelly Bryce
You need to learn about Jelly Bryce. He was one of the FBI’s most famous gunfighters back in the 1930s. Read Legendary Lawman for more details.
Good Samaritan Steps Into Third Party Encounter
This scenario makes for an excellent thought exercise. If you walked into a convenience store and saw the clerk fighting with another dude over a knife, would you engage?
Honestly, I would not jump in to this scenario. There’s just too not enough useful information to make an informed decision. You don’t know if this is a robbery or some type of mutual combat. You also have no idea what kind of weapons the bad guy has. Furthermore, you have no ideas about where the bad guy’s friends or getaway car driver are located.
Too many unknown variables in this one to make me feel comfortable intervening. Think about this scenario. What would you do? I’d back out, get into my car, drive a safe distance away, and call 911.
Your plan might be different. That’s fine. Just make sure that you have a plan before you act.
Why I Really Like The M1 Carbine
I am also a big fan of the M1 Carbine, especially for younger shooters or those who aren’t strong enough to hold up a heavier rifle.
Minor Wound Refresher
This is generally good advice. Before you consider closing a wound, you should probably ask yourself the questions that this author proposes:
Do you know which lacerations to close, and which to leave open?
Do you know why?
Are you sure that’s a lac, and not the evidence of an open fracture?
How would you know that without an X-ray?
Did you clean and debride the wound first, with surgical thoroughness?
How did you do that without any local anesthesia?
What structures underneath the skin were affected/damaged?
Did you repair them correctly? With what?
Would antibiotics be appropriate?
What about tetanus prophylaxis?
The extreme danger of squibs
“I’ve demonstrated it’s surprisingly easy for some pistols to cycle even when the bullet is stuck in the barrel. These are the most evil types of squibs because the shooter might not be aware of what has happened and try to fire another round. I hope this illustrates how easily something can go wrong, and reminds people to be wary if something appears out of place when you shoot, stop immediately and check the weapon.
You might be saving yourself from a really bad day. “
OZ9 Standard Trigger Replacement Program
If you own a Zev pistol, check and make sure it isn’t under the recall.
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